According to reports, the 3-nanometer (nm) Gate-All-Around (GAA) semiconductor from Samsung has been discovered in use after a year since its release. Until now, there were no confirmed applications of the technology. Techinsights found Samsung’s 3nm chip in the Whatsminer M56S++ bitcoin mining rig from Microbt, a bitcoin mining machine that produces an estimated 230 to 254 terahash per second (TH/s).
Report Shows Microbt Leverages Samsung’s Advanced 3nm GAA Chip
Microbt’s next-generation mining rig, the Whatsminer M56S++, reportedly employs Samsung’s latest semiconductor technology. Techinsights discovered the mining machine’s application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) was made using Samsung’s SF3E process. The report highlights that although Samsung’s 3nm GAA semiconductor process has been available for about a year, no chips utilizing this technology have been found in the market until now.
Techinsights researchers state that the commercialization of GAA technology can aid in the production of 2nm chips and more. “This development is crucial because it has the potential to enhance performance, improve energy efficiency, keep up with Moore’s Law, and enable advanced applications,” Techinsights detailed. The report elucidates further, confirming suspicions that Microbt’s semiconductor supplier is indeed Samsung — a fact that has long been a subject of speculation.
On the other hand, it is assumed that Bitmain, Microbt’s rival, utilizes chips supplied by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC). This isn’t the first time cutting-edge chip technology has been discovered in bitcoin (BTC) mining machines. Techinsights found the SMIC 7nm process in a Minerva bitcoin mining chip. Eric Chen, a semiconductor research analyst with Digitimes Asia, noted that while this discovery could be classified as commercialization, its scale may be small.
“Getting revenues from shipment can be defined as ‘commercialization’, but ASIC is a relatively simple kind of chip to produce, in terms of architecture,” Chen remarked. Analyst John Wang from Digitimes emphasized that the yield from Samsung’s 3nm GAA process remains low. Consequently, Wang believes the tech giant aims to attract a broad customer base to refine its procedures and enhance yield. The report from Techinsights concludes by noting the uncertainty surrounding the use of Samsung’s 3nm chips in any additional hardware devices in the market today.
What do you think about Samsung’s 3nm process being discovered in Microbt’s Whatsminer M56S++? Share your thoughts and opinions about this subject in the comments section below.
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