2nm chips have started rolling out this year but it looks like TSMC is already thinking about the future. According to the reports, it looks like TSMC has pretty ambitious plans for its 1.4nm node.
TSMC has big plans for its 1.4nm node
After the 2nm process, the next logical step would be moving to 1.4nm. Of course, we don’t expect to see this come anytime soon, but it doesn’t mean TSMC isn’t preparing itself for it. After all, the company is one of the biggest semiconductor manufacturers in the world. If they don’t want to lose that spot to Samsung or Intel, they have to plan ahead.
Based on the reports, it seems that TSMC has big plans for its 1.4nm node. The report claims that the company is accelerating the construction of four production plants for its 1.4nm nodes at the Central Taiwan Science Park. They also plan to have it up and running by the second quarter of 2028.
This is significant because this suggests that TSMC is confident in the demand for it. Typically, chip makers like TSMC build out fabs sequentially over the years. This is to ensure yield stability before committing more resources. However, TSMC’s aggressive push suggests the company doesn’t want to waste any time.
We can’t blame them. After all, Samsung beat TSMC to the punch with the Exynos 2600, the first 2nm chip to make its way into a smartphone. Plus, Intel is also hard at work getting its own production up and running.
Surprising prices
Now, usually when it comes to chips built on the newer processes, it’s more expensive. TSMC’s 2nm chips are a good example of that. But surprisingly enough, its 1.4nm chips won’t be that much higher. The report claims that each 1.4nm wafer will set TSMC’s customers back at $35,000. For context, its 2nm wafers reportedly cost $33,000. So a price hike of about $2,000 isn’t as significant as we thought, especially with the rumors that it could cost $45,000 per wafer.
This is somewhat good news, especially given the rise in prices for memory components. If TSMC can keep the price of its 1.4nm wafers down, then maybe we won’t see such steep increases in price for future smartphones.
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