TSMC to 2-nanometers and Beyond
AMD CTO Mark Papermaster sat down with TSMC Co-COO Y.J. Mii to ask:
‘‘Have we run into the fundamental limits of physics or will innovation prevail again?”
(Can we keep shrinking transistors on chips?)
Thread 1/10 $TSM $AMD #semiconductors
AMD CTO Mark Papermaster sat down with TSMC Co-COO Y.J. Mii to ask:
‘‘Have we run into the fundamental limits of physics or will innovation prevail again?”
(Can we keep shrinking transistors on chips?)
Thread 1/10 $TSM $AMD #semiconductors
2/10 TSMC’s Mii: Developing manufacturing processes in the 2nm and beyond age takes longer.
“In the past, indeed, it probably took 2-3 years to get things done, but right now because technology is more and more challenging, it takes more time, sometimes 5-years or even 7-years,” said Mii.
“In the past, indeed, it probably took 2-3 years to get things done, but right now because technology is more and more challenging, it takes more time, sometimes 5-years or even 7-years,” said Mii.
3/10 TSMC works side-by-side with customers like AMD to make sure design rules for new manufacturing processes meet client needs.
TSMC and other foundries provide design rules to customers, to ensure their chips are easier to manufacture.
TSMC and other foundries provide design rules to customers, to ensure their chips are easier to manufacture.
4/10 TSMC starts work on next-generation processes years before they are in use
“We have 2 different technology development teams. They go one generation and the other group takes another generation, so we have more time and resources to work on the technology,” Mii said.
“We have 2 different technology development teams. They go one generation and the other group takes another generation, so we have more time and resources to work on the technology,” Mii said.
5/10 Working with customers is vital
“We have to work with our customers to make sure it really has value to our customers products,” said Mii.
The formal collaboration process is called ‘DTCO’ or Design Technology Co-Optimization.
“We have to work with our customers to make sure it really has value to our customers products,” said Mii.
The formal collaboration process is called ‘DTCO’ or Design Technology Co-Optimization.
6/10 TSMC and DTCO
“So, in our latest few generations of technology, we had a lot of collaboration with our customers and of course with our EDA vendors (Electronic Design Automation, Cadence, Synopsys) … to co-optimize the process and design,” said Mii.
Working together relieves the pressure of pushing the scaling and helps TSMC choose a less aggressive process, yet still get the same power, performance and density, he said.
“So, in our latest few generations of technology, we had a lot of collaboration with our customers and of course with our EDA vendors (Electronic Design Automation, Cadence, Synopsys) … to co-optimize the process and design,” said Mii.
Working together relieves the pressure of pushing the scaling and helps TSMC choose a less aggressive process, yet still get the same power, performance and density, he said.
7/10 New innovations are needed for every generation of technology
“…almost every generation of technology starting from 7-nanometer, you need to have new innovations,” Mii said. “We need innovation from materials, from processes, and in addition, we need innovation from design.”
A key innovation for 2nm is Gate-All-Around (GAA) transistors
“…almost every generation of technology starting from 7-nanometer, you need to have new innovations,” Mii said. “We need innovation from materials, from processes, and in addition, we need innovation from design.”
A key innovation for 2nm is Gate-All-Around (GAA) transistors
8/10 TSMC 2nm moving from FinFET transistors to GAA
“This new generation of transistors really has a ‘gate all around’ the transistor channel so it really has better control of transistor performance and short channel effect, ... However, to get that technology done, it changed the whole process,” Mii said.
“This new generation of transistors really has a ‘gate all around’ the transistor channel so it really has better control of transistor performance and short channel effect, ... However, to get that technology done, it changed the whole process,” Mii said.
9/10 GAA, is “so complex that the DTCO is more important because the physics problems are a lot more complicated. So it’s extremely important to work together with design,” said Mii.
10/10 AMD’s Papermaster: “I feel you and I personally have embraced that approach. We brought our teams together very closely. We almost operate as one company and we respect, of course, the proprietary information from each side. But then on the areas where we intersect, where design meets technology, it’s an incredible collaboration.
And I think we’ve leveraged that, to great success, but never more than 2nm. 2nm brings on a whole other set of challenges.” $AMD $TSM #semiconductors
And I think we’ve leveraged that, to great success, but never more than 2nm. 2nm brings on a whole other set of challenges.” $AMD $TSM #semiconductors
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