News TSMC Forms Task Force to Accelerate 2nm Chip Production

[Admin]

TSMC reportedly wants to launch 2nm production at two fabs.

TSMC Forms Task Force to Accelerate 2nm Chip Production : Read more

 

[pointa2b]

Perhaps with the increased manufacturing costs and difficulty of making it work, going forward this will become a regular thing.

 

[NeoMorpheus]

Please forgive my dumb question, but whats next after 1nm or 0.x nm?

 

[Eximo]

Please forgive my dumb question, but whats next after 1nm or 0.x nm?

Next unit down. Angstroms.

Intel 20A (2nm) class is the first to be named such, and they already have 18A in the works.

Though these numbers already have little to do with actual silicon features. Just how accurate they can lay things out, not necessarily the size of measurable features.

Density increases are going to come more from switching to GAA in place of FinFET and doing power delivery on the back.

As to how they plan to reach sub 1nm, not a clue, that is probably not targeted until the 2030s. Not to mention that progress has been slowing down as they reach the limits of what physics allows. (Gets said a lot, but a silicon atom is only about 1.5 angstrom across, so not too far off)

 

[dehjomz]

I wonder if competition from Intel 18A has anything to do with this aggressive move by TSMC. Next will we hear that TSMC is cutting wafer pricing ?

 

[Eximo]

Intel typically reserves their smallest node for CPU logic, so they aren't competing in the open market with anyone but AMD and to a lesser extent Apple.

TSMC is still ahead of Intel in terms of efficiency even with AMDs current x86 parts. But Apple likes to pay for exclusivity on their best node so M2 is a step above that.

Intel and TSMC are building additional fabs. TSMC has a lot of work to do to establish supply lines and workforce outside of Taiwan. Intel has an advantage there, in that their US based fabs and other fabs/diffusion/design endeavors are already pretty well globalized.

Intel Foundry may begin offering its services in the same way that TSMC does, but that isn't for a while longer. It will be very interesting to see how this all plays out.

 

[usertests]

Please forgive my dumb question, but whats next after 1nm or 0.x nm?

Since the names have little meaning, focus on the technologies.

GAAFET starting at N2 and some further nodes. Complementary FETs later. Maybe vertical nanowire FETs (SRAM only?). Carbon nanotube FETs?

At the same time, 3D packaging technologies will gain more importance, possibly more than the transistor technologies used.

 

[Geef]

I'm imagining the boss in Taiwan saying "OK task force, you normally work 6 days a week 20 hour days. Now that we need to accelerate production we are changing to 7 days a week and 21 hour days."

"Oh, and call off Christmas!"

 

[TerryLaze]

I'm imagining the boss in Taiwan saying "OK task force, you normally work 6 days a week 20 hour days. Now that we need to accelerate production we are changing to 7 days a week and 21 hour days."

"Oh, and call off Christmas!"

You made me google if people celebrate christmas in taiwan....
( only about 5% are christian)

 

[Co BIY]

There is a good chance that the global market for advanced microprocessors is going to grow so fast that TSMC and Intel can both increase production as much as reasonably possible without creating an oversupply.

 

[ToBeGood]

Please forgive my dumb question, but whats next after 1nm or 0.x nm?

1nm 0.x nm is just a marketing slogan,

Just give you a food for through silicon atom is 0.2 nm so you think a transistor can be anywhere 9 atoms wide (it just very difficult.