The full-scale manufacturing of TSMC’s 2nm technology is said to commence by the end of the year, and it was previously reported that the Taiwanese semiconductor giant would start accepting orders from April 1. Well, that faithful day has arrived, with a fresh report stating that customers are lining up to become the first to receive the imminent wafer shipments, even if it means having to pay an exorbitant sum of $30,000 per unit. Additional details also highlight the company’s progress at both its Hsinchu and Kaohsiung plants, so let us take a closer look at those details.
One of TSMC’s 2nm plants has increased wafer production by more than 200 percent, but a new report mentions a lower monthly output compared to previous estimates
While it was previously mentioned that TSMC could reach 50,000 monthly wafers when both of its plants in Taiwan were fully operational, with the possibility that the figure would climb to 80,000 units by the end of 2025, DigiTimes has quoted some lower numbers. According to the report, the monthly production output is estimated to reach 30,000 units, with the Kaohsiung already running ahead of schedule and is slated to commence manufacturing almost immediately.
As for the Hsinchu plant, its monthly wafer production has increased from 3,000 wafers in the middle of 2024 to around 8,000 units at this time, with the goal to achieve 22,000 wafers by the end of 2025. The report mentions that unnamed supply chain sources have claimed that customers will be chomping at the bit to place orders for the cutting-edge lithography but fails to mention the name of even one client.
Historically, Apple has always been the first to receive the initial batch of TSMC’s next-generation wafers, so it is likely that the company will be ahead of the competition in acquiring the first 2nm shipment. The California-based firm is said to utilize this technology for the A20, which is said to arrive for the iPhone 18 series in the second half of 2026.
Aside from Apple, Qualcomm is also rumored to place orders with TSMC for its 2nm process, with a rumor claiming that the company aims to introduce not one but two chipsets manufacturing on the aforementioned node, and one of those SoCs is probably named the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 3. It is important to note that DigiTimes does not have the best track for reporting accurate information, so treat these details with a pinch of salt, and we will be back with more updates.
News Source: DigiTimes
