TSMC

By MacRumors Staff

TSMC Articles

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A14X Chip for First Apple Silicon Mac and New iPad Pro to Enter Mass Production in Fourth Quarter

Wednesday September 9, 2020 2:51 am PDT by
Apple's 5-nanometer-based A14X processor, which is destined for the first Apple Silicon Mac and the next-generation iPad Pro, will enter mass production in the fourth quarter of this year, reports DigiTimes. Apple will kick off its 5nm wafer starts at TSMC for its new Apple Silicon processors starting the fourth quarter of 2020, with monthly output estimated at 5,000-6,000 wafers, according to ...
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TSMC Details Potential iPhone 12 A14 Performance and Upcoming 3nm Process

Tuesday August 25, 2020 8:47 am PDT by
Apple chipmaker TSMC has set out the potential performance and power efficiency of the upcoming iPhone 12's A14 chip, according to a report by AnandTech. The ‌iPhone‌ 12 is expected to contain an A14 chip, based on TSMC's smaller 5nm manufacturing process. The ‌iPhone‌ 11's A13 chip used a 7nm process by comparison. Manufacturing chips using this smaller process offers a number of...
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Apple's Chipmaker TSMC Announces Plan to Build Arizona Factory

Friday May 15, 2020 6:29 am PDT by
Apple's chipmaking partner TSMC today announced its intention to build and operate an advanced semiconductor factory in Arizona, with construction planned to start in 2021 and production targeted to begin in 2024. The facility will be able to manufacture around 20,000 wafers per month using TSMC's latest 5-nanometer fabrication process. TSMC has been gradually miniaturizing its process over ...
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Apple Supplier TSMC to Open Advanced Chip Factory in Arizona

Thursday May 14, 2020 3:01 pm PDT by
Apple supplier TSMC, which makes the A-series chips used in Apple's devices, will soon announce plans to build an advanced chip factory in Arizona, reports The Wall Street Journal. TSMC is expected to announce the plans as soon as Friday after finalizing its decision at a board meeting on Tuesday. The factory could be up and running by the end of 2023 at the earliest. The new TSMC plant...
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TSMC Reportedly 'On Track' to Begin Volume Production of A14 Chips for iPhones Despite Pandemic

Tuesday March 31, 2020 8:13 am PDT by
TSMC is "on track" to begin volume production of 5nm chips in April, despite "recent speculation" indicating that the foundry had been requested by Apple to defer production of A14 processors by one or two quarters, according to DigiTimes. A paywalled preview of the report claims that TSMC's manufacturing lines remain fully booked for 5nm chips amid the current pandemic. TSMC has been...
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TSMC Expected to Begin Volume Production of 5nm-Based A14 Chips in April Ahead of iPhone 12 Models

Wednesday March 11, 2020 7:08 am PDT by
TSMC will begin volume production of 5nm-based A14 chips for iPhone 12 models in April, according to industry sources cited by DigiTimes. A-series chip production usually begins around April-May, so the process appears to be on schedule. TSMC has been Apple's exclusive supplier of A-series chips since 2016, and its chips have gradually become smaller as it continues to refine its...
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Apple Asks TSMC to Up A13 Chip Production Due to High Demand for 11 and 11 Pro

Tuesday January 21, 2020 6:06 pm PST by
Apple has asked Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC) to increase production of the A-series chips that are used in the iPhone 11, 11 Pro, and 11 Pro Max due to higher-than-expected demand, reports Bloomberg. ‌iPhone‌ 11 and 11 Pro demand has been outperforming Apple's expectations, and sales have been especially strong in China, a welcome change from the drop in sales that Apple saw...
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TSMC Expected to Begin 'A14' 5nm Chip Production in Second Quarter

Thursday January 2, 2020 4:55 am PST by
As expected, Apple chipmaker TSMC has secured orders for the "A14" processors to go in this year's iPhones and is expected to start manufacturing the chips in the second quarter, according to industry sources cited in a DigiTimes report. The sources said Apple's 5G mmWave handsets to be released in 2020 are reportedly to each carry at least three AiP modules, which can also be packaged with...
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TSMC Paves Way for 5nm A14 Chip in 2020 iPhones

Monday April 8, 2019 9:38 am PDT by
Paving the way for a 5nm-sized A14 chip in 2020 iPhones, TSMC has announced the release of its complete 5nm chip design infrastructure. TSMC's continued packaging advancements coupled with Apple's industry-leading mobile chip designs is beneficial for the performance, battery life, and thermal management of future iPhones. That will continue with the 5nm process:Compared with TSMC's 7nm...
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TSMC on Course to Secure 5nm Chip Orders for 2020 iPhones

Friday February 22, 2019 3:58 am PST by
Apple chipmaker TSMC will miniaturize its fabrication process to 5 nanometers in a bid to secure orders for Apple's processors in its 2020 iPhones, according to industry sources cited in a DigiTimes report. TSMC recently confirmed that it plans to invest $25 billion towards volume production of 5nm chips by 2020, and today's report backs expectations that those chips are likely headed for...
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Apple Suppliers Cutting Sales Forecasts Amid 'Extraordinary' Decline in Chinese Demand

Thursday January 17, 2019 1:56 pm PST by
Major Apple suppliers in Asia have been cutting their 2019 sales forecasts and some have cited an "extraordinary" drop in Chinese demand, reports Nikkei. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC), which supplies the A-series chips used in the iPhones and other devices, is forecasting a 22 percent drop in revenue for the January to March quarter. TSMC said there was a "sudden drop in demand" ...
iphone xs vs xr

iPhone Suppliers TSMC and Foxconn Report Strong November Revenue

Tuesday December 11, 2018 4:08 am PST by
Two of Apple's largest suppliers have reported healthy jumps in monthly revenue, suggesting fears of weak iPhone demand may be overblown (via Bloomberg). Asian firms TSMC and Foxconn (Hon Hai) both posted a 5.6 percent rise in November sales, reversing a recent trend of Apple suppliers reducing production or revenue outlooks to reflect lowering demand for Apple's smartphones. Foxconn...
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TSMC Expected to Remain Exclusive Supplier of 'A13' Chip Orders for 2019 iPhones

Thursday August 23, 2018 8:01 am PDT by
Taiwanese manufacturer TSMC will likely remain Apple's contract chipmaker next year, as the exclusive supplier of "A13" chips for 2019 iPhones, according to industry analysts cited in a report by the EE Times. "As long as TSMC continues to offer something new at leading-edge every year and continues to execute well on yield, I could see Apple remaining sole source on foundry at TSMC for years...
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Apple Supplier TSMC Recovering From 'Debilitating' Computer Virus [Updated x2]

Monday August 6, 2018 6:01 am PDT by
Apple supplier Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company is in recovery from a "debilitating" computer virus that hit many of its fabrication tools this past Friday evening. The company says that 80 percent of the affected tools have been restored, but it's now on a path to warn its customers -- potentially including Apple -- of delayed shipments and reduced revenue due to the virus (via Bloomber...
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TSMC Ramps Up Production of 7nm Chips Ahead of 2018 iPhones, Invests $25 Billion to Move to 5nm by 2020

Friday June 22, 2018 6:45 am PDT by
Apple supplier Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company has begun commercial production of chips manufactured using its advanced 7-nanometer process (via DigiTimes). One of the major customers for chips built with the technology will be Apple and the A12 processor, which is expected to be found in all three upcoming 2018 iPhones. The announcement comes from newly appointed TSMC CEO C.C. Wei, ...
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Patent Applications Reveal Apple's Research Into 3D Chip Packaging

Tuesday June 12, 2018 7:52 am PDT by
Apple's persistent quest for better performance, longer battery life, and slimmer form factors appears to be driving its research into advanced chip packaging technologies. So-called "2.5D" and "3D" packaging methods stand to offer significant gains in all of these areas by increasing memory bandwidth, reducing power consumption, and freeing up space for higher-capacity batteries. Apple has...
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TSMC Details Technology Roadmap With Multiple Offerings to Benefit Future Apple Devices

Thursday May 3, 2018 1:50 pm PDT by
As part of its recent Q1 earnings call, TSMC announced that its 7-nanometer FinFET process node has entered into high volume manufacturing (HVM), meaning we could see consumer devices featuring the process as soon as the second half of this year. Previous reports indicated that TSMC is expected to have sole production responsibility for Apple's upcoming A12 chip and its variants expected to...
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Apple A12 and Snapdragon 700 Chip Production May Lead TSMC to Earn Record Profits in 2018 After All

Monday April 23, 2018 6:48 am PDT by
Last week, Apple supplier TSMC saw its shares decline around nine percent after it cut its full-year revenue growth target to 10 percent, compared to its previous 10-15 percent estimate. The manufacturer blamed the cut on lower-than-expected smartphone demand and growing uncertainty in the cryptocurrency mining market. Apple's stock also declined around four percent on Friday, as many...
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Taiwanese Apple Suppliers Face Falling Stock Prices Amid Ongoing Concern Over Weakened iPhone X Demand

Wednesday January 24, 2018 7:14 am PST by
Three major Apple suppliers faced falling stock prices on the Nikkei Asia300 Index today, believed to be directly related to "concerns over demand for iPhone X." The three Taiwanese suppliers were Largan Precision, Hon Hai Precision Industry (Foxconn), and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, dropping 4.4 percent, 1 percent, and 3 percent on the index, respectively. iPhone X demand...
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TSMC is Reportedly Exclusive Supplier of A12 Processors in 2018 iPhones

Thursday January 4, 2018 5:18 am PST by
Apple has reportedly selected Taiwanese manufacturing company TSMC to remain its exclusive supplier of so-called "A12" processors for a trio of new iPhone models expected to launch in the second half of 2018, according to DigiTimes. The report, citing unnamed sources within Apple's supply chain, claims the A12 chip will be manufactured based on an improved 7nm process, which should pave the...