TSMC on Track to Begin Volume Production of 3nm Chips in 2022

TSMC, Apple's main chip supplier, is on track to begin risk production of a 3-nanometer fabrication process in the second half of this year, when the foundry will be capable of processing 30,000 wafers built using the more advanced technology, according to a new report today (via DigiTimes).

tsmc semiconductor chip inspection 678x452
TSMC reportedly plans to expand its 3nm process capacity to 55,000 units monthly in 2022, thanks to Apple's order commitment, and will further scale up the output to 105,000 units in 2023. The ‌3nm‌ process yields 30 percent and 15 percent power consumption and performance improvements over the 5nm process.

A previous report suggested TSMC will be ready to move into volume production in the second half of next year, suggesting the ‌3nm‌ production roadmap is unchanged.

Meanwhile, TSMC plans to scale up its 5nm process manufacturing capacity throughout the year to meet increasing demands from its major customers. According to today's report, TSMC will upscale to 105,000 wafers monthly in the first half of 2021, up from 90,000 units in fourth-quarter 2020, with plans to further expand the process capacity to 120,000 units in the second half of this year.

TSMC's 5nm process capacity will reach 160,000 wafers monthly by 2024, the sources indicated. In addition to Apple, other major customers using TSMC's 5nm process manufacturing include AMD, MediaTek, Xilinx, Marvell, Broadcom and Qualcomm, the sources said.

The report's sources claim that the additional 5nm processing capacity is one of the main reasons for a recent drop in capacity utilization rates for the process. TSMC gives Apple priority over other clients, which is why a seasonal slowdown in iPhone chip orders is said to be another possible factor.

That said, overall 5nm chip orders placed by Apple reportedly remain stable, thanks to new orders for Apple's Arm-based M1 processor and continued brisk demand for the iPad Air, powered by Apple's A14 Bionic chip.

Apple will allegedly use a 5nm+ A15 chip in its forthcoming ‌iPhone‌ 13 series. 5nm+, or N5P, is said to be a "performance-enhanced version" of the 5nm chip used in the ‌iPhone‌ 12 that will deliver additional power efficiency and performance improvements.

TrendForce believes it is highly likely that the A16 chip in 2022 iPhones will be manufactured based on TSMC's future 4nm process, suggesting the new ‌3nm‌ technology will likely be used for a potential A17 chip and potentially other future ‌Apple silicon‌ Macs if the company follows previous years.

Popular Stories

Apple Watch Ultra Night Mode Screen

Apple Watch Ultra 3 Launching Later This Year With Two Key Upgrades

Wednesday July 2, 2025 1:13 pm PDT by
The long wait for an Apple Watch Ultra 3 appears to be nearly over, and it is rumored to feature both satellite connectivity and 5G support. Apple Watch Ultra's existing Night Mode In his latest Power On newsletter, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said that the Apple Watch Ultra 3 is on track to launch this year with "significant" new features, including satellite connectivity, which would let you...
iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

iPhone 17 Pro Coming Soon With These 14 New Features

Friday July 4, 2025 1:05 pm PDT by
Apple's next-generation iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are just over two months away, and there are plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models. Latest Rumors These rumors surfaced in June and July:Apple logo repositioned: Apple's logo may have a lower position on the back of the iPhone 17 Pro models, compared to previous...
iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

iPhone 17 Pro Max Battery Capacity Leaked

Thursday July 3, 2025 5:40 am PDT by
The iPhone 17 Pro Max will feature the biggest ever battery in an iPhone, according to the Weibo leaker known as "Instant Digital." In a new post, the leaker listed the battery capacities of the iPhone 11 Pro Max through to the iPhone 16 Pro Max, and added that the iPhone 17 Pro Max will feature a battery capacity of 5,000mAh: iPhone 11 Pro Max: 3,969mAh iPhone 12 Pro Max: 3,687mAh...
airpods pro 2

AirPods Pro 3 to Help Maintain Apple's Place in Earbud Market Amid Increasing Low-Cost Competition

Thursday July 3, 2025 7:25 am PDT by
Apple's position as the dominant force in the global true wireless stereo (TWS) earbud market is expected to continue through 2025, according to Counterpoint Research. The forecast outlines a 3% year-over-year increase in global TWS unit shipments for 2025, signaling a transition from rapid growth to a more mature phase for the category. While Apple is set to remain the leading brand by...
apple silicon mac lineup 2024 feature purple m5

Apple's Upcoming Macs Listed in New Report

Thursday July 3, 2025 9:09 am PDT by
AppleInsider's Marko Zivkovic today shared a list of alleged identifiers for future Mac models, which should roll out over the next year or so. The report does not reveal anything too surprising, but it does serve as further evidence that Apple is seemingly working on new models of every Mac, including the MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, iMac, Mac mini, Mac Studio, and Mac Pro. Apple is...
iPhone 17 Pro Lower Logo Magsafe

iPhone 17 Pro's New MagSafe Design Revealed in Leaked Photo

Wednesday July 2, 2025 8:37 am PDT by
The upcoming iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are rumored to have a slightly different MagSafe magnet layout compared to existing iPhone models, and a leaked photo has offered a closer look at the supposed new design. The leaker Majin Bu today shared a photo of alleged MagSafe magnet arrays for third-party iPhone 17 Pro cases. On existing iPhone models with MagSafe, the magnets form a...

Top Rated Comments

Seanm87 Avatar
57 months ago
RIP Intel
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
iBluetooth Avatar
57 months ago
Looking forward to M2 and beyond
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
LFC2020 Avatar
57 months ago

What comes after 1nm?
Back to 14nm ??
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
robjulo Avatar
57 months ago

No completion if you don’t have great software for them chips. Windows ?‍♂️? Android ?‍♂️?
You are out of your mind if you think no “completion” is good for anyone other than Apple. I hate to break it you you, Apple doesn’t care about you.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
vseera Avatar
57 months ago

Meanwhile @intel...?
He was last seen in June, 2013!
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
LFC2020 Avatar
57 months ago
Just in time for my apple foldable iPhone ????
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)