Global wafer foundry industry is stepping up FinFET layout

Global wafer foundry industry is stepping up the FinFET layout. Following Groffand's announcement that 14 nm FinFET will be produced in 2013, Taiwan Wafer and UMC has also announced the FINFET Process development blueprint and production schedule, hoping to use this new technology to provide IC design operators better performance of the manufacturing program, to seize the communications and consumer electronics IC manufacturer.

Fin-type transistors (FinFET) have become the key tool for wafer manufacturers to compete for the future mobile communication market. In order to further enhance the wafer efficiency and reduce the size, each wafer foundry industry has been carrying out different process technology to actively develop the FINFET framework, is expected to bear fruit in the next year, and began to inject revenue contributions.

In the FinFET, and TSMC in the research and development of the fastest progress (table 1). TSMC estimated June 2013 can start to provide customers with 16 nm FINFET process of wafer light cover service (Cybershuttle), and start production at the end of next year, after the formal production, the first card market business opportunities, thereby consolidating the global wafer foundry market leading position.

Development progress ahead of Taiwan product 16 nm next year trial production

TSMC chairman and chief executive Chang pointed out that the TSMC 16 nm FinFET process production time is expected to advance, is expected to start production at the end of next year.

Chang, chairman and chief executive of TSMC (Figure 1), said that although the overall economic situation in the world was not ideal, the demand for the mobile communications market was strong and the current TSMC, which included 65, 40 and 28 nanometers, continued to grow rapidly.

Chang further pointed out that at present the 20 and 16 NM process technology progress has been significantly accelerated, of these, 20 nm already have about 15 customers are carrying out the casting (tapeout) test, the 16 nanometer development time is quicker than previously anticipated, the introduction timetable will be earlier than the previous process, the forecast next year the trial production, Start at the beginning of volume.

On the other hand, TSMC has been costing NT $3.2 billion for the Nan Science Park's "Park business Zone" Two lands, this land will be built in the future of the company's 18-inch wafer plant, and engaged in the development of 7 Nano Advanced process, is expected to start construction in 2016, 2017 related research and development equipment will be stationed in the plant.

TSMC's capital expenditure this year is about $8.5 billion trillion, and the Fab 12 sixth phase of the Hsinchu Science Park has begun to be installed, enabling 20 nm to be scheduled for production early next year. Chang stressed that next year, TSMC's capital expenditure will continue to increase to expand the strength of the advanced process.

In fact, the third quarter of this year, TSMC's revenue has been a success, of which the advanced production line contributed the most. TSMC finance chief and senior deputy general manager Lora said, 28 nm process shipments more than one times the previous quarter, accounting for the company's third-quarter wafer sales of 13%;40 Nano sales accounted for the entire Ji Jing round 27%, and 65 nm process technology revenue accounted for the Ji Jing round sales of 22%. Overall, the above advanced process of wafer sales reached the full Ji Jing round sales amount of 62%.

However, TSMC remains cautious about the outlook for the fourth quarter and early next year. Chang that the semiconductor supply chain will start to make inventory adjustments in the fourth quarter, thus affecting wafer manufacturing demand, so the first growth rate for the fourth quarter and next year will be slightly revised downward, but it is expected to return to normal after the second quarter of next year.

On the other hand, UMC's 14 nm FINFET process technology will start trial production in early 2014, which can be expected to increase by 35 in the current 28 nm process. 40%, can provide communication chip and application processor low power and high efficiency advantage, expand short-based Communication and consumer electronic IC manufacturer.

Import FinFET Process Technology UMC 14 NM the year after the debut

UMC, vice chairman of the Sun Shiwei, said that the 14 nm FINFET process technology would be the best tool for UMC to cut into future generations of communication operations.

Sun Shiwei (Figure 2), vice chairman of UMC, said as the wafer from the 28 into the 20 nm process of the following miniaturization, it is bound to use double exposure (double patterning) micro-image technology can be achieved, and this technology, whether the micro-machine or human development and other costs are very high, As a result, many of the small shipments of IC designers are unwilling to invest a large amount of capital imports, indirectly to the 20 nm market demand can not be expanded.

FinFET process technology with low power consumption characteristics, although the cost of dual exposure lithography technology is still not eliminated, it can greatly improve the overall efficiency of the unit area of the transistor and reduce the cost impact of the IC designer due to the dual exposure lithography technology.

Sun Shiwei further points out that, on the basis of IBM FINFET Technical authorization, UMC will skip the 20 nm process and step into the 14 nm FINFET process technology to provide a more efficient solution for communications and operational computing clients. This new process is currently Unanco Research Center in Full research and development, is expected to be completed in early 2014, and soon trial production.

However, compared with both TSMC and Groffand (GlobalFoundries), which are expected to produce 16/14 nano-FinFET in early 2014, the time period of the joint electricity production is obviously slightly slow, and how to make the first-come-up is the focus of the industry. Sun Shiwei stressed that although UMC's development in this process started late, however, the relative FinFET process required machine manufacturing technology is also more mature, and equipment prices are relatively cheap, coupled with IBM technology exchange and other benefits, the future volume of product quality and history will be more than competitors to meet customer needs.

On the other hand, the UMC 28 NM product line is expected to be produced at the end of the year, and will begin to contribute revenue in the first quarter. Sun Shiwei added that the first wave of 28 nm hard-or products After several months of component and process parameters adjusted, the yield has been significantly improved, and the company has also successfully used the 28 NM rear gate (gate-last) Dielectric electrical metal Gate (HKMG) production process in the third quarter, and continue to work closely with customers.

For the major wafer plants are expected in the fourth quarter and early next year, revenue growth will be slowed down, Sun Shiwei said that today's wafer foundry manufacturing is in the inventory adjustment and boom cycle cycle, UMC estimated that this wave of inventory adjustment will continue to the beginning of next year, the fluctuation of the boom will depend on the overall economy next year, end product market demand and new product alternating strength , the company will continue to expand customer level, improve product mix, and further improve the flexibility of capacity deployment to reduce the impact of cyclical fluctuations.

Although the global semiconductor industry began to enter the inventory adjustment phase, but the Taiwan IC manufacturing industry is still expected to lead the wafer manufacturers under the trend of growth, and in 2013 up to 5.1% growth rate. In the future, especially if TSMC successfully picks up Apple's A7 processor order, it will have the opportunity to significantly boost the overall IC manufacturing industry growth rate up top.

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