Doug S (foo.delete@this.bar.bar) on March 27, 2021 5:14 pm wrote:
> blue (blue.delete@this.blue.com) on March 27, 2021 10:16 am wrote:
> > Doug S (foo.delete@this.bar.bar) on March 26, 2021 9:43 am wrote:
> > >
> > > What, you think TSMC will use the same equipment for 3nm that they are using
> > > for 5nm, and the same equipment for 2nm that they are using for 3nm?
> > >
> > > Intel might want to 'recycle' some equipment since they don't keep old nodes around, but TSMC keeps
> > > old nodes around forever so they need new equipment for every node.
> >
> > Pretty sure TSMC 10nm died and tools were moved once Apple left it?
> >
> > I don't think you're wrong. Just that TSMC has retired at least one node in the past few years.
>
>
> There have been a couple nodes that they designated as "short lived" - 20nm and 10nm IIRC.
> They haven't done so for any EUV nodes yet, and obviously they have to designate them as such
> ahead of time so customers who want to be able to source wafers for a particular design for
> a long time will know which nodes are and are not appropriate to target for that design.

TSMC 7+ (the EUV one) was basically DOA and very low volume.

I expect the equipment was reused for 5nm.

David