TSMC has currently established two 2-nanometer wafer production bases in Taiwan and will reach maximum production capacity in a few years to meet the needs of Apple, Qualcomm, MediaTek and other customers. The company is now said to have started small-scale production of 5,000 wafers per month at its Baoshan factory, after reportedly achieving a 60% yield rate in trial production of its 2nm technology. In terms of progress, the company also launched a new N2P variant as an improved version of the company's first-generation 2nm process.
It is reported that the advanced 2-nanometer "N2P" node will be put into mass production in 2026, and TSMC is expected to successfully start manufacturing the first generation iterative products in 2025.
TSMC has a total of two factories in Baoshan and Kaohsiung and continues to reach new production levels to meet the growing demand for 2nm wafers. According to the Economic Daily, the Taiwanese giant has begun small-scale production of advanced photolithography technology, but its current production capacity is limited to 5,000 wafers. However, it was previously reported that the company's production has reached 10,000 pieces during the trial operation and is expected to reach 50,000 pieces later this year. By 2026, this number is expected to reach 80,000 pieces, but it has not been confirmed whether it will use both N2 and N2P processes, or just one of them.
With the commissioning of Baoshan and Kaohsiung factories, TSMC's monthly wafer production will quickly increase to 40,000 wafers. No foundry comes close to TSMC in terms of sophistication, so it's no surprise that most companies determined to launch cutting-edge chips turn to TSMC's services.
Perhaps the only thing these companies are worried about is the high wafer price, which is expected to reach $30,000. Although the rising cost of the 2nm process is inevitable, the pricing brought about by the expensive cost will deter customers. However, it is reported that TSMC is exploring new ways to reduce the total cost, starting with a service called "CyberShuttle", which will be launched in April this year. This approach would allow Apple, Qualcomm and others to evaluate their chips on the same test wafer, reducing costs.
If TSMC produces 2nm wafers in large quantities, economies of scale will help balance costs so that the manufacturer's customers pay less. However, to do this, the Baoshan and Kaohsiung factories must operate at 100% capacity.