TSMC remains on track for iPhone 17 Pro chipset amid 7.4 magnitude earthquake

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) remains on track to manufacture the next-generation chipset for the iPhone 17 Pro model amid a devasting earthquake in Taiwan.

The supply chain report from Digitimes suggests that TSMC is keeping its progress steady on 2nm and 1.4nm chipset processing technology production. These two nodes will be used for next year’s A-series chipset and beyond.

According to the current schedule, the trial production for the 2nm node will start in the second half of 2024. The small-scale production will start to ramp up in the second quarter of 2025.

That will allow Apple to test and produce iPhone units with the latest 2nm chipset by the release date in the second half of 2025.

Last week, a 7.4 magnitude earthquake struck Taiwan and threatened the global semiconductor supply chain. However, the damage was estimated to remain minimal as companies quickly resumed some of their key operations while the island still recovered from the impact.

TSMC was also caught in this earthquake as it operates most of its business in Taiwan. The company said a small number of tools were damaged at its facilities.

The largest chip manufacturer said it has brought 70% to 80% of machinery back online within 10 hours after the earthquake hit. The company will follow full operations in the coming week (reports Bloomberg).

Its facility located in the southern Taiwanese city of Tainan produces advanced chips for Apple and Nvidia. Two of the biggest customers for the Taiwanese chip maker.

To diversify its supply chain and manufacturing capabilities, TSMC is building facilities in Arizona. This would help the company to expand its future node production outside of Taiwan.