Absolutely. Yield is obviously a big part of cost-per-die, but it's not just defect density related. When a node is first released, the process is not as well controlled so you end up with yield loss because the process doesn't match the models (in the extremes) and dies fail at various testing stages. This obviously gets better over time, but it's still a major issue for companies designing in the latest technologies. Anecdotally I'd say there's a ~3X reduction in the "sigma" of the process over 3-5yrs.
Of course these issues have always existed, but wafer costs have never been so high, and yields never so low (both because of increased defect density and worse process control with new transistors).
Of course these issues have always existed, but wafer costs have never been so high, and yields never so low (both because of increased defect density and worse process control with new transistors).