Taking into consideration that Samsung of South Korea is breathing down TSMC’s back, the latter has stepped up plans to roll out 50,000 wafers each month that will make use of its 16nm process, and this is tipped to happen during the entire first quarter of next year. These 16nm wafers were meant to actually be produced from the second quarter of 2015, and will see action in the Apple A9’s production, but I guess there is nothing quite like a little bit of business rivalry to really get a company crackin’.
According to Taiwan’s Economic Daily News, Apple’s reported current A-series chip partner Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) is ahead of schedule with its next-generation 16nm process for chip production. The Chinese-language report claims TSMC will begin 16nm volume production in Q1 2015, a full quarter earlier than its originally projected Q2 2015 start. This advancement may pave the way for TSMC to supply Apple with the future A9 processor that would be used in the late 2015 iPhone. TSMC is reportedly installing this 16mm capability in its manufacturing plants with the potential for a monthly output of 50,000 wafers. This capability positions TSMC favorably against Samsung as the two companies vie to supply Apple with processors for both its current and future iPhone and iPad models.
Share Your Thoughts