Apple si TSMC negociaza de mai bine de 1 an de zile incheierea unui contract pentru fabricarea de chip-uri dedicate iDevice-urilor companiei Apple, iar recent cele doua companii par sa fi ajuns la un acord in acest sens. Un acord pentru 3 ani de zile a fost incheiat de catre cele doua companii, iar rezultatul final va fi producerea ce chip-uri din seria A care vor fi construite folosind un proces de fabricatie de 20nm, 16nm si 10nm. Anul viitor cei de la TSMC vor incepe sa produca chip-uri A8 pentru Apple in cantitati mici, iar asta inseamna ca anul acesta chip-urile A7 vor fi incluse in iDevice-uri.
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) and its IC design service partner Global UniChip have secured a three-year agreement with Apple to supply foundry services for the next A-series chips built using 20nm, 16nm and 10nm process nodes, according to industry sources. TSMC will start to manufacture Apple’s A8 chips in small volume in July 2013, and substantially ramp up its 20nm production capacity after December, the sources revealed. The foundry will complete installing a batch of new 20nm fab equipment, which is capable of processing 50,000 wafers, in the first quarter of 2014, the sources said.
Anul acesta Samsung ar urma sa fabrice chip-urile A7 pentru terminalele Apple, insa nimeni nu stie cand ar urma sa inceapa procesul de productie.