[News] Apple May Delay Adopting TSMC’s 2nm Node Until its Capacity Grows Eightfold in 2026

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In early December, industry sources indicate that TSMC’s 2nm trial production yield has reportedly exceeded 60%, which raises speculations about who would be among the first customers. However, according to Commercial Times, citing wccftech and MyDrivers, Apple may delay adopting TSMC’s 2nm process until 2026 due to cost considerations.

A19 and M5 Likely Stick to N3P as Wafer Costs Remain High

According to the aforementioned reports, while Apple is likely to be one of TSMC’s first customers for 2nm, it is not expected to leverage the node for the A19 processor, which will be used in iPhone 17 in 2025. A19 will likely stick to the N3P process, while the M5 chip is anticipated to adopt N3P technology as well, as per Commercial Times.

And the choice is reasonable. According to Commercial Times, compared to TSMC’s N3E featured in 2024, N3P reduces the number of EUV layers and avoids dual patterning, trading slight transistor density for significantly improved yield rates and lower production costs.

Wccftech suggests that current trial-phase output for TSMC’s 2nm remains limited, and even with potential production increases next year, wafer costs remain prohibitive for Apple’s A19 series.

According to Commercial Times, industry sources indicate that each wafer using the 2nm process may cost as much as USD 30,000, which means that TSMC must achieve a sufficient monthly production scale to reduce costs effectively.

TSMC’s 2nm Capacity Reportedly Soars Eigh-fold by 2026

As TSMC gradually ramps up its capacity for 2nm, the process would be commercially viable for broader adoption. By 2026, TSMC’s 2nm capacity is expected to rise from 10,000 wafers during trial production to 80,000 wafers per month, as per the reports.

In the meantime, TSMC’s 3nm capacity will be expanded to 140,000 wafers per month, with 20,000 wafers coming from the Arizona plant, the MyDrivers report indicates.

Another positive development is that in April 2025, TSMC plans to introduce CyberShuttle. According to Commercial Times, this wafer-sharing service enables customers like Apple to share photomasks, further cutting expenses.

More Advanced Packaging Technologies for Apple

Notably, even the 2nm node has yet to be adopted by Apple in 2025, TSMC is set to integrate other advanced technologies for Apple’s chips. According to Commercial Times, Apple’s M5 chip, expected in 2025, will feature SoIC advanced packaging, which is a pioneering high-density 3D chiplet stacking technology.

Additionally, the A20 and A20 Pro processors, planned for 2026, is expected to adopt WMCM (Wafer-Level Multi-Chip Module) packaging, which enhances performance while reducing size, according to Commercial Times.

It is worth noting that TSMC’s initial 2nm orders are already fully booked, according to MyDrivers. The reports suggests that in addition to Apple, clients in high-performance computing (HPC), mobile and AI have also joined in, including AMD, NVIDIA, MediaTek, and Qualcomm.

Read more

• [News] TSMC Could Begin 2nm Chip Production in the U.S. No Earlier than 2028
• [News] TSMC’s 2nm Trial Yield Reportedly Exceeds 60%, While Ex-Intel CEO Gelsinger Questions Metrics

(Photo credit: Apple)