10-nm Mobile AP

Samsung Electronics plans to mass produce the second generation 10-nm mobile application processor (AP) chipset at the end of this year
Samsung Electronics plans to mass produce the second generation 10-nm mobile application processor (AP) chipset at the end of this year

 

Samsung Electronics said in its newsroom on the global website on March 16 that it plans to mass produce the second generation 10-nm mobile application processor (AP) chipset at the end of this year and the third generation 10-nm mobile AP chip beginning from next year. One nanometer (nm) is one-billionth of a meter.

Last October, Samsung Electronics succeeded in mass producing chips using the first generation 10-nm FinFet process technology for the first time in the semiconductor industry. 10 nm has the semiconductor circuits having line widths of 10. Smaller number in nm means more advanced technology.

Qualcomm’s latest mobile AP chip “Snapdragon 835” and Samsung Electronics’ “Exynox 9” are the processor chipsets produced using Samsung’s 10-nm FinFet process technology. The Exynox 9 series allow up to 27 percent higher performance while consuming 40 percent less power when compared to 14nm technology. Market watchers expect that the Samsung Galaxy S8 smartphone to be unveiled at the end of this month will be equipped with the Snapdragon 835 or the Exynox 9 series AP processor.

Samsung Electronics said, “We have been stably producing products using 10-nm FinFet process technology with high yields. So far, more than 70,000 silicon wafers produced using 10-nm process technology have been shipped to clients.”

“Samsung’s 10-nm low power early (LPE) semiconductor will be a game changer in the foundry industry. The 10-nm low power plus (LPP) of the second generation and low power ultimate (LPU) of the third generation will enter mass production by the end of the year and next year, respectively,” said Yoon Jong-shik, executive vice president at Samsung Electronics’ system LSI division foundry business.

Samsung Electronics said that the second generation LPP will have high capacity with lower power consumption and LPU will have s smaller size with high capacity. The company also revealed its technology roadmap to introduce the next-generation 8-nm and 6-nm process technologies.

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