The processing business has had busy few months, with tech companies unveiling new technologies left and right. Even if TSMC intends to move 3nm development to the United States, the flow of devices isn’t slowing down. There are other developments as well.
The chip fabricator Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) has been in the headlines a lot lately since several businesses have released devices that use their semiconductors and process nodes.
Since 2020, AMD has consistently received its 5nm processors from the Taiwanese chip manufacturer. New 4nm nodes were even delivered for Nvidia’s most current Ada Lovelace graphics cards.
The 4nm manufacturing node is another element of the iPhone 14. Apple, on the other hand, frequently receives the supplier’s most recent and greatest advances since it is its biggest customer.
Cupertino intends to switch to TSMC’s 3nm manufacturing as a result for the iPhone 15.
Only 3nm nodes are currently produced by TSMC outside of Taiwan. There are ways to streamline Apple’s development process, even though this doesn’t always result in major problems or delays.
The two businesses agree on one thing: to shift all of TSMC’s 3nm production to the US.
TSMC started making preparations to construct a processing and development facility in the US in 2020.
Initial projections place the project’s completion in 2021. The deadline has already been extended twice until Q1 2023.
Models of the iPhone 15 will include a brand-new, American-made 3nm processor, assuming they are able to achieve this deadline.
In related developments, one of TSMC’s Taiwan-based facilities has started concentrating on achieving 1nm process nodes.
Of course, as CPUs get smaller, manufacturing them consistently gets much more difficult.
Therefore, in order to reduce to 1nm and smaller processes, TSMC engineers must find new materials and techniques.
The research teams did establish that it will be many years before 1nm nodes are manufactured and sold in consumer goods.
Plans for 2nm nodes won’t be revealed until the latter half of 2024. Therefore, it’s likely to take at least five years for such a breakthrough.
Who knows, if these developments continue, we could see picometer-sized (1000 pm = 1 nm) nodes before the end of the decade.
To read our blog on “TSMC: The supply chain is constrained by a lack of inexpensive chips, which range in price from $0.50 to $10,” click here.
