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They want to reduce dependency on the u.s. . So maybe for use in their embedded industrial stuff ,and as a first step before producing a microcontroller (which 90nm is perfectly fine for) ?

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90nm is probably too good for microcontrollers :-) STMicroelecronics make most of (cheaper) microcontrollers on 180nm, AVR's are closer to 500nm... There are lots of Russian microcontrollers already available (based on Cortex-M3, M0, M4 cores), but at the moment they are manufactured overseas (X-Fab is favorite fab in Russia). Domestically-manufactured microcontrollers are much simpler (AVR or old PIC-level, there is even Russian AVR clone, which is not very widely used).

>> STMicroelecronics make most of (cheaper) microcontrollers on 180nm

How come ? i know they do some 90nm mcu's - why bother with 180nm ? is it just because of deprecation of fab equipment ?

It's a cheaper and more robust process that can use higher operating voltages.

Could be... but there are many non-US places to get 90nm chips made. This is 10 year old technology. The only explanation that makes sense to me is that they needed not just a non-US source but a domestic one. I can't think of any mainstream commercial use for a chip of this kind.

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