GlobalFoundries Stops All 7nm Development
Can someone explain how this works?<p>We've got the following chip companies: Intel, AMD, Samsung.<p>And we've got a bunch of "fab" companies: Intel, TSMC, Global Foundries, Samsung.<p>What's the difference between the two sets of companies? Why can't Intel just buy a "7nm" processor from TSMC?<p>And what exactly is "7nm"? The distance between the closest transistors in a chip? Just guessing.<p>[edit]<p>From browsing Wikipedia, I gather that:<p><pre><code>  - A chip company designs a processor. The design is in the form of a circuit diagram(?)
  - A fab company turns that diagram into a physical product.
</code></pre>
So for example, ARM designs a chip, which then gets built by Samsung. ARM is strictly responsible for design, and Samsung provides a factory.