TSMC has announced that the process node for 4nm manufacturing will be pushed forward by one quarter, with test manufacturing now scheduled for the third quarter of this year.
TSMC pushes ahead with 4nm process node manufacturing
It looks like the 4nm process node being developed by TSMC is doing better than expected, to the point that production is being pushed up by a quarter. Basically, the 4nm process node will go into production as early as the third quarter of this year, instead of the fourth quarter as planned.
What will start in the third quarter is test production, not bulk production. This test production will allow us to test how functional these 4nm chips are and then move to mass production.
In the meantime, mass production for the 3nm node is still scheduled to start next year in 2022. TSMC has also commented on its new N5A technology, which improves the 5nm process node.
These early chips would be used to improve efficiency and computing power in the automotive industry, which uses AI, for example. In addition, the process meets all quality standards of AEC-Q100 Grade 2, which is expected to be available from Q3 2022. TSMC also commented on 3DFabric, which continues to expand its 3D silicon stacking and packaging.
Finally, TSMC commented on its upcoming InFO_B solution, which is expected to offer high-performance yet compact processors in a small package with a 3D stacking design. This could offer chips where cores and DRAM memory can be stacked on the same die.