A press release issued via Samsung’s official blog disclosed the company had commenced mass production of System-on-Chip (SoC) products with 10-nanometer FinFET technology. This development from Samsung and Panasonic is a huge breakthrough for the history of electronics.
The Korean giant’s processors will feature an advanced 3D transistor, a new design, and a new structure as well. The 10-nanometer processor is an improvement over Samsung’s previous 14-nanometer iteration. The processors will generate a 27 percent higher performance rate. They will be 30 percent more efficient regarding the area of placement, and consume 40 percent less power.
FinFET is an acronym for Fin Field Effect Transistor, which in turn are the devices responsible for controlling the amount of voltage (electric current) that runs through electrical appliances, in this case, microchips.
Why is this new processor relevant?
Intel was the first company to introduce a processor that included FinFET technology. The transistors allowed the processors to work faster while consuming less energy because their design permitted more computer circuits (or gates) to work together in the same space. This fact is the reason why some sources refer to these processors as ‘multi-gate.’
System-on-Chip (or SoC) is a type of microchip that contains all the necessary electronic components that make any computer function correctly. By designing SoC products that contain the smaller FinFET technology, manufacturers like Samsung can integrate more elements into a single microchip without risking performance or upping energy consumption.
The development of smaller FinFET transistors improves this integration and translates to better smartphones, for example, with more features, faster processors, and longer battery life. This current transistor is incredibly tiny. In comparison, a DNA molecule measures 2 to 3 nanometers in width, while the transistor measures 10 nanometers.
Samsung and the future of processing
The 10nm technology (named 10LPE) is the first-generation for these types of processes. according to Samsung NewsRoom. The company expects to begin building second-generation products (10LPP) with a performance boost by the second half of 2017.
The company will also begin to create a “robust 10nm foundry ecosystem,” a place for other developers to acquire resources on 10nm technology. They have already released Process Design Kits (or PDK’s) and IP design kits for interested third parties to learn more about this products.
“WE WILL CONTINUE OUR EFFORTS TO INNOVATE SCALING TECHNOLOGIES AND PROVIDE DIFFERENTIATED TOTAL SOLUTIONS TO OUR CUSTOMERS,” said Jong Shik Yoon, Executive VP and Head of Foundry Business at Samsung.
Digital devices containing these SoC’s will launch in early 2017 and will become available throughout the year, the article concluded.
Source: Samsung Newsroom
