With comprehensive process technology roadmap updates down to 3-nanometer (nm) at the annual ‘Samsung Foundry Forum (SFF) 2018 USA’, Samsung Foundry is focused on providing customers with the tools necessary to design and manufacture powerful, yet energy-efficient system-on-chips (SoC) for a wide range of applications.

“The trend toward a smarter, connected world has the industry demanding more from silicon providers,” said Charlie Bae, executive vice president and head of the Foundry Sales & Marketing Team at Samsung Electronics. “To meet that demand, Samsung Foundry is powering innovation at the silicon level that will ultimately give people access to data, analysis, and insight in new and previously unthought-of ways to make human lives better. It is imperative for us to accomplish the first-time silicon success for our customers’ next-generation chip designs.”

Process Technology Roadmap Updates

• 7LPP (7nm Low Power Plus): 7LPP, the first semiconductor process technology to use an EUV lithography solution, is scheduled to be ready for production in the second half of this year. Key IPs are under development, aiming to be completed by the first half of 2019.

• 5LPE (5nm Low Power Early): Through further smart innovation from the 7LPP process, 5LPE will allow greater area scaling and ultra-low power benefits.

• 4LPE/LPP (4nm Low Power Early/Plus): The use of highly mature and verified FinFET technology will be extended to the 4nm process. As the last generation of FinFET, 4nm provides a smaller cell size, improved performance, and faster ramp-up to the stable level of yield by adopting proven 5LPE, supporting easy migration.

• 3GAAE/GAAP (3nm Gate-All-Around Early/Plus): 3nm process nodes adopt GAA, the next-generation device architecture. To overcome the physical scaling and performance limitations of the FinFET architecture, Samsung is developing its unique GAA technology, MBCFET^TM (Multi-Bridge-Channel FET) that uses a nano-sheet device. By enhancing the gate control, the performance of 3nm nodes will be significantly improved.

HPC (High-Performance Computing) Solutions

Samsung Foundry delivers the technology solutions to drive the latest hyper-scale datacenters and accelerate the growth of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning capability. From the latest 7LPP technology and beyond with its EUV capability, to the differentiated high-speed IPs such as 100Gbps+ SerDes on top of the innovative 2.5D/3D heterogeneous packaging, Samsung delivers the total platform solutions to greatly increase computing power and accelerate AI revolution.

Connected Device Solutions

From low-power microcontroller units (MCU) and next-generation connected devices to the most sophisticated autonomous vehicles based on 5G and Vehicle to Everything (V2X) communication, Samsung Foundry offers full-featured turnkey platforms to enable compelling products. A broad technology portfolio from 28/18 FD-SOI with eMRAM and RF capability to advanced 10/8nm FinFET processes will enable a great end-user experience for connected devices.

Mr. Bae continued, “Over the past year, we have focused on strengthening our EUV process portfolio to provide each of our customers with the finest technologies. Applying GAA structure to our next generation process node will enable us to take the lead in opening a new smart, connected world, while also to reinforcing our technology leadership.”

Details regarding Samsung Foundry can be found at www.samsungfoundry.com and www.linkedin.com/company/samsungfoundry.

Samsung has shipped more than 70,000 silicon wafers of its first-generation 10nm LPE (Low Power Early) to date. The company began the industry’s first mass production of 10LPE last October.

Back in 2015, Samsung introduced the industry’s first 14nm FinFET LPE technology for mobile applications based on 3D FinFET structure. Since then, Samsung has successfully delivered further enhancements in power, performance and scalability for both 14nm and 10nm FinFET technology.

“Samsung’s 10nm LPE is a game changer in the foundry industry. Following the 10LPE version, the 10nm LPP and LPU will enter mass production by the end of the year and next year, respectively.” said Jongshik Yoon, Executive Vice President and Head of Foundry Business at Samsung Electronics. “We will continue to offer the most competitive process technology in the industry.”

Samsung Electronics has also announced the addition of the 8nm and the 6nm process technologies to its current process roadmap. Samsung’s 8nm and 6nm offerings will provide greater scalability, performance and power advantages when compared to existing process nodes. The 8nm and the 6nm will inherit all innovations from the latest 10nm and the 7nm technologies with design infrastructure enhancements to meet various customer needs and provide further cost competitiveness.

Samsung’s foundry technology roadmap and technical details, including the newest 8nm and the 6nm, will first be open to its customers and partners at the upcoming U.S Samsung Foundry Forum scheduled for May 24, 2017.