Wednesday, January 1st 2025
TSMC Is Getting Ready to Launch Its First 2nm Production Line
TSMC is making progress with its most advanced 2 nm (N2) node, a recent report from MoneyDJ quoting industry sources indicates that the company is setting up a test production line at the Hsinchu Baoshan fab (Fab 20) in Taiwan. In the early stages, TSMC aims for small monthly outputs with about 3,000-3,500 wafers. However, the company has big plans to combine production from two factories in Hsinchu and Kaohsiung, TSMC expects to deliver more than 50,000 wafers monthly by the end of 2025 and by the end of 2026 projecting a production of around 125,000 wafers per month. Breaking it down by location, the Hsinchu factory should reach 20,000-25,000 wafers monthly by late 2025, growing to about 60,000-65,000 by early 2027. Meanwhile, the Kaohsiung factory is expected to produce 25,000-30,000 wafers monthly by late 2025, also increasing to 60,000-65,000 by early 2027.
TSMC's chairman C.C. Wei says there's more demand for these 2 nm chips than there was for the 3 nm. This increased "appetite" for 2 nm chips is likely due to the significant improvements this technology brings: it uses 24-35% less power, can run 15% faster at the same power level, and can fit 15% more transistors in the same space compared to the 3 nm chips. Apple will be the first company to use these chips, followed by other major tech companies like MediaTek, Qualcomm, Intel, NVIDIA, AMD, and Broadcom.
Sources:
TrendForce, MoneyDJ
TSMC's chairman C.C. Wei says there's more demand for these 2 nm chips than there was for the 3 nm. This increased "appetite" for 2 nm chips is likely due to the significant improvements this technology brings: it uses 24-35% less power, can run 15% faster at the same power level, and can fit 15% more transistors in the same space compared to the 3 nm chips. Apple will be the first company to use these chips, followed by other major tech companies like MediaTek, Qualcomm, Intel, NVIDIA, AMD, and Broadcom.
34 Comments on TSMC Is Getting Ready to Launch Its First 2nm Production Line
Things are not looking good.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2_nm_process
Sram and IO right on top of the cores or below.
If you mean monolithic stacking, the road ahead is winding and unclear. CFETs may come in a few years but that's only two layers, and it doesn't seem anyone has an idea how to stack more.IBM made a test chip on 2 nm about three and a half years ago. If you're an optimist, you'll appreciate the fact that some insulation or passivation layer was actually 2 nm thick on x-ray images (but of course that's not the reason IBM called it 2 nm).The intended customers won't call it terrible as long as perf/watt keeps going up.
For this kind of thing in particular, you're not just paying the operating costs of making the product, but also the R&D for this process and for future processes. And TSMC's margins on top, they're not a charity after all.
That aside, I assume Apple is going to be the first one to use this fab process. And maybe the only one to use it for some time. IIRC they got a bit of an exclusivity over 3nm for a little bit?
At least that is the current story.
With gaming effectively becoming a byproduct I don't really know what prevents this from development though. This latency isn't that big of an issue in most non-gaming tasks.
And yes, I don't care personally for what amount of nanometres they're using. How much I get for my money is what matters and if they can't shrink the node the way it's more cost efficient than the previous iteration then it doesn't really make me happy. Yes, sure, many people need whatever performance they can get for whatever cost so these guys (ahem, more like corporations) are to be satisfied. If whoever.
All speculation at this point who know what will actually happen.
Why this tech has just been sidelined is beyond me. The simplest answer is multiple smaller dies would be more efficient as node shrinks stop being possible.
I'm surprised that MS, for instance, doesnt mandate its use int heir games. THEY made the API. Why cant I rock dual GPUs in halo infinite or Gears or Forza? What about EA, they used to support SLI, lets see some dual GPU action in battlefield! Especially with raytracing and all sorts of new demanding tech, games are begging for two or even three GPUs running in sync.
I'm just saying, imagine three 16GB 4060s running in sync. That would be something.
We could handle the heat. We handled three or even four GTX 580s back in the day, those were 350 watt apiece and didnt have the thermal transfer issues of modern hardware, so they were DUMPING out the heat. Side fans on cases provided absolute wonders.
The next GPU can't be that late... so it might be even shorter than 24 months.
But we all know, the silicon companies, do not like simple and cheap stuff, as there's nowhere to stuff their 60-70% margins. Especially if the foundries are flooding with defectless chips. They won't sell more. They will still make a scarcity.
Another shortage this, another accident there...