2023-07-20 00:20:00
What continues to bring a lot of revenue to chip foundries at a time of plunging demand and revenue are AI and crypto-mining chips. Samsung has said that it is producing with its 3 nm lithographic process, but no chip has reached the consumer sector due to the economic situation. However, they have now identified a Chinese crypto mining chip that is using that lithography.
It is being used by a young Chinese company called MicroBT for an ASIC (Application Specific Chip) according to TechInsights. It has been integrated into the M56S++ mining rig of Whatsminer, another Chinese company. An ASIC is a type of programmable chip but simple in design and generally small, so Samsung could get high productivity for MicroBT design and therefore could be making a profit.
The problem will really be applying GAAFET 3nm output to a logic chip design, such as a mobile or PC processor. Samsung is long behind in production at 3nm considering they announced the mass production last year and has not yet reached the consumer sector. TSMC is in the same situation, although chips manufactured at 3 nm are expected to arrive in Apple devices in the fourth quarter.
Via:
TechPowerUp.
#Samsung #3nm #Lithography #Identified #Chinese #Firms #Crypto #Mining #Chip