TSMC 2 nanometer trial run yields exceed estimations at over 60%

Chips made using the cutting-edge 2 nanometer (2nm) architecture are projected to offer improved performance and/or power efficiency even compared to 3nm counterparts currently found in devices such as the latest iPhone 16 Pro series, the newest MacBook Pros and new Android flagships such as the OnePlus 13.

However, the potential advantages of producing next-gen silicon implies even more difficulty in making it than ever before (as Intel is currently finding out to its detriment). However, TSMC's current 2nm pilot project is reportedly progressing even further than expected, with yields at 60% or more.

The production trial-run is being conducted at the Company's Zhuke Baoshan facility in Taiwan's Hsinchu county. Its inaugural 2nm process is set to be ported to its Kaohsiung factory thereafter.

Therefore, that plant is on track to be the first location at which 2nm TSMC chips will be mass-produced. The silicon is currently predicted to be on the market by late 2025, in the form of devices such as the next-gen iPad Pro.

TSMC's next-gen products are also currently projected to materialize as the A20 Pro for next-gen iPhones; MediaTek's future Dimensity 9600 flagship SoC; NVIDIA's Rubin series and AMD's Zen 6 platform.

That might be why it is now described by Wei Zhejia, TSMC's current chairman and president, as having a level of demand "beyond imagining". The supplier's 2nm output could also play a critical role in the deployment of next-gen AI.