- Sep 4, 2007
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TSMCs FinFET Density Claim Seems Questionable
Apparently TSMC is offering a unique perspective on node shrinks to dispute Intel's claim that they will be 35% ahead of TSMC in density at the 14/16nm node.
Apparently TSMC is offering a unique perspective on node shrinks to dispute Intel's claim that they will be 35% ahead of TSMC in density at the 14/16nm node.
Nevertheless Intel will likely have 14nm long before TSMC has 20nm finfets (i.e. 16nm). This is surely the first of many battles to come between the two companies now that Intel is starting to invade their turf in the foundry business.In essence, TSMC is claiming that, because the chip designers can trade off performance for density with a density-focused layout, this allows them to claim a "15% density advantage" over its 20-nanometer process, even with the same metal stack. Unfortunately, this doesn't pass the smell test because Intel, with its own designs, could do the exact same thing and have a denser metal stack, thereby nullifying any density "advantage" that TSMC can garner from an improved layout methodology. This -- not Intel's claims -- is what appears to be misleading here.