According to foreign media reports pointed out that the smaller the line width in the wafer, you can integrate more transistors per unit area of the chip, but also makes the system chip can integrate more chips, so that more powerful.However, previously announced Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor, there is news that Qualcomm has decided that the product will not be a new generation of 7-nanometer manufacturing process, and will continue to use Samsung's 10-nanometer manufacturing process.As for the world's second largest mobile phone MediaTek, a chip maker, has also decided to adopt TSMC's 12- or 16-nanometer manufacturing processes in its Helio P processor, which will be in the first half of 2018.
The report further pointed out that the semiconductor industry, said mobile phone makers to move to 7-nanometer manufacturing process lack of power, mainly due to the new technology provides relatively limited competitiveness, because the use of 7-nanometer process processor, you can get Lower power consumption.However, in terms of processing performance and wafer area reduction, and 10-nanometer process is not much difference.
At present, the world's largest semiconductor foundry, TSMC, is also optimizing its latest 7nm process, which makes handset chip makers also wait and see attitude, and then decided to use 7-nanometer process, or wait for more advanced 7-nanometer + Process, you can keep the manufacturers investment in the 7-nanometer process is not wasted.This also illustrates why Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor does not go 7-nanometer process, still in the 10-nanometer process reasons.
In addition, manufacturers are also pushing down the purchase price of their chips as the global smartphone market is declining, prompting chipmakers to be more cautious about the processes and costs they use, since once the 7nm process is used, it shows that OEMs Costs will rise and chip maker margins will also be affected, so Samsung and Apple, which are leading handsets, will still be in the process of 7nm process processors by 2018. As for shipments only Behind Samsung and Apple's Huawei, under the pressure of limited costs, is expected to follow.
Industry figures also show that once the handset wafer planning using 7-nanometer manufacturing process to produce, the chip maker needs about 120 million to 150 million sets of production each year in order to breakeven to make up for research and development costs.Currently, only Apple, Samsung, Qualcomm and MediaTek can reach such a scale of production.Marriers, including Huawei, millet, including handset makers, although the ability to design mobile processors.But due to the relatively small scale of production, and professional chip makers, as hard to quickly adopt The most advanced line width and production technology.Therefore, will not rashly advance the 7-nanometer process in the world.