Apple to extend 2nm chips for 2026 as TSMC struggles with yield

Apple used to be reportedly taking a look to release the iPhone 17 Professional in 2025 with a 2nm chipset, however it could need to extend its plans by way of 365 days, in step with studies from South Korea.

The most recent knowledge from insiders claimed that TSMC is suffering with wafer yield, and the 2nm chips haven’t begun to be qualified for mass manufacturing. There’s an excessive amount of call for for take a look at merchandise, and the Taiwanese maker is driven to evolve its current amenities for the brand new procedure, which is able to take time.

TSMC completely produces chips for Apple gadgets like iPhones and MacBooks, however the Taiwanese company additionally serves different distinguished shoppers like Nvidia and Qualcomm. Allegedly, those two corporations are in talks with Samsung Electronics to amplify manufacturing to Korean foundries if tensions in Taiwan irritate.

TSMC these days manufactures 10,000 wafers per thirty days, with plans to amplify to 80,000 by way of 2026. Its facility in Arizona will give a contribution to attaining a complete manufacturing capability of 140,000.

TSMC semiconductor production fab website online in Phoenix, Arizona

Taiwan’s Financial Day by day reported that the yield for 2nm wafers is at 60%, indicating that 40% of every wafer is unusable. With the manufacturing price for one wafer at KRW 44 million (roughly $30,000), TSMC successfully loses $120 million per thirty days because of the imperfections of the brand new procedure.

The answer is simple – Apple will proceed the use of a three nm procedure for every other yr, permitting TSMC to support yield and give a boost to pricing. Samsung faces demanding situations as neatly – the South Korean corporate wishes to spice up each the yield and function of its 2 nm chips, that are already falling brief in comparison to its main Taiwanese rival.

Supply (in Korean)