TSMC Expected to Produce 2-nm Products from 2022
TSMC, the largest foundry in the world, is expected to produce 2-nm products starting from next year. If so, it is likely to become more difficult for Samsung Electronics to catch up with TSMC. Samsung Electronics is planning to initiate 3-nm GAA chip mass production next year.
Taiwan's Environmental Review Committee approved TSMC's new construction plan for 2-nm chip production on July 28. The 50-acre plant is slated to be built in the Hsinchu Industrial Park and it is expected to reach commercial production in 2024. TSMC is considering building the same plant in Arizona as well and is planning to manufacture 3-nm and 4-nm products next year.
“TSMC already outpaced Samsung Electronics in 5-nm and 7-nm process technology commercialization and now the gap is widening as TSMC is accelerating the production of more advanced chips and boosting its capex,” said an industry insider, adding, “TSMC is also building test production facilities in Taiwan in order to ensure a certain level of 2-nm yield.”
On July 26, Intel announced that it would reach the 2-nm and 1.8-nm levels in 2024 and 2025, respectively. Intel declared its global foundry market re-entry in March this year and its microfabrication process technology is on the 7-nm level as of now.
Samsung Electronics, meanwhile, has yet to finalize its investment plan, although it already developed 2-nm chips. “We are planning to manufacture 3-nm GAA products next year and more advanced 3-nm GAA products in 2023,” it said. Samsung Electronics has yet to decide where to build its new U.S. foundry, too. The company announced in May this year that it would build the foundry at an investment of US$17 billion.