TSMC introduces 3nm and 2nm process technology and share manufacturing plan
At the 2021 Online Technology Symposium seminar held by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), details of its chip manufacturing capabilities and the progress of extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography technology were shared. TSMC currently owns half of the world’s EUV lithography machines and is responsible for more than half of the world’s chip manufacturing using advanced technology.
According to Wccftech report, TSMC introduced that the production capacity using advanced technology will maintain a compound annual growth rate of 30%, including 16nm, 12nm, 7nm, and 5nm process nodes, of which 5nm is the latest technology used by TSMC customers at this stage. By the end of this year, TSMC’s 7nm process node capacity will increase four times compared to 2018. The 5nm process node capacity is planned to double last year and four times more by 2023. These plans are aimed at the 7nm and 5nm process nodes and their improved processes, that is, including 4nm and 6nm processes. 4nm will begin mass production in the third quarter of this year.
TSMC stated that the defect density of the 7nm and 6nm processes will be the same, but the manufacturing time will be shortened, while the defect density of the 5nm and 4nm processes will be lower than that of the 7nm and 6nm processes and the chip size of the 4nm process will be reduced by 4%. In addition, at the 3nm process node, the number of tapes out in the first year is more than twice that of the 5nm process. Wccftech said that TSMC will introduce nanosheet transistors at the 2nm process node to replace the current FinFET structure to better control the threshold voltage. The 2nm process is still in the research and development stage, if all goes well, it will be trial production in 2023.
TSMC’s Fab 18 fab in Tainan, Taiwan, will be responsible for the production of 3nm process chips. It is currently also responsible for manufacturing 5nm process products and will further expand its production capacity. TSMC plans to build a new fab in Hsinchu, which will be named Fab 20 and will be responsible for the production of the 2nm process.
