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Samsung 3nm two-step

Fred Chen

Moderator
From their 3nm announcement: https://news.samsung.com/global/sam...-3nm-process-technology-with-gaa-architecture

Compared to 5nm process, the first-generation 3nm process can reduce power consumption by up to 45%, improve performance by 23% and reduce area by 16% compared to 5nm, while the second-generation 3nm process is to reduce power consumption by up to 50%, improve performance by 30% and reduce area by 35%.

So their current (first) version may just be a gate pitch shrink to 45 nm (from 54 nm), while keeping a 36 nm metal pitch from 5nm and same number of tracks. The metal pitch would be reduced in the second step.
 
Cool stuff, just a shame you can't buy it, and if you could the yields would be terrible in typical new Samsung fashion. It's a real wonder where all of their CapEX goes, because as far as I know they don't have technological leadership in any of their semiconductor ventures. Which is a shame, because I think the idea of a foundry that gives you the newest tech first, but with slightly worse yields/density than the TSMC node that follows a few quarters later would be a cool/popular niche. Unfortunately the yields, densities, and performance are just way too far behind TSMC for this differentiation to work.
 
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