For the first time, TSMC reveals what will follow the 2nm node
Remember when buying a smartphone was an easy task? These days, to be an informed consumer, you need to know not only the name of the application processor (AP) that runs a device, but you also have to know which foundry produced the chip and the process node that was used. And then, after you obtain all of this information, you can try to find out how many transistors are in that chipset. Does the chip have a configuration that makes it likely to overheat?
What about the cameras on that phone you're eyeing? Who makes the sensors backing the camera? And don't forget the importance of the modem (as Google did with the Pixel 6 Pro). Does your phone use a Qualcomm Snapdragon modem or a modem from another company? And we haven't even discussed the storage and the memory or even the battery.
The answers to these questions can be the difference between buying a phone that's a great fit or one that might not be for you. Do you need a powerful phone? Do you need one with great battery life? Or is your focus on the cameras (pun clearly intended) or on AI features?
From the 20nm A8 bionic (2018) to the current 3nm A17 Pro, the transistor count has grown from 4.3 billion to 19 billion
The 20nm A11 bionic powered 2017's iPhone 8 line and carried 4.3 billion transistors
We've often discussed why phone enthusiasts like to know things like the number of transistors inside a chip which is known as the transistor count. It all goes back to the process node used by the foundry to build the chip. The lower the number (for example, 3nm is lower than 5nm), the smaller the size size of the transistors. Smaller transistors mean that more can fit inside the inside of a chip and that increases the transistor count. The higher the transistor count, the more powerful and energy-efficient a chip is.
Right now, only the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max employ a chipset that was built using a 3nm process node. Apple is TSMC's largest customer and reserved all of the foundry's initial 3nm production. But soon we should start seeing more 3nm chips inside smartphones. For example, next October we should see Qualcomm introduce the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 which will reportedly be produced by TSMC using its second generation 3nm node.
TSMC, for the first time, reveals that its 1.4nm node will follow 2nm
And as we told you yesterday, TSMC is on track to start volume production of the 2nm process node in 2025. Until now, TSMC has been quiet about what node would be next after 2nm. Last year, Samsung Foundry presented a roadmap showing that it will be prepping for a 1.4nm node that would start volume production in 2027. And now, according to Tom's Hardware, TSMC has discussed a 1.4nm node as a successor to 2nm. The 1.4nm node was mentioned during the Future of Logic panel during the IEEE International Electron Devices Meeting (IEDM).
The 1.4nm process node will be called A14 by TSMC and while the foundry didn't publicly announce a date when it might start high-volume manufacturing (HVM) at 1.4nm, based on the current outlook for 2nm, we could be looking at 2027 or 2028 before TSMC starts HVM at that node.
It is expected that the transistors used with A14 will remain the Gate-All-Around (GAA) variety which covers the channel on all four sides to reduce current leakage and increase the drive current. This results in more powerful chips with reduced power consumption. TSMC will start using GAA transistors with its 2nm production while Samsung Foundry already uses them on its 3nm chips.
Of course, as with any road map, getting from point "A" to point "B" looks like a straightforward task with no issues to cause a delay. But anything can happen, especially when dealing with something as complex as integrated circuits. Some have called the creation of the chip one of the most important discoveries by man. And now we are at the stage where continuing to make these components faster, more energy-efficient, and yes, even smaller, is taxing the brains of the smartest people on the planet. For now, the journey continues.
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