Even NVIDIA?
Intriguingly among TSMC's customers, both as an ARM ODM and, of course, as a GPU designer, is AMD's other arch rival NVIDIA. What delicious irony it would be if AMD's spun-off manufacturing operation ended up being the manufacturer of NVIDIA GPUs as well as ATI ones.
Referring to the 28nm process again, Carvill said: "It further strengthens our ability to compete and win in the graphics business - which is an industry that has embraced half nodes for some time."
We asked Carvill if, in its efforts to win new business, GF has met with NVIDIA. "It's fair to say that we're engaging with the companies in the GSA (Global Semiconductor Alliance)," said Carvill. A quick look at the membership list reveals NVIDIA is on it, so we'll take that as an indirect confirmation.
The significance to everyone else of GF taking on TSMC and the other semiconductor foundries is competition, which, as ever, should mean better products at lower prices. Carvill said GF expects to be accepting 28nm designs at its Dresden fab in the second half of 2010, with production commencing shortly after.
If TSMC isn't offering an equivalent process by that time, things could get interesting.
