Report: TSMC Could Push 2nm Node Back to 2026

TSMC has just begun volume production of its 3nm manufacturing node, as it's been busy cranking out A17 Pro SoCs for the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max. Meanwhile, it's also been hard at work on that node's successor, which will ditch FinFET transistors for a 2nm gate-all-around (GAA) nanosheet design. In April, the company stated that it expected to begin production of 2nm chips in 2025, but a new report from Taiwan says that process might be pushed into 2026 due to various factors. If that occurs, it would leave an opening for Intel and Samsung to leapfrog their biggest rival, assuming they don't also experience delays.

The newest report is from a Taiwanese news source named TechNews.tw, which credits supply chain sources for the latest info about TSMC's plans. It states TSMC is busy building a battery of new facilities to handle its 2nm production, which are slated to begin risk evaluation in the latter half of 2024, with production starting in 2025. However, the report says construction on one of the key facilities has slowed considerably, which it attributes to the current lack of demand for semiconductors and 2nm wafers specifically. It states the revised construction schedule for the factory in Hsinchu Baosha will likely bump the production date into 2026.

Samsung has already begun using nanosheet GAAFET transistors at 3nm, whereas both Samsung and Intel are waiting until 2nm to implement this feature. Credit: Samsung

According to TechPowerUp, TSMC has dismissed these rumors and says it's still on track to begin production in 2025 as planned. We'll have to wait another year or longer to see if there's any truth to them, but the issue is Samsung is already nipping at its heels. Its 3nm node, which went into production before TSMC did, already uses a GAA design, so it's years ahead of its rivals. Samsung also stated it would begin 2nm production in 2025, echoing TSMC's plans.

At the same time, Intel has announced its future CPUs will be as good as Apple silicon, which is a shot across TSMC's bow. Intel isn't sitting around twiddling its thumbs in between nodes either, as it made clear this week it's executing on its roadmap, which places it directly in TSMC's crosshairs come 2025. Plus, Intel already has plans to implement backside power delivery next year, which it calls PowerVia. For its part, TSMC has said it'll add that feature to its 2nm products, but not until after production has begun on its first generation of silicon. In other words, TSMC won't be able to absorb any future delays as easily as it could have a year or two ago.