According to a recent report from DigiTimes, Apple supplier TSMC is prepared to make 3nm chips in the second half of 2022, and will begin manufacturing of 4nm chips in the next months.
Apple’s new 3NM chip production to start by second half of 2022
Apple had previously reserved the first capacity of TSMC’s 4nm chip manufacture for future Macs, and more recently instructed TSMC to begin production of the A15 processor for the forthcoming iPhone 13, which will be built on an improved 5nm technology.
The company’s long-term strategy is outlined in today’s paper, which claims that the new 3nm chip technology will enhance performance by 15% while also improving energy efficiency by 30% and will go into mass production late next year.
When commercial manufacturing begins in the second part of 2022, TSMC claims that its N3 technology will be the world’s most advanced.
N3 will give up to 15% speed gain or spend up to 30% less power than N5, and deliver up to 70% logic density gain, relying on the proven FinFET transistor design for the greatest performance, power efficiency, and cost effectiveness.
While the article doesn’t go into specifics on how the new 3nm chip would be integrated into Apple products, it’s safe to presume it’ll be years away.
Apple’s 14 chip, which is presently used in the iPhone 12 series and iPad Air, is made using a 5nm manufacturing technique. The 5nm design is also shared by Apple’s M1 silicon.
Because of its lower total footprint, the smaller process provides better energy efficiency, as well as more product development flexibility.
What else Apple is planning for?
Apple also reserved the initial manufacturing capacity of 4nm chips with long-time supplier TSMC for its next-generation Apple silicon.
According to the reports, Apple already has reserved the first capacity of TSMC’s N4 for its new-generation Mac series. Apple has also hired TSMC to produce its A15 next-generation iPhone CPU, which will be constructed on the foundry’s N5 Plus or N5P manufacturing node.
TSMC was scheduled to begin production of Apple’s A15 processor, which will power the next iPhone 13 series. The M1 chip, Apple’s most recent silicon, is the first of its kind in the industry, built using a 5nm process.
The 5nm technology is also used in the A14 Bionic processor found in the iPad Air and iPhone 12. Apple is already considering the 4nm chip and 3-nm technology for its next-generation Apple silicon.
There’s no word on when these new 4nm chips will be released. TSMC will begin commercial manufacturing of the new process in Q4 of 2021, well ahead of the previously announced 2022 followed by the beginning of the production 3NM chip. Furthermore, Apple intends to employ an improved version of the 5nm technology for the A15 processor in the iPhone 13.
The smaller technique decreases the physical footprint of the chips while also improving efficiency and performance. Apple is anticipated to release a slew of new Macs this year, all of which will have more powerful Apple silicon chips, but none of them will be built on the 4nm technology.