TSMC has developed a 1.6nm-class chip manufacturing process and is set to start mass production in late 2026. This is pretty impressive, considering the chips coming this fall from MediaTek, Qualcomm, and Apple are all expected to be 2nm.
This is according to LibertyTimes, which says TSMC has completed development and verification of its angstrom-class A16 (1.6nm) process and is expected to enter mass production starting in the fourth quarter of this year. Reportedly, TSMC’s 1.6nm process would offer 8 to 10% better computing speed and 15 to 20% lower power consumption than its enhanced 2nm process. At the same time, chip density is also reported to be 8 to 10% higher.
TSMC’s new architecture places a power network separately on the back side, which is powered directly by the source and drain regions of each transistor via Vertical Backside Contacts. This reduces bottlenecks during data transmission, boosting both power efficiency and computing performance by separating signal wiring from power wiring.
This new process will likely be used to produce AI semiconductors
TSMC’s new 1.6nm process will most likely power AI semiconductors first, as well as high-end computing. Full-scale mass production is projected to begin in the fourth quarter of this year.
This move shows how eager the foundry giant is for its cutting-edge 1.4nm process, which will be the next major upgrade for mobile processors after its 2nm process debuts this fall. As mentioned already, MediaTek, Qualcomm, and Apple will all use 2nm chips for the next round of flagship smartphones, which should provide more performance and better efficiency in a smaller package.
TSMC is currently nearly at production capacity, with virtually every company coming to them to manufacture their chips. From AI companies needing chips for their data centers, to PC makers needing chips for their laptops, and even smartphone companies needing chips for their phones like the upcoming iPhone 18 series.
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