Apple and Intel are testing chips using TSMC's 3-nanometer process and could be first to market to use the technology, according to Nikkei. Intel may plan to use the chips in next-generation notebooks and data centers, while Apple could be the first to use a 3-nanometer processor in future iPad models. Taiwan-based TSMC will reportedly start manufacturing processors for both companies next year.
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TSMC is currently making 5-nanometer chips for Apple's iPhone 12 and will be making next-generation AMD Zen 4 chips in 2022. It has targeted 3-nanometer volume production for the second half of 2022 with potential products coming in 2023.
TSMC expects the new technology to deliver 10-15 percent higher performance at the same power levels or reduce power by 25 to 30 percent at the same transistor speeds over its 5-nanometer technology. The company also has a 4-nanometer N4 process planned for 2022.
According to Nikkei, iPad will be the first device to be powered by 3-nanometer chips. The next-generation iPhones due out next year are expected to use 4-nanometer technology for programming purposes.
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The situation with Intel is perhaps more interesting. Intel confirmed to Nikkei that it will partner with TSMC for its lineup of products launching in 2023 and had previously said it would outsource some chip manufacturing to the Taiwan-based company, though it did not say what technology it would use.
As for now, Intel has just started shipping 10-nanometer chips (which are roughly equivalent to chips made on TSMC's 7-nanometer process) and will delay 7-nanometer production until 2023.
According to Nikkei, TSMC will produce more chips for Intel than Apple. “Currently, Intel’s planned chip volume is larger than that of Apple’s iPad using the 3-nanometer process,” a source said. Intel plans to use TSMC to make processors for notebooks and data servers “in an effort to regain market share it has lost to Advanced Micro Devices and NVIDIA in recent years,” Nikkei reported.
If the rumors prove accurate, Intel could potentially beat AMD to 3-nanometer technology, as AMD plans to use 5-nanometer chips for its upcoming Zen 4 processors. AMD now relies on TSMC for its processors and GPU chips, as its previous supplier GlobalFoundries decided not to make 7-nanometer or smaller chips in 2018.
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TSMC is building a $12 billion chip fab in Arizona and plans to use its current 5-nanometer manufacturing technology. Intel, meanwhile, plans to invest $20 billion in two Arizona factories.
Information source: engadget.com
