Samsung makes the A5 afterall
http://www.eetimes.com/electronics-n...e-A5-processor
So much for the rumors. Perhaps a bump in TSMC's stock price was the motive?
Nonetheless, I'm glad Apple is sticking with a quality manufacturer like Samsung to supply its main CPU. TSMC is well known for having quality control issues starting with the nVidia Geforce line chips a while ago.
Quote:
Updated: Samsung fabs Apple A5 processor
Rick Merritt
3/12/2011 5:53 PM EST
SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Samsung fabs the A5 processor used in the Apple iPad 2, according to teardowns of the system and chip conducted by UBM TechInsights, a division of United Business Media, publisher of EE Times.
"We can say with 100 percent certainty that this is a Samsung-made chip," said Allan Yogasingam, a technical marketing manager for TechInsights.
The company conducted a cross-section analysis of the chip that revealed details indicating Samsung made the chip in its 45nm process, the same process and fab Apple used for its previous generation A4 SoC. Previously, several sources speculated Apple might take the business of having its internally designed A5 SoC to TSMC.
The Apple A4 and A5 chips both are made in a 45nm Samsung process with nine metal layers and one poly layer. They both use a stacked package-on-package technology, according to TechInsights. A comparison of the differences between the two chips is here.
TechInsights used optical die and SEM cross-section images to analyse important features such as die edge seal, metal 1 pitch, logic and SRAM transistor gate measurements. These features were then compared to other manufacturers in the company's database, including other Samsung 45nm parts.
The A5 supports low power DDR2 DRAM memory, something previously rumoured and now confirmed by the TechInsights analysis. In separate teardowns in Austin and Ottawa, TechInsights found two different LP-DDR2 DRAMs from two different manufacturers, Samsung and Elpida.
The Samsung K4P2G324EC LP-DDR2 die marks the first time analysts have seen Samsung’s new 46nm LP-DDR2 memory.
A separate analysis conducted by IO Snoops found that while the Apple A4 clock speed was steady at 1 GHz, the A5 clock speed varies depending on the application being run. TechInsights said the finding indicates advanced power management circuitry controlling the clock speeds of the cores—something new for the A5. The new feature may explain the use of a power management IC from Dialog Semiconductor on the iPad 2 that is different from the chip on previous Apple products.
TechInsights will continue to analyze the A5 over the next several days. Meanwhile, analysts provided a handful of pictures from their A5 chip teardown.
The picture of the A5 die markings (below) were the first indication the chip could be a Samsung manufactured device. The A5 markings used a font similar to the one used on the Apple A4 (shown in the insert).
Die photo of the A5
Side view of A5 shows stacked dice
SEM cross-section shows SRAM transistors
A4, A5 chips compared
Feature
Apple A4 in the iPad
Apple A5 in the iPad 2
Die size
7.3 x 7.3 = 53.3mm2
12.1 x 10.1 = 122.2mm2
Die mark
APL0398B01\t
APL0498E01
Package size
14.1 x 14.1 = 198.8mm2
16.7 x 14.3 = 238.8mm2
Processor cores
1\t
2
Core\t
ARM Cortex A8
Unknown
Clock speed
1 GHz
Variable from ~ 890 MHz to 1 GHz
DRAM\t
256 Mbytes LP-DDR
512 Mbytes LP-DDR2
Updated: Samsung fabs Apple A5 processor
Rick Merritt
3/12/2011 5:53 PM EST
SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Samsung fabs the A5 processor used in the Apple iPad 2, according to teardowns of the system and chip conducted by UBM TechInsights, a division of United Business Media, publisher of EE Times.
"We can say with 100 percent certainty that this is a Samsung-made chip," said Allan Yogasingam, a technical marketing manager for TechInsights.
The company conducted a cross-section analysis of the chip that revealed details indicating Samsung made the chip in its 45nm process, the same process and fab Apple used for its previous generation A4 SoC. Previously, several sources speculated Apple might take the business of having its internally designed A5 SoC to TSMC.
The Apple A4 and A5 chips both are made in a 45nm Samsung process with nine metal layers and one poly layer. They both use a stacked package-on-package technology, according to TechInsights. A comparison of the differences between the two chips is here.
TechInsights used optical die and SEM cross-section images to analyse important features such as die edge seal, metal 1 pitch, logic and SRAM transistor gate measurements. These features were then compared to other manufacturers in the company's database, including other Samsung 45nm parts.
The A5 supports low power DDR2 DRAM memory, something previously rumoured and now confirmed by the TechInsights analysis. In separate teardowns in Austin and Ottawa, TechInsights found two different LP-DDR2 DRAMs from two different manufacturers, Samsung and Elpida.
The Samsung K4P2G324EC LP-DDR2 die marks the first time analysts have seen Samsung’s new 46nm LP-DDR2 memory.
A separate analysis conducted by IO Snoops found that while the Apple A4 clock speed was steady at 1 GHz, the A5 clock speed varies depending on the application being run. TechInsights said the finding indicates advanced power management circuitry controlling the clock speeds of the cores—something new for the A5. The new feature may explain the use of a power management IC from Dialog Semiconductor on the iPad 2 that is different from the chip on previous Apple products.
TechInsights will continue to analyze the A5 over the next several days. Meanwhile, analysts provided a handful of pictures from their A5 chip teardown.
The picture of the A5 die markings (below) were the first indication the chip could be a Samsung manufactured device. The A5 markings used a font similar to the one used on the Apple A4 (shown in the insert).
Die photo of the A5
Side view of A5 shows stacked dice
SEM cross-section shows SRAM transistors
A4, A5 chips compared
Feature
Apple A4 in the iPad
Apple A5 in the iPad 2
Die size
7.3 x 7.3 = 53.3mm2
12.1 x 10.1 = 122.2mm2
Die mark
APL0398B01\t
APL0498E01
Package size
14.1 x 14.1 = 198.8mm2
16.7 x 14.3 = 238.8mm2
Processor cores
1\t
2
Core\t
ARM Cortex A8
Unknown
Clock speed
1 GHz
Variable from ~ 890 MHz to 1 GHz
DRAM\t
256 Mbytes LP-DDR
512 Mbytes LP-DDR2
So much for the rumors. Perhaps a bump in TSMC's stock price was the motive?
Nonetheless, I'm glad Apple is sticking with a quality manufacturer like Samsung to supply its main CPU. TSMC is well known for having quality control issues starting with the nVidia Geforce line chips a while ago.