The following frontier in U.S. semiconductor restrictions for Chinese language firms is gate-all-around (GAA) chip manufacturing know-how. In keeping with a Bloomberg report, measures are being mentioned to restrict Chin’s entry to this superior know-how, broadly thought of a successor to the FinFET know-how presently utilized in manufacturing cutting-edge semiconductor gadgets.
GAA, also called gate-all-around field-effect transistor (GAAFET), replaces the vertical fins utilized in FinFET know-how with a stack of horizontal sheets. This GAA construction additional reduces leakage whereas growing drive present, thus bolstering transistor density and delivering energy and efficiency advantages.
Determine 1 GAA turns FinFET transistors sideways to make channels horizontal as a substitute of vertical to increase semiconductor system scaling and scale back energy consumption. Supply: Samsung
In March this yr, the U.Okay. imposed controls over GAA transistor know-how on firms in China. Now, a supply in Bloomberg report claims that america and different allies are anticipated to comply with the U.Okay. in imposing controls on GAA know-how this summer time.
Nonetheless, these entry controls haven’t been finalized but, primarily as a result of the early model is taken into account very broad. It doesn’t make a transparent distinction between whether or not these restrictions are geared toward stopping China from creating its personal GAA know-how or blocking chipmakers from america and its allies from promoting GAA-based chips to firms in China.
Among the many U.S. allies, South Korea is notable on this affair as a result of Samsung Foundry is a pioneer in commercializing the GAA manufacturing know-how in its 3-nm course of node. Intel is predicted to implement GAA transistor structure in its 20A node which can be unveiled later this yr. TSMC plans to make use of GAA know-how in its 2-nm course of node to be made accessible in 2026.
That reveals Samsung is forward of the curve in GAA chip manufacturing structure, so it’ll be fascinating to see South Korea’s tackle this matter. It’s price noting that the Bloomberg report quotes nameless sources and stresses that deliberations are non-public.
Whereas South Korea and its tech star Samsung are prone to be on the middle of this affair, the Bloomberg report additionally revealed some early-stage discussions about limiting exports of high-bandwidth reminiscence (HBM) chips to China. That can put South Korea on the middle of one other know-how export battle as two of the three firms supplying HBM chips are from South Korea.
Determine 2 HBM is a high-end reminiscence that stacks DRAMs utilizing vertical channels referred to as through-silicon vias (TSVs). Supply: Samsung
Samsung and SK hynix, together with U.S. reminiscence chip maker Micron, presently produce these high-end reminiscence chips, that are thought of essential in AI purposes whereas being paired with synthetic intelligence (AI) processors. New restrictions on HBM chips, like GAA, might considerably impression South Korean tech-related exports.
The U.S. semiconductor know-how export restrictions imposed on firms in China have principally impacted chip distributors in america, except for lithography professional ASML, which is predicated within the Netherlands. Now, South Korea might bear the brunt of those potential restrictions on GAA and HBM applied sciences.
Because the Bloomberg report factors out, no closing choice has been made but. But it surely’d be fascinating to see how South Korean know-how and commerce officers reply to such export restrictions, particularly, concerning the export of HBM chips, for which Samsung and SK hynix command practically 90% of the market.
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- Samsung Plans Aggressive Rollout of Subsequent-Gen Transistors
- Samsung unveils plans for 2-nm and 1.4-nm course of nodes
- All you have to find out about GAA chip manufacturing course of
- From FinFET to GAA: Samsung’s fab journey to three nm and a couple of nm
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The publish What GAA and HBM restrictions imply for South Korea appeared first on EDN.