ATI’s next generation is 28nm, Will skip 32nm

[josiahsuarez]

http://www.fudzilla.com/content/view/16299/1/
It looks like ATI’s next generation graphics that could hopefully appear in late 2010 will be developed in the 28nm process.

This might be the first chip developed for both TSMC and Globalfoundries. Globalfoundries hopes to have its 28nm bulk process ready in late 2010, probably in Q4, and ATI will probably be one of the first customers.

If ATI plays it safe it will develop the chip for both TSMC and Globalfoundries and will benchmark which of the two gets the job done better. AMD is yet to announce that it will officially do its GPUs in Dresden bulk part of factory, but this is something that won’t surprise many people.

Just remember that TSMC’s yields with 40nm are not great and considering that this silicon is in the majority of ATi and Nvidia chips, especially new designs, an alternative for the next generation becomes more likely.

[Viral]

Interesting that GF will be going straight to 28nm for bulk, looks as though they will be attempting to compete with TSMC or at least provide an alternative for when yields are low. If this plays out right for AMD they might be first to release with every generation.

Who knows, maybe they will produce better chips than TSMC can?

[LydianKnight]

Well... better than the competition, probable but not 100% certain, as they designed the APM system that supposedly lets you pick a set of wafers meeting certain conditions, so that means they will be able to obtain a good set of wafers from a certain lot.

About being the first with every generation... no, that's not a feasible objective for now, at least. Intel have the lead in process shrink, so in the CPU side, AMD will have new process available as soon as they reach a certain degree of maturity (32nm SOI goes first, 22nm SOI goes later), and about bulk silicon, also... not, as TSMC leads the way in that field (for now, that's it).

Anyway, we still have to wait until TSMC is fully able to make production in 28nm, which supposedly goes in full-node (unless it's just pure PR BS...), then we can make a valid comparison between processes from both companies.

[josiahsuarez]

GF says, or rather Fuad says GF says they will have 28nm in late 2010. it's only a question of successful execution.

http://www.fudzilla.com/content/view/16319/1/
We haven’t seen any lithography equipment for the 28nm bulk process, but Udo Nothelfer, Vice President and General Manager of Globalfoundries confirmed that Dresden is getting ready for 45nm and especially important 28nm bulk production.

These are the two processes that might get the most interest, and we also think that bulk production should not be a big problem for Globalfoundries as the manufacturing is not more complex than silicon on insulator, something that Globalfoundries has done for many years for AMD.

The 28nm process should start with risk production in late 2010, it looks like Q4 2010 now, and high end complex graphics chips are the main target for this. We are quite sure that AMD & ATI are interested in 28nm graphics chips and it’s just a matter of time when Nvidia will start considering Globalfoundries as an alternative fab.

[TheANIMAL]

I can't help but wonder when the nonometer wall will be hit.

So much trouble is being had with 40 nm, how bad will the yeilds be for 28?

[frenchy2k1]

Nvidia has already publicly announced that they would evaluate GF as a secondary source for wafers. No other comment so far. Such an evaluation can take time, especially since GF is new in the foundry business. They may not have all their infrastructure ready.

[Woodelf]

Is it a problem with 40mn or tsmc?.
Globalfoundries seem's to be pushing 28nm.
http://www.globalfoundries.com/ARM_Partnership%20

They are partially owned by amd (i think). That would mean that amd would profit from nvidia doing buisness with GF?

[Viral]

Nvidia has already publicly announced that they would evaluate GF as a secondary source for wafers. No other comment so far. Such an evaluation can take time, especially since GF is new in the foundry business. They may not have all their infrastructure ready.

They're a new business (they broke off from AMD as part of AMD's damage control with debt) but their infastructure is far from new. The Dresden Fab 30 plant was operational in 2000 and Fab 36 in 2006.