Apple and Samsung monopolize chip fabrication

Discussion in 'Technology' started by bfun, Jan 7, 2015.

  1. There are only two companies in the world that can make large quantities of chips using the 20nm process. One is Intel and the other is TSMC. Both Nvidia and AMD get their chips made by TSMC. Unfortunately for them Apple and Samsung also get their chips made by TSMC and both of those companies are hogging the 20nm and smaller process lines. This is why Nvidia stuck with their 28nm chips for Maxwell and why AMD is months late with it's new 20nm R9300 chips. Nvidia wants to jump to 16nm for their next chips but Apple's new A9 is also 16nm so it could be bad news for them.

    http://www.itworld.com/article/2865341/amd-nvidia-reportedly-get-tripped-up-on-process-shrinks.html
     
  2. The flip side is that the huge volume demand from Apple and Samsung is likely what allows TSMC to move to the smaller processes so quickly. I imagine it takes big $$ to do it.
     
  3. So Nvidia and AMD are benefiting because Apple and Samsung are the ones paying to upgrade the fabrication process in the labs? That's possible.
     
  4. Samsung are using their own fabs for 20nm and 14nm. They use TSMC for their Qualcomm equipped devices, but these are all 28nm.
     
  5. Looks like good news for nVidia, AMD, and Apple.

    http://www.extremetech.com/computing/199101-amd-nvidia-both-skipping-20nm-gpus-as-tsmc-plans-massive-16b-fab-investment-report-says
     
  6. Samsung is apparently going to be doing much of the fab for the 14nm A9 in the iPhone 6s.
     
  7. That seems odd.
     
  8. Samsung did quite a bit of that for Apple in the past, then Apple started moving business to TSMC to diversify. It might be that Apple is satisfied that Samsung is sufficiently screwed in the smartphone business to go back to them for this round, or perhaps TSMC dropped the ball. But it looks like TSMC is trying not to be outdone with that new investment...
     
  9. Perhaps it's wrong to assume Samsung's chip manufacturing is even connected to their smart phone and tablet business. After all they make cars and dishwashers too.
     
  10. Just remember they are a huge conglomerate with electronics just being a division of the company. If you live in south korea, there's also samsung insurance and apartments too.