TSMC has seen its major clients including AMD, Apple, Broadcom, Intel, MediaTek, Nvidia and Qualcomm queue up for 3nm process capacity, according to sources at fab toolmakers.
TSMC will offer more 3nm process variants in addition to N3 and N3E, the sources indicated. The foundry has introduced N3 and N3E, with the latter node scheduled to enter volume production one year after N3 mass production.
Three other variants of TSMC's 3nm technology - N3P, N3S and N3X - will further enhance the foundry's 3nm process offerings, the sources noted. All these 3nm process variants are to satisfy customers' diverse requirements for the chip performance, power, die size and costs.
TSMC is expected to launch N3P, N3S and N3X in the next few years, the sources said.
Samsung Electronics and Intel, two major rivals of TSMC in pursuing advanced manufacturing nodes, have both disclosed their aggressive technology roadmaps. It is unlikely the two IDM foundries will beat TSMC in the 3nm process segment, due mainly to the insufficient customer orders and support they are able to obtain, the sources believe.
Samsung earlier this year said the company "will solidify its technology leadership with the world's first mass production of the 3-nanometer GAA process and continue to win new customers." Samsung plans to move its first-generation GAA process (3GAE) to mass production later this year, and usher in its next-generation 3nm process in the first half of 2023 and the 2nm process in 2025.
Intel in March 2021 laid out its US$20 billion foundry plan, aiming to regain its technology leadership. According to IFS' (Intel Foundry Services) roadmap, Intel 4 is expected to ramp up in the second half of 2022, the timeframe when TSMC expects to move its N3 to volume production. and Intel 3 will be ready to begin manufacturing products in the second half of 2023.
TSMC at its recently-held annual technology symposium for North America unveiled its N2 process featuring nanosheet transistors, with production slated to begin in 2025. The pure-play foundry also disclosed its 3nm process family that will be used to build leading-edge chips in the next three years.
Article translated by Jessie Shen
