Sapeon was collaborating with outsourced semiconductor assembly and test (OSAT) companies Amkor Technology and ITEK for the production of its X330 AI chip, TheElec has learned.
Amkor will handle the packaging of X330 and ITEK the product test, sources said.
Sapeon announced the chip last year and is planning to use TSMC’s 7-nanometer (nm) node to produce the chips. Design house Asicland is also handling design services for the development and production of the chip.
Amkor was selected for packaging as it was one of the few OSAT companies that operate in South Korea with the technological sophistication to handle AI chips, the sources also said.
X330 has a monolithic structure with four AI cores and 16 RISC-V based CPU cores. It also comes with eight units of 16GB GDDR6 and PCIe Gen 5 interface. System-in-package is used to connect the memory closely with X330. Sapeon claimed it has four times the performance and double the power efficiency of its predecessor the X220.
X330 is already in production and Sapeon expects the chip to generate revenue within the year.
Meanwhile, Sapeon is planning to merge with compatriot AI chip firm Rebellions.
This has put into question whether Sapeon will continue the development of X330’s successor, X430. The company has already signed a design service deal with Alphawave Semi, a value chain alliance member of TSMC, worth 59.5 billion won for the development of X430. If the development is canceled, Sapeon may have to pay a penalty fee to Alphawave Semi.
