0.13micron from AMD: Problems Discovered?

[Miles]

The more often I watch AMD’s achievements in terms of 0.13micron technology implementation, the more convinced I turn that the company is having some serious problems here. Partially these problems can be explained by the new manufacturing technology, however, I have every reason to suppose that no radical improvement of the situation will follow before the end of the year. And now a few words about the facts that made me sound so gloomy:

FUll Story: HERE

Source: X-Bit Labs

[chipease4]

.13 micron technology involves some very complex and expensive process equipment -each equipment has a list of programs and recipes that they run- and each has to go through a rigorous qualifications which sometimes take up to 24hours -there are specs that they need to meet are very demanding and are very tight and impracticable. -They have to when each wafer can cost up to $150000+ Even today .13 micron technology has not been perfected -still a lot of bugs to work out -almost everything affects yeild.

The preventative maintenace on the tools alone can take up to 24hrs -They have to be kept at its optimal levels because specs demand reproducibilty and copy exactness. Each time a tool is down can easily cost a semiconductor manufacturer millions

Production specs are flagrantly guarded, and problems encountered during fabrication is the norm