This is one of those cases where the word “explosion” has definite, positive connotations, as it doesn't mean that 28nm chips go up in flames but that they have scored many design wins ever since the technology was launched.
When it comes to semiconductors, a more advanced manufacturing process automatically means lower power draw, higher productivity (lower price) and, of course, overall higher performance.
The 28nm node is one that TSMC had been preparing for for quite a while before it finally kicked off production.
Apparently, the foundry's customers were very eager to build upon the new process, as the amount of design wins it scored grew quickly.
More specifically, TSMC agreed to a sort of interview with EETimes, one that revealed that, true enough, almost a hundred design wins exist already.
For those that want actual numbers, there are 89 of them already, which means that it is considered much more economically feasible by designers, since there are fewer of them who even need chips at nodes lower than 40nm.
In fact, combined with what Samsung has, and excluding Globalfoundries, there is a total of 134 tape-outs for 28nm processes.
"The smartphone and tablet is the new killer application. We are seeing a design explosion at 28nm. We have 89 tape-outs in the pipeline," said Maria Marced, president of TSMC Europe, in an interview with
EETimes.
Makers of ultraportable devices are those likeliest to place most of the orders for 28nm chips.
For TSMC, this means a lot, because it holds the largest part of this market (90%, more or less), or so it claims. Meanwhile, Samsung has 35 32nm and 28nm tape-outs of its own.
All in all, even though it
won't use three-dimensional transistors in any of its 2xnm process technologies, TSMC definitely suffers form no order shortages.
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