Taiwan TSMC, the world's largest foundry (contract semiconductor manufacturing) corporations, said it is mass-producing cutting-edge 2-nanometer (nm; one-billionth of a meter) process products in the fourth quarter this year.
According to Taiwan media including the United Daily News on the 31st, TSMC revealed on its official website the previous day that it is mass-producing 2-nanometer (N2) products at Fab 22, a semiconductor production plant, in the Nanzih Science Park in Kaohsiung in the south.
TSMC said it achieved a breakthrough in performance and power consumption by using first-generation gate-all-around (GAA) technology in the N2 process. It added that, to improve N2 performance, it developed RDL (Redistribution Layer) and super high-performance metal insulator metal (SHPMIM) capacitors, which form metal wires and insulating layers for electrical consolidation on top of semiconductor chips, cutting sheet resistance (Rs) and contact resistance (Rc) by 50% each.
It emphasized that this kind of technological innovation demonstrates more stable power delivery, excellent computing capability, and optimized overall energy efficiency.
Another source said that although TSMC disclosed mass production of the N2 process at the southern Fab 22, it began mass production earlier at Plant 1 of Fab 20 in the Baoshan area of the Hsinchu Science Park in the north than at Fab 22.
The source said TSMC is considering expanding the combined monthly capacity of Fabs 22 and 20, which stands at about 50,000 units, to more than 100,000 by the end of next year and more than 200,000 in 2027.