元器件交易网讯 4月18日消息，据外媒报道，三星正在与芯片大厂格罗方德（GlobalFoundries）合作，加快主要用于智能机及平板的低功耗高速芯片供应。

　　格罗方德授权三星使用14纳米FINFET芯片制程技术，该技术主要用来制造三维晶体管。格罗方德使用这些晶体管制造出的芯片较当前20纳米制程技术制造的芯片速度快20%，同时能耗减少35%。

　　格罗方德一直在追求自主开发14纳米技术，并计划今年推出。现在格罗方德放弃了该技术，显然三星FINFET制程是更好的选择。

　　FINFET晶体管可以用在包括台式机、服务器的任何电脑中。格罗方德的切割工艺与三星的技术结合，是为满足日益增长的智能机及平板电脑芯片需求。（元器件交易网毛毛  摘译）

　　以下为原文：

　　Samsung is partnering with chipmanufacturer GlobalFoundries to increase the supply of low-power, high-speedchips for smartphones and tablets.

　　GlobalFoundries has licensed Samsung’s14-nanometer FINFET chip making process, which is used to manufacture 3Dtransistors. Those transistors will allow GlobalFoundries to make chips thatare 20 percent faster and use 35 percent less power than chips made using itscurrent 20-nanometer technology, the companies said.

　　GlobalFoundries doesn’t use the chipsitself. It’s a foundry supplier, which means it makes chips for other companiesthat outsource their chip production, such as Advanced Micro Devices, Nvidiaand Qualcomm.

　　Chip makers are constantly racing to buildfaster, more power-efficient chips, and the deal with Samsung will helpGlobalFoundries compete better with other foundry suppliers such as Taiwan’sTSMC.

　　In fact, GlobalFoundries had been pursuingits own 14-nanometer technology, which it planned to introduce this year. Ithas now dropped that technology, apparently deciding that Samsung’s FINFETprocess is a better option.

　　Moving to a more advanced process quicklyis important to staying competitive. Many of today’s mobile devices use28-nanometer chips, but Qualcomm recently announced its first 64-bit,20-nanometer part, a step on the way to 14 nanometer.

　　Intel, which has some of the most advancedmanufacturing plants in the world, is already making 14-nanometer chips.They’ll be introduced this year for PCs. Samsung, GlobalFoundries and othershave been accelerating their manufacturing road maps to catch up.

　　TSMC, which is the world’s largest foundrysupplier, will start producing 3D transistors this year using a 16-nanometerprocess. The number refers to the smallest circuits etched on the surface ofthe chips.

　　The deal between Samsung andGlobalFoundries could bring them certain advantages. They’ll be able to promisecustomers a steady supply of chips, because customers will now be able to orderthe same type of FINFET products from GlobalFoundries’ factory in SaratogaCounty, New York, as well as from Samsung’s factories in Korea and in Austin,Texas.

　　Intel and TSMC each use different 14-nm andFINFET technologies, so their customers don’t have the option to use othercompanies’ fabs.

　　GlobalFoundries will start making the 14-nmchips early next year, though they might not reach mobile devices until 2016,since device makers will first need to test and validate the chips in theirproducts. The manufacturing process will be used for a range of graphics andapplication processors.

　　FINFET transistors can be used in all kindsof computers, including desktops and servers, but GlobalFoundries cut the dealwith Samsung technology mainly to meet the growing demand for smartphone andtablet chips, said Ana Hunter, GlobalFoundries’ vice president of productmanagement.

　　GlobalFoundries was formed when AMD spunout its chip manufacturing plants a few years ago. AMD is one ofGlobalFoundries’ main customers, and last week the two companies extended theirchip-making deal.