Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), the world’s largest contract manufacturer in the chip industry, has completed construction of the first 3nm production line. According to reports from Asian news services, the company is to plan the opening of Fab 18 in the Southern Taiwan Science Park in Tainan tomorrow, Thursday, and also hold a celebration at which the further expansion of the technology, known as N3, is to be presented.
Compared to the current production technology with a structure width of 5 nanometers, the 3 nm technology is said to save around 20 to 25 percent energy or increase speed by 10 to 15 percent. So far, it is unknown who ordered the first chips from 3 nm production: Apple probably wants to use the technology in the M2 Pro and M2 Max, PCs with these processors will probably be on the market next year. Intel is said to have already placed orders.
TSMC is already further developing the N3 technology. In 2024, it is to be replaced by N3E technology, with even better values for energy efficiency and speed. This will also increase the number of items.
Unusual inauguration
It is unusual for TSMC to hold its own inauguration ceremony to mark the start of commercial production of a new manufacturing technology. Analysts interpret this as a sign that the home base Taiwan is being strengthened. The country is said to continue to serve as a primary R&D location despite foreign investment in the US and possibly Europe.
In early December, TSMC announced that the company was expanding its construction plans in the US state of Arizona. Instead of one, two factories are to be built there, the company put the costs at 40 billion US dollars. The second factory will also produce 3 nm wafers, with production starting in 2026.
TSMC occupies 56 percent of the total custom chip manufacturing market. In early December, market research firm Trendforce put TSMC’s third-quarter revenue at more than $20 billion. Runner-up Samsung just hit $5.5 billion. TSMC increased its revenue by 11.1 percent compared to the second quarter.
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