TSMC is making more progress than expected in the development of its 2 nm baking process. Already before the end of 2025, the node would be ready for mass production.
TSMC is currently tinkering with its 2 nm node. That process is proceeding more smoothly than anticipated. Testyields are already around 60 percent. Before the end of 2025, TSMC expects to have the 2 nm production line ready for mass production. When that time comes, the production line will be the most advanced in the world.
For 2 nm, TSMC is saying goodbye to finFET, which does still form the basis of transistors for 3 nm production. The technology is being replaced by the more complex nanosheet. That is more suitable for transistors at such small scales, where unwanted quantum effects and the too-large wavelength of light are just some of the challenges.
Advanced chips
TSMC is already the world’s most advanced producer of microchips, courtesy of its 3 nm process. That is used by chip makers such as AMD and Nvidia to bake their CPUs and GPUs. 2 nm should yield a speed gain of more than ten percent and an efficiency gain of more than 25 percent, compared with 3 nm. Apple will presumably be the first side of the process, while TSMC scales up its capacity and expands to several factories.
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The quest for ever-smaller transistors thus continues unabated. Transistor size has a major impact on the density, performance and especially power consumption of microchips. Advanced manufacturing techniques are thus a necessary puzzle piece for chip designers such as Nvidia and AMD, who rely on them to build their microchips.