Posted on Tuesday, November 29 2016 @ 15:52 CET by Thomas De Maesschalck
DigiTimes
heard TSMC plans to market its fourth-generation 16nm process technology as 12nm. This new option will have lower leakage and a better cost-efficiency than the current 16nm nodes.
The upcoming TSMC 12nm process is actually a smaller version of the foundry's 16nm technology, which is already offered in three process variants, said the sources. TSMC originally planned to launch it as the fourth generation of its 16nm technology that will come with lower leakage and better cost characteristics, but has decided to introduce it as an independent new process technology, the sources indicated.
TSMC's 12nm process will join its existing 16nm process portfolio to enable the foundry to better compete against rivals including Samsung and Globalfoundries, which have both offered their 14nm process technologies, the sources said.
