With the rapid development of science and technology, the global chip manufacturing process is also constantly advancing. Today, the 3nm process has become the most advanced technology standard in the industry. Giant companies such as TSMC and Samsung have achieved mass production of 3nm chips and successfully launched flagship products such as Apple's A17Pro. However, to achieve a breakthrough in the 3nm process, chip manufacturers have put in a lot of effort and investment. It took three years of research and development and more than $30 billion in cost investment to achieve this milestone. However, it is only by continuously upgrading and developing various versions of the 3nm process that manufacturers can make enough profits to recoup their business. To this end, TSMC decided to wind five times on the 3nm process, and finally launched six different versions of the 3nm chip to meet various customer needs.
In the 3nm process, the first version launched by TSMC is N3. As the most basic and common 3nm process, it provides a stable and reliable manufacturing guarantee for high-end mobile phone chips such as Apple A17Pro. The launch of the N3 process opens up more possibilities for the consumer electronics market, bringing users better performance and experience.
With the advancement of technology, TSMC continues to optimize the 3nm process and has launched the N3E version. Compared to N3, N3E process performance is improved by 5%, and the transistor density remains the same. This means that chips produced using the N3E process will be more powerful and efficient, bringing a better user experience.
In order to meet the needs of different customers, in 2024, TSMC will launch two more 3nm versions. One of them is N3P, which has a 10% higher performance, 4% higher transistor density, and 5-10% lower power consumption compared to N3. This will provide stronger support for applications in areas such as high-performance computing and artificial intelligence.
N3AE is a customized version specifically for automotive chips. The N3AE process, which will be launched in 2024, will provide high-performance and high-reliability chip products, and provide stronger computing power for emerging application scenarios such as intelligent driving and automatic parking.
By 2025, TSMC will launch another upgraded version of the N3X, the N3. Compared to N3, the N3X process will further improve performance by 15% and transistor density by 4%, while maintaining the same power consumption. This will provide better performance for applications in the fields of high-performance computing and artificial intelligence.
The final version, N3A, will be launched in 2026 and will be a full-featured version of the N3AE automotive chip, providing support for more types of automotive chips. The N3A process will strengthen the application capabilities in the field of automotive electronics, bringing better performance and reliability to scenarios such as intelligent driving and in-vehicle entertainment.
The input cost of the 3nm process is huge, and manufacturers have to find ways to make enough profits to maintain a virtuous cycle. By coiling multiple versions of the 3nm process, manufacturers are able to increase their order volume, effectively spread the cost of R&D and equipment investment, and improve the input-output ratio. Only in this way can they be invincible in the fiercely competitive market.
It is expected that after the introduction of the 2nm process, manufacturers will continue a similar strategy, continuously advancing process upgrades and developing multiple versions of the chip. After all, as the process becomes more advanced, it will become more difficult and expensive to get into higher-level processes such as 1nm. Without diversifying process versions to spread costs and gain market share, manufacturers are likely to find themselves in a situation where they will not be able to recoup their costs.
However, it is worth noting that many chip manufacturers are not in a hurry to advance the process at present. This is mainly due to the fact that the cost of each generation of the process is too high to be cost-effective. Therefore, manufacturers pay more attention to seeking a balance between input and output ratio, and provide customers with more reliable products and better services.
Through multiple coiling and technology upgrades to the 3nm process, TSMC and other chip manufacturers are able to respond to the diversification of market needs and provide better products. However, the cost pressures and cost-output considerations behind process upgrades also remind us that the pursuit of technological progress needs to be accompanied by a balance between sustainability and business interests.
As practitioners in the field of technology, we should strengthen our innovation capabilities, constantly explore new processes and technologies, and promote the development of the industry. Only by constantly pursuing technological breakthroughs and constantly meeting market demand can we remain invincible in the fierce competition and lead the technological wave forward.