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IPFS News Link • Science, Medicine and Technology

Taiwan Semiconductor Will Have Volume Production of 3 Nanometer Chips in 2022

• https://www.nextbigfuture.com by Brian Wang

TSMC was the first company to use ASML's EUV lithography machines for high-volume production and now has at least three processes that use EUV for select layers. They use EUV lithography for its N7+, N6, and N5 nodes.

TSMC's 2nd generation 7 nm technology (N7+) uses EUV for up to four layers in order to reduce its use of multi-patterning techniques when building highly complex circuits. The 6 nm process (N6) is for customers to re-use IP designed for 1st generation 7 nm, per the report. TSMC's 5 nm process (N5) can use EUV for up to 14 layers. 5nm has significant increase in transistor density and performance enhancements.

2nd generation 5 nm (N5P) and 4 nm (N4) fabrication processes are based 5 nm technology and will have performance and power benefits. N5P will be available in 2021. N4 chips will have volume production in 2022.

Next-generation 3 nm process (N3) will be a full node improvement over N5. N3 will have 70 percent logic density gain, 15-percent performance gain, and 30-percent power reduction over the 5-nm process. N3 will use EUV over 20 layers.

Nextbigfuture covered Taiwan Semiconductors plans from 2017. TSMC has kept on track with its Moore's Law roadmap to reach 3-nanometer chips by 2022.


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