Samsung and GlobalFoundries have landed
orders from Apple to produce the 14-nanometer
A9 processor starting next year, according to
a report in DigiTimes, a daily newspaper for
semiconductor, electronics, computer and
communications industries in Taiwan and the
greater China region.
These 14nm chips will be created in GlobalFoundries’
Fab 8 factory in Malta, which
Samsung will also use to produce Apple’s
A-series chips.
Apple’s 14-nanometer A9 processors are
expected to be used in the company’s iPhone
and iPad models starting in 2015.
Media reports from wide-ranging sources are
reporting the situation. However a spokesman
at the Malta plant said on July 2, “We have a
number of customer design wins for our 20nm
and 14nm technologies at Fab 8. But beyond
that, we don’t provide details on customer
products or relationships.”
The DigiTimes report says the two foundries
plan to push their initial 14nm LPE (low
power early) process into risk production in the
fourth quarter of this year, with small volume
production in early 2015.
The report also states that Apple’s longtime
partner Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing
Company (TSMC) will try to secure orders for
Apple’s A9 chip by introducing new semiconductor
processes by early next year.
Apple is additionally considering Intel as a
potential partner to produce the A9.
Samsung and GlobalFoundries announced
in April that they would be adopting the same
chip production process to prepare for next-gen
mobile devices.
Samsung and GlobalFoundries have helped
each other over the past year, with Samsung helping
set up the Fab 8 factory in Malta last year, and
GlobalFoundries providing the backup location
when needed, according to media reports.