TSMC on track to mass produce 3nm chips this year
The world's biggest chip maker, TSMC, it set to make 3mn chips in the second half of 2024 following successful testing of its N3E process.
TSMC made the announcement during the European Technology Symposium this week. It said it is now ready to start high volume manufacturing of 3nm chips this year, having achieved defect densities for its second generation 3nm-class process technology (N3E) at levels similar to those of its earlier-generation N5 technology.
"N3E started volume production in the fourth quarter of last year, as planned," a TSMC executive said at the event. "We have seen great yield performance on customers' products, so they will go to market as planned."
N3E reduces production costs by eliminating certain layers that require extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography and avoiding the use of EUV double patterning. This boosts yields, enhances performance by up to 4%, and can reduce power consumption by approximately 9%. TSMC anticipates speedy adoption by chip designers such as Apple and AMD.
In other news, TSMC confirmed that it will start construction of its first European facility in the fourth quarter of 2024. This will be a USDC 11 billion factory in Dresden, Germany in partnership with Infineon, NXP and Robert Bosch.
