Samsung confirms: 3 nm production process started
A few hours after the first rumors spread, Samsung has confirmed that it has started chip production on the 3nm node. The company confirms what was already known, namely that the node implements the new GAA (Gate-All-Around) technology, in which substantially the insulating material is applied all around the four sides of the transistor, unlike the previous FinFET in which it is only found on 3.
Multi-Bridge Channel FET (MBCFET), Samsung’s GAA technology implemented for the first time ever, challenges the performance limits of FinFET, improving energy efficiency by reducing input voltage, while improving performance by increasing capacity of current conduction.
According to the official estimates by Samsung, compared to the 5nm processchips made on the new first generation 3 nm GAA process can:
- guarantee a reduction in energy consumption of up to 45%
- improve performance by 23%
- reduce chip area by 16%
The second generation 3 nm process could further amplify the improvements, going to 50%, 30% and 35% respectively (again compared to 5 nm).
Samsung does not explain in detail which one is hers first customer: it only says it will produce chips for use in scenarios that require high performance and low power consumption, and that it plans to expand to mobile processors later. According to rumors reported yesterday by The Elec, the customer would be a Chinese company that makes chips specializing in bitcoin mining. Samsung did not say this explicitly, but according to the South Korean newspaper, it is a sort of trial run, to evaluate efficiency and yield before dealing with chips on a much larger scale.
