Samsung to offer initial 7nm LPP EUV production in 2H 2018

The nanometer marketing war rages on as Samsung is now adding 11nm Low Power Plus (LPP) FinFET process technology to its portfolio. The process is expected to be ready for production in the first half of 2018. Compared with its current 14LPP process, Samsung promises up to 15 percent higher performance and up to 10 percent chip area reduction, with the same power consumption. This node is primarily intended for mid-range smartphone chips, for the high-end Samsung will continue to use 10LPP.

Progress is also being made on Samsung's 7nm LPP process with EUV technology. The South Korean firm claims it will be able to kick off initial production in the second half of 2018 but did not provide guidance for volume production. Samsung claims it's now achieving 80 percent yields for 256Mb SRAM on its 7nm EUV test line.

Samsung Electronics, the world leader in advanced semiconductor technology, today announced it has added 11-nanometer (nm) FinFET process technology (11LPP, Low Power Plus) to its advanced foundry process portfolio, offering customers with an even wider range of options for their next-generation products.

Through further scaling from the earlier 14LPP process, 11LPP delivers up to 15 percent higher performance and up to 10 percent chip area reduction with the same power consumption.

In addition to the 10nm FinFET process for mobile processors in premium flagship smartphones, the company expects its 11nm process to bring differentiated value to mid- to high-end smartphones.

The new process technology is scheduled to be ready for production in the first half of 2018.

Samsung also confirmed that development of 7LPP with EUV (extreme ultra violet) lithography technology is on schedule, targeting its initial production in the second half of 2018.

Since 2014, Samsung has processed close to 200,000 wafers with EUV lithography technology and, building on its experience, has recently seen visible results in process development such as achieving 80 percent yield for 256 megabit (Mb) SRAM (static random-access memory).

“Samsung has added the 11nm process to our roadmap to offer advanced options for various applications,” said Ryan Lee, Vice President and Head of Foundry Marketing at Samsung Electronics. “Through this, Samsung has completed a comprehensive process roadmap spanning from 14nm to 11nm, 10nm, 8nm, and 7nm in the next three years.”

Details of the recent update to Samsung’s foundry roadmap, including 11LPP availability and 7nm EUV development, will be elaborated at the Samsung Foundry Forum Japan on September 15, 2017, in Tokyo. The Samsung Foundry Forum was held in the United States and South Korea earlier this year, sharing Samsung’s cutting-edge process technologies with global customers and partners.