The cost of next-gen mobile chips forces a major manufacturer to give up on 7nm production

Computer chips are getting smaller and more powerful and in a couple of months we’ll see the first smartphones (the new iPhones) using processors based on the 7nm architecture (current smallest is 10nm). The companies that are capable of mass producing those are very few and the exclusive club just lost one of its members.

GlobalFoundries, one of the leading semiconductor manufacturers, announced that it is discontinuing its 7nm development program as part of a new business strategy. The move comes as a bit of a surprise, after the company has worked on its 7nm fabrication process for almost ...