Samsung-Qualcomm Alliance
Samsung Electronics will produce Qualcomm's fifth-generation mobile communication semiconductors via a seven-nanometer foundry process.
According to Samsung Electronics, the company decided to cooperate with Qualcomm in a seven-nanometer foundry process to be developed this year. Specified products via a seven-nm process were not disclosed but a source said that the Korean semiconductor giant is highly likely to produce next-generation application processors (APs) including 5G communication chips to be designed by Qualcomm.
Micro-processes in which companies design semiconductor circuits while maintaining their widths at the one-nanometer (1 billionths of a meter) level as require higher technology as the number is lower.
Following the world's first 14nm and 10nm processes, Samsung Electronics completed the development of an 8nm process in the second half of last year. As a result, Qualcomm which was a partner of Samsung in 14-, 10-, and 8-nm processes, has decided to work with Samsung Electronics on a 7-nm process.
Samsung Electronics uses EUV (extreme ultra violet) equipment from 7nm to overcome micro-processes’ limitations. The use of EUV equipment can reduce chip areas 40% and improve performance 10% compared to a 10nm process.
"A 5G solution to which Samsung's seven-nm process is applied will be able to provide a better user experience," an industry official said about the collaboration between Samsung and Qualcomm. "This cooperation will be a golden opportunity for Samsung’s foundry business."