TSMC 2nm Update: Two Fabs in Construction, One Awaiting Government Approval
by Anton Shilov on January 19, 2024 11:15 AM EST- Posted in
- Semiconductors
- TSMC
- 2nm
- N2
- N2P
When Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) is prepping to roll out an all-new process technology, it usually builds a new fab to meet demand of its alpha customers and then either adds capacity by upgrading existing fabs or building another facility. With N2 (2nm-class), the company seems to be taking a slightly different approach as it is already constructing two N2-capable fabs and is awaiting for a government approval for the third one.
We are also preparing our N2 volume production starting in 2025," said Mark Liu, TSMC's outgoing chairman, at the company's earnings call with financial analysts and investors. "We plan to build multiple fabs or multiple phases of 2nm technologies in both Hsinchu and Kaohsiung science parks to support the strong structural demand from our customers. […] "In the Taichung Science Park, the government approval process is ongoing and is also on track."
TSMC is gearing up to construct two fabrication plants capable of producing N2 chips in Taiwan. The first fab is planned to be located near Baoshan in Hsinchu County, neighboring its R1 research and development center, which was specifically build to develop N2 technology and its successor. This facility is expected to commence high-volume manufacturing (HVM) of 2nm chips in the latter half of 2025. The second N2-capable fabrication plant by is to be located in the Kaohsiung Science Park, part of the Southern Taiwan Science Park near Kaohsiung. The initiation of HVM at this plant is projected to be slightly later, likely around 2026.
In addition, the foundry is working to get government approvals to build a yet another N2-capable fab in the Taichung Science Park. If the company starts to construct this facility in 2025, the fab could go online as soon as in 2027.
With three fabs capable of making chis using its 2nm process technologies, TSMC is poised to offer vast 2nm capacity for years to come.
TSMC expects to start HVM using its N2 process technology that uses gate-all-around (GAA) nanosheet transistors around the second half of 2025. TSMC's 2nd generation 2nm-class process technology — N2P — will add backside power delivery. This technology will be used for mass production in 2026.
Source: TSMC
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my_wing - Tuesday, January 23, 2024 - link
You can think what you think.But TSMC road map better show up as well, please take a grain of salt.
Meteor Lake is a good example that Intel DELIVERED, Meteor Lake is the first chiplet approach, performance is going to be loss
AMD Zen 4 70.51mm2 Vs 69.67mm2 as these achieved similar but lower performance, as the first step of the Chiplet, it did not look good but it is okay. Be very honest i.e. Intel 4 and TSMC 5 is totally comparable considered that Intel 4 is high performance library only but TSMC 5 which Zen 4 is use can take advantage of High Density Library for Cache of the CPU tile/chiplet.
Intel 3 will be the first full node, so the size of Cache will be decreased.
I think Intel is going to the right direction while TSMC is going to the wrong direction, the net impact is that if Apple, AMD, nVidia and others do not shift to Intel Foundry in 2025, they will start losing their edge and with the High NA situation of TSMC, it is unlikely the performance edge of Intel will be level before 2030 and this is 5 years of edge which in IT sound more like 20 years.
https://wccftech.com/intel-core-ultra-meteor-lake-...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=41VLZ2jybUo
SanX - Thursday, January 25, 2024 - link
my_wing, looks like Intel is flying just on you one single wing unfortunately, look at that huge gap:https://www.phoronix.com/review/amd-epyc-9684x-ben...
my_wing - Friday, January 26, 2024 - link
You are using something that is in June/July Sapphire Rapid and make your point look good.First Sapphire Rapid is something that is started in the Bob Swan already.
It seems to be more complex to fix then it should, it take 2 years already but ....
I think in n years ago, Xeon is not always the first release of an architecture, desktop is.
If Intel can get sierra forest out before June 2024 and see what Granite Rapid will do, then talk to me again.
my_wing - Friday, January 26, 2024 - link
And do bring AMD into the picture, this comment is based on TSMC Vs Intel, it had nothing to do with AMD, for the reasoning, I am assuming (I know nothing is the same) that an AMD Vs Intel designer using the same node will have similar performance.I am just saying because Intel 4 is a little smaller and little slower then AMD Zen4 on TSMC 5 that meant that Intel 4. I didn't take a full look I just on the news looking at the article IPC uplifit.
So AMD also facing the same problem where Apple, nVidia, Qualcomm needed to face, do you want to move to IFS in 2025 i.e., production of 2026-2027 product.
At this moment, Intel 20A sounds to be on track for 2024 Q2 Risk production, all we understood is that 20A and 18A is very similar but it is the full library of 20A, will Intel making chip for AMD, there is no love here especially in IT. That is why even Apple buy Intel 5G business Qualcomm still sell apple it's 5G modem.
There is no love in IT, why Apple, AMD, nVidia needed to stay with TSMC especially AMD where direct competition with intel on X86 where node advantage will be shown.
Zoolook - Saturday, January 27, 2024 - link
Neither Apple, Nvidia or AMD will even consider moving to Intel until Intel actually delivers on a new node and Intel 4 is not a showcase. If Intel delivers on 20A/18A and it's significantly better than what TSMC can offer at the time, that's when they would start looking at putting a smaller chip at Intel Foundry.If they release a plan earlier then it's time to unload those stock because it would be a sign that there has been a change in management and who knows what poor decisions they will make after that.
TomWomack - Saturday, January 20, 2024 - link
I don't know how people here are on Taiwanese geography, but I think it's vaguely interesting that the two fabs are right at the north and south ends of the island and the third fab is planned to be half way down - I thought of TSMC as very concentrated in Hsinchu Science Park but it is clearly spreading out. They're all three on the west coast because that's the side of the island that's flat and where all the cities are.Dante Verizon - Sunday, January 21, 2024 - link
Hail TSMC.my_wing - Tuesday, January 23, 2024 - link
Hell TSMC