TSMC To Start Production Of 3nm Chips Later This Year

Last Updated on April 15, 2022 by Anu Joy

The chip manufacturing industry is booming, and as chips become more complicated, so does the production process. An industry that had five or more competitors a decade ago has now dwindled to just three active chip makers. TSMC, headquartered in Taiwan, is at the head of the pack. The company has produced semiconductors for the vast majority of market players, ranging from Apple to Qualcomm.

TSMC is currently producing 4nm chips, but this could change soon. The company that develops these chip churning machines, ASML, has worked extensively on 3nm systems. When discussing chips, the term “nanometer” refers to the size and technology used to make them. The smaller the process, the more efficient a chip is. The Taiwanese manufacturer has recently confirmed that mass production of 3nm chips will begin in the second half of this year. Following the success of its 4nm chips, industry partners are eager to see the results of the upcoming 3nm devices.

There is no word on launch partners, but given that all major smartphone manufacturer brands are currently in talks with the chipmaker, we may expect Apple or Qualcomm to take the lead here. In reality, Qualcomm has already pledged to give TSMC the entire 3nm chip business rather than splitting it between Samsung and TSMC. This suggests that premium smartphones released in late 2022 or early 2023 could be powered by a 3nm chip. In addition, the company stated that it expects to commence commercial production of chipsets utilizing the even smaller 2nm process in 2025.