Recent reports are pointing towards iPad’s A5 chip manufactured by Samsung, according to independent tear downs and analyses of the latest generation system-on-a-chip. Even though there were rumors that Apple was going with Taiwan Semiconductor to create the A5, decapsulations of the SoC by UBM TechInsights and Chipworks clearly show telltales of a Samsung fab process. The process analysis and lab techs at UBM TechInsights dissecting the A5 using optical die and scanning electron microscope cross-section images to look at the edge seal of the silicon die and pitch of the first metal interconnect, as well as taking logic and SRAM transistor gate measurements. They then compared what they found to other manufacturers, including other chips fabbed by Samsung using its 45nm process, such as the A4 SoC found in the iPhone and the original iPad. The indicators all lined up clearly and pointed out that Samsung must have been responsible for the chip’s fabrication. The folks over at Chipworks also did a decap of the A5 and their chipheads experts also concluded, by comparing the shape of the transistor gates and dielectric layers in the A5 to last year’s A4 CPU, that Samsung is the manufacturer. Both  analyses found 512 MB of Low Power DDR2 DRAM, but UBM, which decapped two different A5s from two separate iPad 2s found different DRAM chips in each: one from Samsung and one from Elpida. This indicates that Apple is pretty flexible in its component sourcing, which may prove vital as Japan struggles to restart its manufacturing industry after the devastating Sendai earthquake. The rumors about Apple going to a new chip foundry aren’t put to rest by these revelations, however. The reports, which go back to the early part of this year, rely both on industry gossip and raw business pragmatics to assert that Apple will get future chips from Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), the world’s largest independent foundry. TSMC has the most capacity for 40-nm molds, which will be key for the A5?s future development as the current 45-nm chip is almost twice the size of the A4. Also, as Samsung is pitting its Galaxy smartphones and Galaxy Tabs against the iPhone and iPad, Apple is at the mercy of a major competitor for an essential component of its products. With that competition heating up, it’s reasonable to expect that relationship may be on its way out sooner rather than later. Does the Samsung name-tag on the A5 chip surprise you? Share your thoughts and opinions in the section below! As usual, stay tuned by following us on Twitter and/or subscribing to our RSS feed. [Source: AppleInsider] Authors:

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