Published in PC Hardware

TSMC 5nm risk production ready for 2019

by on28 February 2017


On track for the first half of the year

Although it is still a long way off into the future, TSMC said that it is on track to start risk production of 5nm chips in the first half of 2019.

Company co-CEO Mark Liu  told the outfit's annual supply chain management shindig that TSMC's 7nm process will be ready for risk production later in the first quarter of 2017, with volume production scheduled for 2018.

He added that TSMC will start using extreme ultraviolet (EUV) for an improved version of its 7nm process technology, and fully implement the lithography to make 5nm chips. 

TSMC's 10nm technology will be mostly headed for mobile devices. Lui said the foundry was gearing up for commercial shipments of chips built using the process later in the first quarter.

Shipments will expand rapidly in the second half of this year and is upping its R&D spending for 2017 by 15 per cent. To $10 billion, up from the $9.5 billion allocated for 2016. All this is pretty much in line with what we expected. Making 5nm predictions for 2019 is all very well, but by the time that year arrives most of us will have forgotten.  Risk production is also a long way away from actually getting the chips working and in the shops.

Last modified on 28 February 2017
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