According to media reports, TSMC, which manufactures chips for Apple, Huawei and other companies, will begin mass production of 5nm chips in April. The production capacity of TSMC’s 5nm process is full and it can no longer take orders. The 5nm process is a new generation of advanced processes in chip manufacturing technology following the 7nm process that was mass-produced in 2018. TSMC has also been researching and developing 5nm for many years. It began trial production last year.
According to TSMC’s CEO and Vice Chairman, Wei Zhejia, the 5nm process is progressing smoothly and will be mass-produced in the first half of this year. Thus, the latest report of the mass-production commencing in April is within the same time range. Large-scale mass production of the 5nm process will also bring considerable revenue to TSMC. During the January earnings analyst conference call, Wei Zhejia mentioned that the company expects 5nm production capacity to be driven by mobile devices and high-performance computers. There will be rapid and steady growth in the second half of the year. According to analysts, the 5nm process will contribute 10% of TSMC’s revenue this year.
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TSMC 5nm to be another large, long-term process
According to TSMC, it will produce 5nm chips for relevant customers at the Fab 18 factory. The information on TSMC’s official website shows that the 5nm process is TSMC’s second chip process using extreme ultraviolet lithography. It has good imaging capabilities and there is a high expectation with regards to the yields.
Like the current mature 7nm process, TSMC will continue to improve this process in the future. It will be the main chip technology for a period of time. Wei Zhejia has previously stated that the company will continue to improve the performance of chips through 5nm process solutions. One main target is to reduce power consumption and increase transistor density. TSMC is confident that its 5nm process will become another large, long-term process.
