TSMC's 28-nm Node + Apple's iPads

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(1)
(a) Cage Chao and Jessie Shen, TSMC Sees Sub-40nm Capacity Nearly Booked Up. DigiTimes, Feb 15, 2012.
http://www.digitimes.com/news/a20120215PD204.html

(b) David Manners, TSMC's 28nm is Great, Says Xilinx. ElectronicsWeekly.com, Feb 15, 2012.
http://www.electronicsweekly.com ... eat-says-xilinx.htm

Note:
(i) The report says, "Though 40nm was, of course, a dog of a node."

dog (n): "one inferior of its kind <the movie was a dog>"
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dog
(ii) For HPL, LP and HP referred to in the report, see

28nm Technology. TSMC, undated.
http://www.tsmc.com/english/dedicatedFoundry/technology/28nm.htm

Quote from TSMC:

"The low power (LP) process is the first available 28nm technology. It is ideal for low standby power applications such as cellular baseband.

"The 28nm high performance (HP) process is the first option to use high-k metal gate process technology. Featuring superior speed and performance, the 28HP process targets CPU, GPU, FPGA, PC, networking, and consumer electronics applications.

"The 28nm low power with high-k metal gates (HPL) technology adopts the same gate stack as HP technology while meeting more stringent low leakage requirements with a trade of performance speed.


(2) Lorraine Luk and Jessica E Vascellaro, Apple to Test Smaller Tablet; Eight-inch screen may bolster share; Cook address supplier oversight. Wall Street Journal, Feb 15, 2012.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB ... 22354104574994.html

Quote:

"Officials at some of Apple's suppliers, who declined to be named, said the Cupertino, Calif., company has shown them screen designs for a new device with a screen size of around eight inches and said the company is qualifying suppliers for it. * * * Apple is working with screen makers including Taiwan-based AU Optronics Co. and LG Display Co. of South Korea to supply the test panels, the person said.

"The move comes as Apple is preparing to announce a new iPad in early March, according to people familiar with the matter. That device is expected to have a higher-resolution screen than the iPad 2 with a similar screen size, according to people familiar with the matter. A version will run on fourth-generation wireless networks from Verizon Wireless and AT&T Inc.

Samsung "sells its Galaxy Tab iPad competitor in three screen sizes: a seven-inch, an 8.9-inch and a 10.1-inch.

Note: The entire report seems freely avaiable in the Web.