Nvidia is expected to use TSMC’s 3D SoIC stacking and chiplet packaging technology
At CES 2023, AMD unveiled three Zen 4 architecture desktop processors featuring 3D Vertical Cache (3D V-Cache) technology—the Ryzen 9 7950X3D, Ryzen 9 7900X3D, and Ryzen 7 7800X3D—all of which are now available on the market. Despite the recent downturn in the PC market, high-end products like the Ryzen 7000X3D series continue to attract the attention of PC enthusiasts and esports gamers.
AMD’s success with the Ryzen 7000X3D series is largely attributable to the support of TSMC’s 3D Fabric advanced packaging platform. Its 3D V-Cache technology, rooted in the Hybrid Bond concept of advanced packaging, has reaped considerable benefits from being among the first high-end chips to employ TSMC’s “SoIC+CoWoS” packaging services.
According to a DigiTimes report, NVIDIA has begun evaluating SoIC technology and may adopt it in their product lineup updates for 2024-2025. Industry insiders speculate that NVIDIA will follow AMD’s example and use SoIC technology for high-end chips. Among TSMC’s clientele, NVIDIA is considered more conservative in adopting new technologies, while AMD has been bolder and more ambitious in recent years.
Many chip design companies are considering the use of relatively mature process technologies for components such as I/O chips, and employing the most advanced process technologies for core components. Advanced packaging is then used to integrate chips with different process technologies, reducing costs. This is known as System-in-Package (SiP) at the wafer level, with TSMC’s SoIC being the key technology for handling Chip-on-Wafer and Wafer-on-Wafer tasks.
In addition to advanced process technologies, the market has also started to focus on TSMC’s advanced packaging technologies, where TSMC maintains a leading position in both areas. Samsung has recently increased its investments in advanced packaging and testing, but with a later start, and the need to balance performance and yield rates, there is still much work to be done for improvement.
