TSMC has temporarily halted the launch of new 3nm chip projects and raised prices for the advanced node, as demand from AI and high-end computing customers continues to strain capacity, chipmakers familiar with the matter said. Existing 3nm capacity has been fully taken up by orders for AI GPUs, cloud data centre application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs) and flagship mobile processors, the sources said, adding that short-term capacity expansion would be insufficient to meet additional demand.
As part of a strategic shift, TSMC is encouraging customers still in the early stages of product planning to evaluate its 2nm process instead, aiming to optimise future production schedules and cost structures, industry analyst said. TSMC’s 2nm process has entered mass production, with major customers including Apple, Qualcomm and MediaTek. [Jiwei, in Chinese]