AMD Expects to Start Small-Volume Production of 28nm APUs Late This Year

From X-bit Labs: Advanced Micro Devices said on Thursday that it expects to begin small-volume production of its future accelerated processing units using 28nm process technology late this year. The company did not specify which of its next-gen APUs will go to manufacturing first and at which of contract makers of semiconductors, but what is clear is that the new APUs will be taped out in 2012.

"We will start small-volume manufacturing ramp of [28nm APUs] in the second half [of the year], so we can get ready for the launch in 2013," said Thomas Seiffert, chief financial officer of AMD, during a conversation with analysts.

AMD readies at least three accelerated processing units for launch in 2013. The highest-performing one is code-named Kaveri, which will have Steamroller-class up to four x86 cores along with GCN-architecture graphics engine. For low-cost/low-power systems AMD is developing code-named Kabini APU, which features two or four Jaguar c86 cores as well as GCN graphics processing engine. For tablets and similar ultra low power applications, AMD preps APU known as Temash, which will also use Jaguar x86 core(s) and low-power graphics adapter.

All three Fusion accelerated processing units are set to be made using 28nm process technology, but AMD does not disclose which chips will be made by Globalfoundries and which by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company. It is possible that some APUs will come from both foundries to ensure maximum volumes.

Globalfoundries plans to initiate volume production of chips using 28nm process tech with HKMG technology in December, 2011, at its Fab 8 in New York, USA. TSMC is already making 28nm/HKMG chips, but the volumes are not very large, based on market rumours.

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