In June, we learned that Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) would manufacture Apple’s M2 Pro chip for the MacBook Pro and Mac mini based on the 3nm process. According to a new report, mass production of TSMC’s 3nm chips is slated to begin in September, echoing an earlier report from DigiTimes.
3nm M2 Pro chip will go into mass production in September
Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman has previously reported that Apple plans to drop at least four M2 Macs during the cycle of the latest processor. The tech giant is also going to debut new variations of the M2 chip: Pro, Ultra, Max, and Extreme.
In addition to the M2 Pro chip, we also know that Apple’s third-generation Apple Silicon chips will be based on the same 3nm process and well as the A17 Bionic chip for the 2023 iPhone 15 lineup.
According to a new report from Taiwan’s Commercial Times, TSMC’s 3nm chips are going to enter mass production in September, the initial yield performance is expected to be better than the initial stage of the 5nm chips.
Apple’s new M2 chip is based on the 5nm process. If its updated 14 and 16-inch MacBook Pro models feature chips based on the 3nm process, there is going to be a significant improvement in performance which would be impressive considering the glowing reviews the M1 chips and the M2 chip have gotten thus far.
DigiTimes also previously reported that TSMC would begin volume production of 3nm chips for Apple in the second half of 2022, including the M2 Pro chip.
The chipmaker had planned to significantly expand the production of its 3nm chips. It even started building three new production facilities to produce 3nm chips in Tainan, Taiwan, to further expand its manufacturing capacity. The move is a part of the company’s $120 billion investment to establish new production facilities which it hopes will help it capture a bigger part of the global chip market. However, it was forced to slow down the expansion of its 3nm chip process due to an issue with Intel.
Earlier in August, it was reported that TSMC was adjusting equipment orders for 2023 and adjusting the scale of its CapEx planning for 2023, which is now expected to be lower than in 2022. With Intel having delayed its order for 3nm chips, Apple is now one of the biggest customers for TSMC’s 3nm chips, among others.
