Samsung Electronics Collaborates with Arm on Optimized Next Gen Cortex-X CPU Using Samsung Foundry’s Latest GAA Process Technology

By: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. via Business Wire

February 20, 2024 at 09:05 AM EST

Collaboration accelerates access to newest Arm CPU, enabling new class of SoCs with Generative AI capabilities

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., a world leader in advanced semiconductor technology, today announced a collaboration to deliver optimized next generation Arm® Cortex™-X CPU developed on Samsung Foundry’s latest Gate-All-Around (GAA) process technology. This initiative is built on years of partnership with millions of devices shipped with Arm CPU intellectual property (IP) on various process nodes offered by Samsung Foundry.

This collaboration sets the stage for a series of announcements and planned innovation between Samsung and Arm. The companies have bold plans to reinvent 2-nanometer (nm) GAA for next-generation data center and infrastructure custom silicon, and a groundbreaking AI chiplet solution that will revolutionize the future generative artificial intelligence (AI) mobile computing market.

“As we continue into the Gen AI era, we are excited to extend our partnership with Arm to deliver the next generation Cortex-X CPU, enabling our mutual customers to create innovative products,” said Jongwook Kye, executive vice president and head of Foundry Design Platform Development at Samsung Electronics. “Both Samsung and Arm have built a solid foundation from many years of collaboration. This unprecedented level of deep design technology co-optimization has resulted in a ground-breaking accomplishment, providing access to the newest Cortex-CPU on the latest GAA process node.”

“Our longstanding collaboration with Samsung has delivered multi-generation, leading-edge innovation,” said Chris Bergey, SVP and GM of the Client Business of Arm Inc. “Optimizing Cortex-X and Cortex-A processors on the latest Samsung process node underscores our shared vision to redefine what’s possible in mobile computing, and we look forward to continuing to push boundaries to meet the relentless performance and efficiency demands of the AI era.”

Samsung announced its initial production of 3nm Multi-Bridge-Channel FET (MBCFET™), based on Samsung’s GAA technology in 2022. GAA technology allows further device scaling beyond the FinFET generation, improving power efficiency with reduced supply voltage level, and enhanced performance with higher drive current capability. The GAA implementation approach with nanosheets structure delivers maximum design flexibility and scalability.

Designed with Samsung’s next generation GAA process node, Arm delivered the optimized newest Cortex-X CPU with additional performance and efficiency improvements to take the user experience to the next level.

With continuous pressure to have products delivered on time, it is paramount to ensure first-time-right silicon with the most competitive power, performance, area (PPA) attributes. Design and manufacturing can no longer be optimized separately. From the very beginning, both the Samsung and Arm teams embraced design-technology co-optimization (DTCO), which has been a critical factor to maximize the PPA benefits for both the next generation Cortex-X CPU design architecture and GAA process technology.

Generative AI is a key growth driver for a new wave of products that offer a superior user experience. Through this collaboration, Samsung and Arm are accelerating access to the optimized implementation of the next generation Cortex-X CPU on Samsung’s latest GAA process technology, enabling the next generation of product innovations with industry leading performance.

About Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.

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