Peter Clarke, Qualcomm to jump from 45- to 28-nm with TSMC. EE Times, Jan. 8
, 2010.
http://www.eetimes.com/news/design/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=222300029
Note: taped out
http://www.yourdictionary.com/computer/taped-out
My comment: Do not ask me.
(a) I do not know in this situation who teaches who about new process. I
thought Qualcomm only designed. But recall
Peter Clarke, TSMC splits 28-nm high-k metal gate process into two versions.
EE Times Europe, Aug. 24, 2009.
http://www.eetimes.eu/219401137
(b) And by moving "directly" from 45 to 28 nm, I assume the intermediate
step (halfway between the two) is skipped. For the past two years, TSMC
could not find enough designers to follow Moore's Law (because (i) designers
could not find a market for advanced process; and (ii) advanced process is
too expensive), so it (TSMC) chose incremental improvements.
(c) Please consult a related report highlighted at the bottom:
Carl Wintgens, How much of a lead does Intel have at 32nm? EE Times, Dec. 14, 2009.
http://www.eetimes.com/222001158