Apple to buy first wave 2nm chipsets from TSMC

Apple has secured the first wave of 2nm (nanometer) chip production from Taiwan’s TSMC for the next-generation iPhone and other devices.

Taiwanese media Ctee reports that Apple has placed orders for the 2nm and 3D advanced packaging process via TSMC, based on sources related to the matter. This new chipset manufacturing technology is rumored to see a trial production by this month.

Meanwhile, the company will use the 3D advanced packaging platform SoIC (System Integrated Chip) for M5 series Mac devices. However, the SoIC chipset might delay until 2026.

Increasing SoC size has enabled TSMC to accelerate SoIC development to achieve efficiency in chip technology and meet the requirements for the number of transistors, interfaces, transmission quality, and speed. This will help to reduce the chip size and production cost.

SoIC includes vertically stacked multiple chips with different features to combine a tight three-dimensional structure. Chip makers are racing to reduce the SoIC hybrid bonding pitch to 6um or even 4.5um to support AI chip development.

The world’s largest chip producer has been investing in the research and development of SoIC. This tech is likely to debut with an AMD chip but the yield is still not satisfactory at the moment.

Some players are betting high on this chip segment including the iPhone maker. As the largest TSMC customer, Apple is taking the first phase of 2nm advanced process production. At the earliest, the iPhone 17 suits the initial candidate for this chip. However, there’s no official confirmation.

It’s rumored that the company is planning to mass-produce an M5 chip in 2025 if it’s not delayed. Unlike AI chipsets, the production of Apple’s SoIC appears to be easy. To serve large customers, the Taiwanese chip producer could increase SoIC production by double the next year.