TSMC Completes Its 3nm Process Factory: Mass Production Starts 2022

After taking the lead in mass production of 7nm and 5nm processes, TSMC’s 3nm process is getting closer and closer. On November 25, TSMC held a completion ceremony in Tainan Science Industrial Park, and infrastructure construction has been completed. 

The construction of an advanced wafer fab not only requires billions of dollars of investment but also takes 2-3 years or more. TSMC’s 3nm factory started construction last year and completed the construction of the plant in more than a year. TSMC executives also participated recently in the completion ceremony.

However, the completion of the plant is only the first step in 3nm mass production, and there are more important processes in the follow-up- equipment installation, commissioning, trial production, and climbing. Semiconductor process production involves thousands of processes, and the required equipment is complex, and installation and commissioning It will take almost a year.

According to TSMC, the 3nm process will start small- scale trial production in the second half of 2021, and mass production will not occur until 2022. If nothing else, Apple’s A16 processor will be the first 3nm processor. Compared with the 5nm process, TSMC’s 3nm transistor density is increased by 70%, performance is improved by 15%, or power consumption is reduced by 30% while continuing to use the FinFET process, the technology is more mature.