DigiTimes reported today that Apple will be the first company to get chips manufactured using TSMC's future 2nm process. Apple is "widely believed to be the first customer to use the process," according to sources who spoke to the site. TSMC expects to start producing 2-nanometer chips in the second half of 2025. Terms like "3nm" and "2nm" refer to the specific architecture and design rules used by TSMC in its family of chips.
The reduction in node size is equivalent to the reduction in transistor size, so more transistors can be installed on a processor of the same size, thereby increasing computing power and resulting in lower power consumption.
This year, Apple's iPhones and Macs use 3-nanometer chips. The A17Pro chip in the iPhone 15 Pro model and the M3 series chips in the Mac are both manufactured based on the 3-nanometer node, which is an upgraded version of the previous 5-nanometer node. Jumping from 5 nanometer technology to 3 nanometer technology, the iPhone's GPU speed is significantly increased by 20%, the CPU speed is increased by 10%, the neural engine is 2 times faster, and the Mac has similar improvements.
TSMC is building two new factories to meet the needs of 2-nanometer chip production and is in the process of approving a third factory. TSMC, which typically builds new factories when it needs to increase production capacity to handle large chip orders, is undertaking a massive expansion for 2-nanometer technology. In the transition to 2nm technology, TSMC will use GAAFETs (all-gate field effect transistors) with nanosheets instead of FinFETs, so the manufacturing process will be more complex. GAAFET enables faster speeds with smaller transistor size and lower operating voltage.
TSMC is spending billions of dollars on renovations, and Apple will need to change chip designs to accommodate new technologies. Apple is a major customer of TSMC and is often the first to receive new chips from the company. For example, Apple acquired all TSMC's 3-nanometer chips in 2023 for use in iPhones, iPads, and Macs.
Between the 3nm and 2nm nodes, TSMC will launch several new 3nm improvements. TSMC has already launched N3E and N3P chips in its enhanced 3nm process, and has other chips under development, such as N3X for high-performance computing and N3AE for automotive applications.
There are rumors that TSMC has begun developing more advanced 1.4nm chips, which are expected to be available as soon as 2027. Apple is said to want TSMC to exclusively reserve initial manufacturing capabilities for its 1.4nm and 1nm technologies.