Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) announced the presence of their latest chip manufacturing process, namely N4P.
N4P is the latest 5nm chip manufacturing process from TSMC, complementing the three other processes that previously existed, namely N5, N4, and N3. The N4P is an improvement over the N5 and N4 and promises to have an 11% increase in performance over the N5 and 6% over the N4.
Then the power efficiency is 22% more efficient than the N5 and the transistor density is 6% greater. The N4P is also promised to have a faster cycle and is easier to produce with a lower level of complexity.
According to Kevin Zhang, Senior Vice President of Business Development at TSMC, N4P offers a more advanced technology platform for mobile devices and HPC (high performance computing).
Some time ago TSMC confirmed that they would start producing 4nm chips in Q3 2021, sooner than the initial estimate. However, the chip production is still in the high-risk category, aka there is still a possibility of failure.
While the 3nm process with N3 nodes will begin mass production in the second half of 2022. In early 2022 TSMC will also start manufacturing new fabs for producing 2nm chips, and plans to produce 2nm chips by 2024.
TSMC will also build its first factory in Japan in 2023 which is located on a property owned by Sony, adjacent to Sony's camera sensor factory in Kumamoto Prefecture, Kyushu, Japan.
They will produce camera sensors, chips for cars and other products. When fully operational, the plant will be able to produce 40 wafers per month based on 28nm nodes.
Sony also invested in this TSMC factory, the amount was not disclosed but what is clear is that the total investment value for this factory reached USD 7 billion. With this investment, Sony has a small stake in the factory.