Apple and Intel have started testing new 3-nm production technology from Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co, Nikkei Asia has learned. Commercial output of such chips is expected to start in the second half of next year, its sources said.
The most advanced chip production tech used for consumer products today is TSMC's 5-nm technology, which is used for all iPhone 12 processor chips. According to TSMC, 3-nm technology can increase computing performance by 10-15 percent compared with 5-nm, while reducing power consumption by 25-30 percent.
Apple's iPad will likely be the first devices powered by processors made using 3-nm technology, the report said. The next generation of iPhones, which are to roll out next year, are expected to make use of the intermediate 4-nm tech for scheduling reasons.
Intel is working with TSMC on at least two 3-nm projects to design central processing units for notebooks and data centre servers, according to the sources. Mass production of these chips is expected to begin by the end of 2022 at the earliest.
Intel delays
For Intel, the collaboration with TSMC is aimed at tiding the company over until it can get its own in-house production technology on track. The company has delayed the introduction of its own 7-nm production to around 2023, well behind Asian rivals TSMC and Samsung Electronics. The release of Intel's latest Xeon processors powered by the company's 10-nm technology has also been delayed from the end of this year to the second quarter of next year, the company said this week.
Intel's smaller rival, AMD is set to adopt TSMC's 5-nm production for its notebook processors next year, multiple people said. Nvidia's first server CPU chip will use TSMC's 5-nm tech and will be available by early 2023, according to Nvidia.
TSMC said it does not comment on individual customers' plans, while Apple did not respond to Nikkei Asia's request for comment. Intel confirmed it is working with TSMC for its 2023 product lineup but did not say which production technology it is using.
