Global chip tech race heats up thanks to 3nm process

[Graphics by Song Ji-yoon]

The world‘s chip tech race is getting intense as leading chip manufacturers move towards adopting the 3nm process for application processors (APs), the core chips in smartphones.

Qualcomm is set to release the fourth generation of its Snapdragon 8 chip as early as September 2024. The chip will be built on the second-generation 3nm process node by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Ltd (TSMC) and will operate at clock speeds of up to 4 GHz, significantly higher than the 3.3 GHz of its third-generation predecessors.

[Graphics by Song Ji-yoon and Han Yubin]

Samsung Electronics Co. is also in the running with its new AP, known to industry observers as Exynos 2500. The Seoul-based chip manufacturer recently announced the successful development of a high-performance mobile system-on-chip (SoC) prototype based on the 3nm process in collaboration with global design automation (EDA) firm Synopsys, Inc.

Industry observers say Samsung Electronics could be ahead of TSMC in terms of node progress. Samsung gate-all-around (GAA) technology is known for its exceptionally low power leakage and precise control. In contrast, TSMC will continue to use its previous generation fin field-effect transistor (FinFET) structure in the advanced 3nm process.

Exynos 2500 is expected to incorporate tensor processing units (TPUs) from Google.