Apple chip supplier TSMC recently hosted a topping-out ceremony for its new fabrication plant in Phoenix, Arizona, DigiTimes reports.
TSMC’s topping-out ceremony in ArizonaThe $12 billion factory will be the first of its kind to mass-produce 5nm chips in the United States. All of Apple’s latest chips, dating back to the A14 Bionic and M1 chip, are fabricated with a 5nm process. In a post on LinkedIn, TSMC said:
Great progress continues on our 5-nanometer semiconductor fab – “FAB 21” – in #Phoenix, #Arizona. We recently celebrated placing the last beam – also known in the construction industry as a “topping” milestone – in FAB 21’s fab building with our local partners. Over 4,000 attendees were on hand to enjoy this important moment including our own employees and partners. #TSMCArizona is on time and on track to bring the most advanced leading-edge semiconductor technology to the U.S.. We are deeply grateful to our partners and look forward to more successful milestones in Arizona.
Last year, TSMC Chairman Mark Liu announced that the company’s Arizona plant will begin mass production in the first quarter of 2024. Likely clients for the chips made in the Arizona factory include Nvidia, Qualcomm, and Apple. The new Arizona plant will make it theoretically possible for Apple’s 5nm custom silicon chips, to be manufactured within the United States for the first time.
Apple is rumored to move its custom silicon to a 3nm process starting with the M2 Pro or M3 chip. The iPhone 14 Pro‘s A16 chip is expected to continue being made with a 5nm process, so it is highly likely that Apple will still need a supply of 5nm chips from TSMC by early 2024 when the Arizona plant opens for mass-production.
TSMC’s main factories are located in Taiwan, but it already operates a factory in Camas, Washington, as well as design centers in Austin, Texas and San Jose, California, meaning that the Arizona facility will be its second manufacturing site in the United States. Yesterday, it was reported that Apple is opening a new development site in Israel to develop future custom silicon chips for the Mac.
Popular Stories
Everything New in iOS 16 Beta 4 For Lock Screen, iMessage, CarPlay, and More
Apple today seeded the fourth beta of iOS 16 to developers for testing. The latest beta contains a handful of new features and changes involving the Messages app, Home app, Mail app, Lock Screen notifications, CarPlay, and more. Subscribe to MacRumors on YouTube iOS 16 is currently in beta for developers and members of Apple’s free public beta testing program, and the software update will be…
Titanium Apple Watch ‘Pro’ Could Signal the End of Apple Watch Edition
The larger Apple Watch Series 8 model expected to arrive later this year is rumored to feature a titanium casing, raising questions about the future of the Apple Watch Edition. Yesterday, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reported that the new, larger Apple Watch model scheduled to launch this year will feature a casing made of “a more durable formulation of titanium to make it extra rugged.” Apple …
Apple Replaces Last Remaining Intel-Made Component in M2 MacBook Air
In the M2 MacBook Air, Apple has replaced an Intel-made component responsible for controlling the USB and Thunderbolt ports with a custom-made controller, meaning the last remnants of Intel are now fully out of the latest Mac. Earlier this month, the repair website iFixit shared a teardown of the new MacBook Air, revealing a look inside the completely redesigned machine. One subtle detail…
Five Apple Products Rumored to Switch to USB-C
While the iPhone still uses the Lightning connector for now, Apple has been transitioning many of its devices to USB-C in recent years. Apple now offers USB-C ports on every Mac that it currently sells, ranging from the MacBook Air to the Mac Pro. Other devices with a USB-C port include the 2018 and newer iPad Pro, 2020 and newer iPad Air, sixth-generation iPad mini, Studio Display, and Pro…
Apple Had M1 Mac Pro Ready to Ship Months Ago, Mac Mini Redesign Unlikely
Apple had a Mac Pro featuring the M1 Apple silicon chip ready to ship and launch to customers “months ago,” but has ultimately decided to wait for the “M2 Extreme” Mac Pro later this year, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman has revealed. In an interview with YouTuber Max Tech, Gurman said that Apple likely held off on the M1 Mac Pro to wait for the more high-end and powerful version with the “M2…
Budget Smartphone Comparison: Google’s $449 Pixel 6a vs. Apple’s $429 iPhone SE
Google last week launched the Pixel 6a, a $449 budget smartphone that’s designed to compete with more affordable smartphones like Apple’s iPhone SE. We picked up a Pixel 6a to see how it measures up to the iPhone SE in terms of design, performance, and camera technology. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. The Pixel 6a has a 6.1-inch 1080p OLED display, which means…
iPhone 14 Pro Rumored to Have 6GB of Faster RAM
The iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max will both feature 6GB of RAM and a newer and faster type of memory, according to a report today from DigiTimes. iPhone 14 Pro renders created by Ian Zelbo for Jon Prosser The report claims that the high-end models of the upcoming iPhone lineup will feature 6GB of LPDDR5 RAM, a faster and more efficient type of memory compared to older standards. Current …
