It looks like 3-nanometer chips are en route to the TSMC Arizona facility.
Apple chip supplier TSMC has announced that plans are in place to mass produce 3-nanometer chips at its $12 billion Arizona facility.
Speaking to reporters on Monday in Taipei, Morris Chang said the 3-nanometre plant would be located at the same Arizona site as the 5-nanometre plant. Chang has retired from TSMC but still remains influential in the company.
Per Chang:
“Three-nanometre, TSMC right now has a plan, but it has not been completely finalized. It has almost been finalized – in the same Arizona site, phase two. Five-nanometre is phase one, 3-nanometre is phase two.”
Apple is rumored to be moving its Apple Silicon products to the 3nm process with either the M2 Pro or M3 chip. Both Apple’s M3 chip for Macs and A17 chip for iPhone 15 Pro models are expected to be manufactured based on TSMC’s enhanced 3nm process. According to Bloomberg, the M2 Pro expected for next tear’s 14-inch MacBook Pro, next year’s 16-inch MacBook Pro, and a possible high-end Mac mini are expected to incorporate such a chip.
The move to a 3nm chip typically results in improved performance and power efficiency, enabling faster speeds and longer battery life on future Macs and iPhones.
TSMC has stated that its 3nm technology, known as “N3,”
According to TSMC, 3nm technology, also known as N3, will offer up to 70 percent logic density gain, up to 15 percent speed improvement at the same power, and up to 30 percent power reduction at the same speed when compared to its predecessor. TSMC has stated that it is targeting volume production of this product in the second half of 2022.
Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.