The semiconductor scarcity has left corporations scrambling for methods to someway up manufacturing within the present panorama. For some corporations, meaning enthusiastic about switching up the manufacturing operations with enterprise companions like AMD looking to move away from using TSMC to Samsung for fabrication wants. However as swings and roundabouts usually go, it appears to be like like Qualcomm could possibly be set to make the other transfer.
Reported by The Elec, Qualcomm has already made its foundry orders for it’s upcoming 3 nm processors. Merchandise with these processors aren’t set to launch till subsequent 12 months, however manufacturing is claimed to have already got begun late final 12 months, and it’s unique to the juggernaut Taiwanese chip maker, TSMC.
The orders haven’t been confirmed by Qualcomm but, however the transfer is claimed to be in response to Samsung’s present yield difficulties. Experiences are claiming the Samsung Foundry is barely seeing a 35% yield price for the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 with doubtlessly even decrease charges for the Exynos 2200.
It is sensible that firm’s like Qualcomm may be getting nervous with these numbers, and as an alternative look to place their belief in one other firm’s fab. The corporate is adept at wanting in the direction of the longer term, skipping over Wi-Fi 6E and going straight to 7, for instance. It has nonetheless ordered 7nm RF chips by Samsung although, so relationships clearly aren’t over between the businesses simply but.
In reality, in accordance with the report, the upper, but nonetheless disappointing yield on the Snapdragon chips was because of help from Qualcomm to assist troubleshoot and remedy issues. Samsung has responded to the problems and is at the moment performing an audit of Samsung Foundry to resolve issues.
Right here’s hoping TSMC can deal with the demand within the meantime. Fabless companies like Qualcomm and AMD usher in huge bucks to corporations like Samsung and TSMC, although there’s greater than sufficient work to go round on this semiconductor scarcity. TSMC could also be successful huge on these contracts, and we’re hopefully to see the availability shortages finish quickly however the industry still has skill shortages and environmental concerns to deal with.
