According to Taiwan’s Business Times, Apple is currently the sole user of TSMC’s first-generation 3nm processor, N3B. Each 3nm wafer is priced at nearly US$20,000, and the yield rate stands at only 55%. Consequently, this high fee is affordable and justifiable only for Apple, leading the tech giant to secure the majority of TSMC’s 3nm production capacity for this year.
By the end of this year, TSMC will have expanded its Qualcomm 3nm and MediaTek 3nm foundry production capacity, anticipating a total output of 60,000 to 70,000 pieces. Additionally, there is an anticipation that the annual revenue share will exceed 5%. There is a higher likelihood of achieving full capacity, possibly reaching 10% in the coming year.
Reports suggest that in the latter half of 2024, NVIDIA, Qualcomm, MediaTek, and other companies will introduce the second-generation 3nm (N3E) Processor. By the end of 2024, this development will propel TSMC’s monthly production capacity to 100,000 pieces, establishing it as the long-term mainstream direction for the process.
However, an August report from the Information Times revealed that Apple had negotiated a “discount” from TSMC. Typically, semiconductor companies bear the costs associated with defective chips produced by foundries, but Apple does not. This could save it billions of dollars in costs.
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