4th July 2021, Kathmandu
Intel and Apple are likely to be the first to use TSMC’S 3NM Chip. 3nm refers to the measurement between transistors on a chip.
Generally, smaller gaps indicate better processors. TSMC claims that 3nm technology can improve computing performance by 10% and 15% over 5nm tech.
The technology also reduces power consumption by between 35% and 30%.
Compared to 5nm, the 3nm process has a 10-15% speed improvement at the same power or a power reduction of 25-30% at the same speed, with a logic density improvement of 1.7x, an SRAM density improvement of 1.2x, and an analog density improvement of 1.1x.
Apple and Intel will be the first major companies to build chips with TSMC’s 3nm process technology.
At the moment, Apple plans to use TSMC’s 5nm technology for their iPhone 12 series. With an upgrade to 3nm process technology, TSMC claims the performance will be improved by 10-15% compared to the previous generation.
Apple will first feature the 3nm chips in the 2022 iPad models.
For this year, Apple will use an intermediary 4nm process technology.
The second company to use the 3nm chip of TSMC is Intel.
Intel reportedly has more chip volume planned than Apple. Intel is planning to work with TSMC for their chips until they can get their own in-house chip manufacturing technology back on track.
Several processor chips are projected with TSMC, including two 3nm projects for producing CPUs for upcoming notebooks and data center services.
The company is facing stiff competition from rivals like NVIDIA and AMD.
It is struggling to maintain its market share. This might be the reason they have opted to work with their chip-manufacturer rival, TSMC.
TSMC is expected to start production of the technology chip for the two companies from next year.
TSMC is currently developing a 5nm process chip for the iPhone 12 and will launch the AMD Gen4 chip in 2022.
Extensive production of the 3 nm process chip is planned to start from the second half of 2022 and by 2023.
Intel has said it will only use the TSMC chip from 2023 and partner with some manufacturers outside Taiwan.
TSMC is currently setting up a USD 12 billion Fab plant in Arizona to produce 5nm process chips. Intel also plans to invest USD 20 billion in its two Arizona factories.