Latest news with #2nm


Phone Arena
07-08-2025
- Business
- Phone Arena
Move to 2nm process node will have TSMC raking in the dough
TSMC is expected to have 60,000 2nm wafers ready each month from four fabs. These facilities will be running at full capacity, and the price of these wafers is expected to rise 50% to $30,000 for each wafer from the $20,000 price TSMC charged for 3nm wafers. Reports indicate that TSMC is seeing strong demand for 2nm production from AI companies as tapeouts for the first two years of 2nm are higher than 3nm and 5nm during those process nodes' first two years. A tapeout is when the chip designer (like Qualcomm, Apple, and Nvidia, for example) sends a file with the final chip design to the foundry. It marks the start of production of a particular chip. We've often pointed out how TSMC's client list contains the who's who of tech giants, including the three aforementioned names we mentioned at the start of this paragraph. Most of these companies are believed to be working with the foundry on 2nm chips. Why is the process node used by a foundry so important? The key thing to remember is that as the process node numbers decline, the size of the transistors used in a chip gets smaller. As the size of transistors shrinks, the transistor count, the number of transistors inside the component, increases. Even more important, the transistor density increases. This metric measures how many millions of transistors are shoehorned into the chip per square millimeter (MTr/mm². The Transistor density number is very important because the higher the figure is, the more powerful and energy efficient the chip is. Certain transistor density numbers also coincide with specific process nodes. Look at these figures: TSMC's 5nm: Approximately 130-170 MTr/mm² TSMC's 3nm: Approximately 190-220 MTr/mm² What this is telling us is thanks to the use of smaller transistors with lower process nodes, 29% to 46% more transistors can be packed into a 3nm chip compared to a 5nm chip manufactured by TSMC. This indicates why a more advanced 3nm chip will typically outperform a 5nm chip while consuming less energy. TSMC will also debut its Gate-All-Around (GAA) transistors with its 2nm process node. With GAA, the gate wraps completely around the channel, reducing current leakage and improving the drive current. Chips made using GAA transistors will show better performance and use less energy. After 2nm, TSMC will start mass production of 1.4nm chips in 2028. However, TSMC's new naming scheme will replace nanometers with angstroms (Å), with 1 nanometer equaling 10 angstroms. The 1.4nm process will therefore be referred to as A14.


Phone Arena
31-07-2025
- Phone Arena
Galaxy S26 could be the first with a 2nm chip – if Exynos 2600 delivers
There's been quite a lot of talk about Samsung's Exynos 2600 chip, the processor that may power some of the Galaxy S26 models (in some regions) next year. Samsung's processors have historically been a bit behind their Qualcomm counterparts, but it seems Samsung is ready to step up its game. The Exynos 2600 is said to be made on Samsung Foundry's 2nm fabrication process. The brand may announce the new chip before the launch of its next lineup of phones. And it's quite possible that when it announces the Exynos 2600, other brands like Apple, MediaTek, and Qualcomm may still be sticking with the 3nm fabrication process. If that happens, that would make the Exynos 2600 the first smartphone chip built on a 2nm process. But of course, it's a bit early to tell who will get it first. Now, Samsung has announced that the Exynos 2600 will be the first chipset made on Samsung Foundry's 2nm GAA fabrication process, according to Bryan Ma, Technology Industry Analyst from the IDC. It's possible the news is coming from Samsung's earnings call for Q2 2020, which was held earlier. Bryan Ma's post on X. | Screenshot by PhoneArena Earlier rumors about the Exynos 2600 indicate it may sport a 10-core CPU and the Eclipse 960 GPU, which is around 15% more powerful than the Adreno 830 GPU, which the Snapdragon 8 Elite is rocking. Hopefully, the Exynos 2600 will be able to stand its ground against the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 2, and recent rumors indicate it might. Recently, we've heard the Exynos 2600 may have improved heat management. Heat management is super important for processors and smartphones, and better heat management can mean stronger performance and power efficiency. So, things are looking optimistic for Samsung's chip. Let's see if it can outrun Apple and Qualcomm. We all know that who did it first is not exactly the most important when it comes to smartphone performance, but who did it better. So fingers crossed that Samsung manages to not only be the first to make such a smartphone chip, but also, finally, prove it can take on Qualcomm's.


Japan Times
27-06-2025
- Business
- Japan Times
Former Intel CEO Gelsinger has some advice for Japan's Rapidus
Rapidus needs to do something special to distinguish itself in the highly competitive market for advanced semiconductors, former Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger said. 'We applaud the efforts of Japan to bring Rapidus to the market,' Gelsinger said during a news conference in Tokyo this week when asked about the potential of Rapidus becoming a leading chipmaker. 'However, we'd also say that Rapidus needs some fundamental differentiating technologies, because if they're trying to catch up with a well-executing TSMC without some leap-ahead capabilities, we think that's a very hard road.' Gelsinger is now a general partner at Playground Global, a venture capital firm based in Palo Alto, California, that focuses on investing in deep-tech startups. Rapidus, a foundry established in 2022, started pilot production of next-generation 2-nanometer chips in Chitose, Hokkaido, in April. Rapidus plans to mass produce those semiconductors starting in 2027. Chips are more advanced — but also more technologically challenging — as the measure of the transistor gate size falls. Japan is stuck at the 40 nm level, but Rapidus has been teaming up with IBM to make 2 nm chips. Rapidus CEO Atsuyoshi Koike has indicated that the company does not intend to go toe-to-toe with TSMC, since Rapidus will not be aiming for super-large-scale production, which is TSMC's business model. Some clients want advanced chips specifically customized for their needs rather than mass-produced general-purpose chips, so Rapidus will focus on closely working with them to achieve the desired output. Gelsinger said Playground is keen to help Japanese chip-related companies achieve a competitive edge, stressing the importance of deepening U.S.-Japan tech ties. 'We see U.S.-Japan as being a powerful partnership for the future of technology and the future of semiconductors,' said Gelsinger, who headed Intel until last December. 'Part of the reason we're here is meeting with the respective Japanese companies to help build that leap-ahead capability,' Gelsinger said. Representatives from some of the startups backed by Playground also joined the news conference in Tokyo. Given that Japanese companies have significant market shares in materials, packaging and equipment for the chip industry, working with Japanese companies provides opportunities for Playground-invested startups, Gelsinger added. San Jose, California's Ayar Labs, one of the investees, has cutting-edge silicon photonics technology that can embed optical communication capabilities within a chip package. Chip-level optical interconnect is more energy efficient and allows for faster data transmission compared to traditional copper networking. With the use of artificial intelligence increasing rapidly, energy consumption by AI data centers is expected to grow rapidly, so breakthroughs in energy-saving chip technology are seen as key. Mark Wade, CEO of Ayar Labs, indicated that working with Rapidus is a possible option in the future. The company already works with large foundries, such as TSMC and GlobalFoundries, and has received investments from Nvidia and AMD. Last December, NTT Docomo Venture announced an investment in Ayar Labs.


Android Authority
25-06-2025
- Business
- Android Authority
Samsung may build Qualcomm's most advanced chip ever for the Galaxy S26 series
C. Scott Brown / Android Authority TL;DR Samsung could reportedly fabricate one variant of the Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 for Qualcomm. While the normal chip would be made with a 3nm TSMC process, Samsung's could be a 2nm chip. This 2nm Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 may debut with the Galaxy S26. There's arguably no single component that more influences how a smartphone comes together than the choice of its system-on-a-chip (SoC). And while a phone is a whole lot more than just how fast it can crunch numbers, the decision around which SoC to use influences everything from the screens and cameras a handset can support, to how power-efficient the phone will be. Right now, Qualcomm's Snapdragon chips dominate popular Android hardware, with the Snapdragon 8 Elite powering many of this year's best phones. But if this latest report we're hearing turns out to be accurate, the upcoming Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 could shake up the SoC industry in some surprising ways. Qualcomm designs its Snapdragon chips, but when it comes to actually manufacturing them, it has historically relied upon fabrication partners like TSMC and Samsung. But in recent years, its highest-end flagship chips have exclusively been produced by TSMC. That's included the Snapdragon 8 Elite, built on TSMC's 3nm process. We've recently been talking about the next step forward, and when we might expect to see 2nm chips start to become commercially viable. That's included a rumor that Google could get an early start with a 2nm Tensor G6 chip for the Pixel 11, made by TSMC. While at the time we hadn't heard of earlier plans for a competing 2nm chip, that's now changing. Robert Triggs / Android Authority According to South Korea's Business Post, Qualcomm could be planning something a little strange for the Snapdragon 8 Elite 2. Much like we saw with the S25 series and its special Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy chips, Samsung could again be getting a special edition of Qualcomm's next chip with a few exclusive upgrades. But this time around, Qualcomm could actually tap Samsung to fabricate the chip itself. The reason why that move would be particularly interesting is because Samsung has its own promising 2nm process, and industry sources expect that this version of the Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 (referred to internally as 'Kaanapali S') could be manufactured using it. And if those indeed end up in the Galaxy S26 family, it could be Samsung, rather than Google, that first puts these kind of next-gen chips in your hand. Yields have reported already risen from 30% to 40% for Samsung's 2nm process, and while that's still a bit below where companies target for profitability, if that number keeps moving in the right direction, Samsung could be in good shape in just a few more months. The company's also been looking at 1.4nm chips, but has supposedly delayed those plans in order to further refine its 2nm workflow. Ultimately, which company is first with a phone running a 2nm chip won't come down to more than bragging rights, and regardless of who wins, everyone else is going to catch up in short order. But that doesn't make us any less excited to think about the tiny atomic-scale places these processors are going. Got a tip? Talk to us! Email our staff at Email our staff at news@ . You can stay anonymous or get credit for the info, it's your choice.
Yahoo
24-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Next-Gen Chips Spurs Industry Shift
Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL), Qualcomm (NASDAQ:QCOM) and MediaTek are lining up 2-nanometer system-on-chips for a late-2026 debut, riding a surge in on-device AI demand and built by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (NYSE:TSM). Counterpoint Research forecasts that Apple will shift over 80% of its product lineup to 3 nm this year, setting the stage for an even swifter 2 nm rollout. Counterpoint's Parv Sharma says the push toward 3 nm and 2 nm nodes is fueled by the need for faster AI inference and better power efficiency on smartphones, though it lifts wafer costs and raises total semiconductor content per device. TSMC plans tape-outs for 2 nm in H2 2025 and mass production in 2026, paving the way for flagship A-series, Snapdragon and Dimensity chips off the same line. TSMC's foundry dominanceowning roughly two-thirds of the market in Q4 2024 and an estimated 87% of sub-5 nm SoC shipments next yearshould extend to 89% by 2028, says Counterpoint director Brady Wang. That control gives TSMC and its chip-designer partners a clear path to deliver advanced-node scale, though rising node complexity may pressure yields and enlarge capex requirements. Why It Matters: The transition to 2 nm will define the next wave of smartphone performance, battery life and AI features, with TSMC's scale and Apple's design muscle setting the competitive bar. This article first appeared on GuruFocus. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data