Intel, Samsung, TSMC Plan Shift to 450-mm Wafers
05.06.08
by Mark Hachman
Intel , Samsung and TSMC agreed Tuesday to develop 450-mm wafers for semiconductor manufacturing, timing the transition away from the current 300-mm technology in about 2012.
The shift will increase the wafer size by 2.25 times versus the conventional 300-mm wafer used by most fabs today. The total area of the new wafer will be approximately 636,173 square millimeters.
On average, semiconductor manufacturers make the shift to a larger wafer every ten years, with the shift to 300-mm wafers beginning in 2001. In a statement, the three companies said that the shift to 450-mm wafers in 2012 was on par with the historical pace of growth.
The 2012 date represents the target date for pilot production. All three companies will apply "aligned standards, rationalizing changes from 300mm infrastructure and automation, and working toward a common timeline," the companies said.
The combination of finer manufacturing widths and larger wafers should dramatically improve the number of microprocessor dice per wafer that can be manufactured. For example, the "Wolfdale" 45-nm Core 2 Duo expected later this year is predicted to be about 107 sq. mm; under the new wafer dimensions, 5,945 processors could be manufactured from a single wafer, versus 2,642 before. At a price of $266 (the price of the current E8500 Core 2 Duo) each wafer would be worth approximately $1.58 million.
However, the manufacturing costs per die would also be amortized over a greater number of processors, reducing their cost of manufacture. Increasing the wafer size would help keep costs in line.
"Increasing cost due to the complexity of advanced technology is a concern for the future," said Mark Liu, TSMC's senior vice president of its Advanced Technology Business, in a statement. "Intel, Samsung, and TSMC believe the transition to 450mm wafers is a potential solution to maintain a reasonable cost structure for the industry."
None of the three companies revealed any of their own specific manufacturing plans or timetables.
The three companies will continue to work with International Sematech (ISMI), as it plays a critical role in coordinating industry efforts on 450mm wafer supply, standards setting and developing equipment test bed capabilities, the companies said.
Intel, Samsung, TSMC Plan Shift to 450-mm Wafers - News and Analysis by PC Magazine
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