Qualcomm is expected to source the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 manufacturing to TSMC and Samsung – partnerships that have years of history. However, the latest report is that the Taiwanese manufacturer might get the majority of chip orders built on the 3 nm process because of the incredibly high 80% yield rate.
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The current yield rate from a 3nm GAA wafer is about 60-70%, but TSMC is managing to implement between 75-80% of a single wafer. If we can trust this data, Apple and Qualcomm will not have shipment issues for their next-gen chipsets, the A17 Bionic and Snapdragon 8 Gen 3. Originally, Samsung experienced a horrendous yield rate of about 20% before partnering with US company Silicon Frontline Technology.
The issue for Qualcomm and other chip makers is that price is paid per wafer, and yielding a lower amount of chips means a higher price for a chipset for the end customer – the smartphone manufacturer, which would mean a higher market price – a price increase which would benefit no one in the long run.
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