TSMC has just had the green light to launch its 2nm chip manufacturing process during the year 2023. An announcement that comes just a few days from another statement, coming from the Taiwanese company's direct competitor, Intel , which set itself the objective of catching up with its Asian opponent in the next four years.
To create ever more powerful chips, we must reduce the size of the elements within the latter to obtain as much as possible within a chip. As an example, the A14 chip used in the iPhone 12, designed by Apple and manufactured by TSMC, contains 11.8 billion transistors. As chip size shrinks, it is increasingly difficult for manufacturers to find production technologies reliable enough to produce millions of chips with watchmaker precision.
Thus the iPhone 13 which is expected for this year should also retain a 5nm manufacturing process, like the iPhone 12. The iPhone 14 which is currently planned for the start of the 2022 school year should switch to 4nm, and TSMC hopes to gradually lowerup to 2 nmwhich seems to be the ultimate physical limit for the chipmaker given the technique used today.
Taiwan approves TSMC development
Nikkei Asia reports that the Taiwanese government has now approved the TSMC plan for a 2nm process. Test production is expected to begin in 2023, paving the way for use in an iPhone in 2024. TSMC plans to build a factory dedicated to these 2-nanometer chips in Hsinchu,one of the most important chip manufacturing centers in Taiwan.
The Environmental Review Committee approved this plan recently, a new green light for TSMC which is experiencing a near-perfect 2021, while the world of semiconductors is under tensiondue to a global shortage. The planned 2nm chip factory will be located in Baoshan Township in Hsinchu. It is expected to use 98,000 tons of water per day, or about 50% of TSMC's total daily water consumption in 2020. The chipmaker has promised to use 10% recycled water by 2025 and 'achieve 100% reused water by 2030 in the new Baoshan facility. A compulsory ecological concession for TSMC to gain the favor of the Taiwanese government.
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By : Keleops AG
