The silicon foundries in Taiwan are some of the most advanced in the world right now - they can make manufacture integrated circuits down to a 3nm process node. They’re absolutely cutting-edge.
Basically, every phone or consumer electronics processor, memory same solid state storage chip, plus a ton of custom circuits are made there right now. This includes multi-GHz radios (WiFi, radar, sensing technologies, global navigation systems) and a ton of new MEMS (Micro Electro Mechanical Systems) sensors for gyroscopes, accelerometers, compasses, barometric pressure, gas sensors…
The foundries in Taiwan are absolutely critical to worldwide supply chains and defense. There are rumors that the Taiwan foundries are wired with explosives as a deterrent to Chinese invasion - China wants the foundries but Taiwan will try to deny them if they invade.
You can use an inferior chip, but the few fabs that are out there are many generations behind. Suddenly your cruise missile has reduce accuracy, or range, or detection avoidance etc. Your targeting lock on is slower, your radar doesn’t detect as well etc.
The fab Taiwan built in the US is 2-3 generations behind I believe, intentionally, so the most cutting edge stuff was still theirs.
Samsung is the next closest at 7nm if I’m seeing things right and it gets much worse from there and it quickly goes to the teens or higher.
For you and me, it could be like getting laptops/phones 5-10 years old tech wise as there aren’t enough of the near level fabs to support everything, and that’s not getting into all the fancy things like what Apple does with their SoC, no one else might be able to do that kind of thing.
The silicon foundries in Taiwan are some of the most advanced in the world right now - they can make manufacture integrated circuits down to a 3nm process node. They’re absolutely cutting-edge.
Basically, every phone or consumer electronics processor, memory same solid state storage chip, plus a ton of custom circuits are made there right now. This includes multi-GHz radios (WiFi, radar, sensing technologies, global navigation systems) and a ton of new MEMS (Micro Electro Mechanical Systems) sensors for gyroscopes, accelerometers, compasses, barometric pressure, gas sensors…
The foundries in Taiwan are absolutely critical to worldwide supply chains and defense. There are rumors that the Taiwan foundries are wired with explosives as a deterrent to Chinese invasion - China wants the foundries but Taiwan will try to deny them if they invade.
How long has this been the case? And do all of those devices need chips with 3nm process nodes? Why can’t a slightly inferior chip be used?
You can use an inferior chip, but the few fabs that are out there are many generations behind. Suddenly your cruise missile has reduce accuracy, or range, or detection avoidance etc. Your targeting lock on is slower, your radar doesn’t detect as well etc.
The fab Taiwan built in the US is 2-3 generations behind I believe, intentionally, so the most cutting edge stuff was still theirs.
Samsung is the next closest at 7nm if I’m seeing things right and it gets much worse from there and it quickly goes to the teens or higher.
For you and me, it could be like getting laptops/phones 5-10 years old tech wise as there aren’t enough of the near level fabs to support everything, and that’s not getting into all the fancy things like what Apple does with their SoC, no one else might be able to do that kind of thing.