this post was submitted on 21 May 2024
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[–] UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world -3 points 5 months ago (1 children)

SMIC makes 5nm chips and is on the cusp of 3nm.

[–] TheGrandNagus@lemmy.world 4 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Marketing terms mean nothing. SMIC's nodes are nowhere near the real transistor density of TSMC's or even Intel's.

But what's worse than that are the yields. I don't believe we have public numbers on their newest node yet, but their self-reported yields on their "7nm" process as of late 2022 was a pathetic 10-15%. TSMC's 7nm yield (and you should remember that TSMC's 7nm is vastly superior to SMIC's) was getting over 70% yield when it was in pre-production trialing.

[–] UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world -2 points 5 months ago (1 children)

In that case, I guess there's no problem and Taiwan will maintain semiconductor supremacy forever

[–] TheGrandNagus@lemmy.world 1 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Not what I said, but thank you for contributing that strawman to the conversation.

[–] UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world -2 points 5 months ago (1 children)

The Chinese firms are end running US sanctions with improved technologies and your response seems to be "But their chips aren't as good so it doesn't count".

Nevermind the rapid pace of development or the fact that only TSMC and Samsung seems capable of matching it.

The idea that Chinese manufacturers need Taiwan is demonstrably false.

[–] TheGrandNagus@lemmy.world 1 points 5 months ago (1 children)

No, I was dismissing your assertion that Chinese fab companies are at the same level, or ahead of, TSMC. The truth is they aren't even close. This is something that even China themselves openly admit.

That's a second time you've strawmanned me. I don't appreciate words being put in my mouth.

Samsung? I'm sorry, are you keeping up with the industry at all? Samsung isn't matching shit. They're a node behind Intel and 2.5 behind TSMC. What development are they matching?

And yes, a multitude of Chinese manufacturers do need Taiwan. China in general does. Will that be true in the far future? Who knows. But it's certainly true now and in the short term.

[–] UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world 0 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Samsung? I’m sorry, are you keeping up with the industry at all? Samsung isn’t matching shit. They’re a node behind Intel and 2.5 behind TSMC

Samsung seizes 2nm AI chip deal, challenging TSMC’s reign: Japan's PFN, a TSMC partner since 2016, chose Samsung's 2nm for AI chips.

[–] TheGrandNagus@lemmy.world 0 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago)

That's not an existing node, but a proposed future one they're branding as 2nm.

Compare nodes that exist. Samsung is pretty far behind right now.