Apple books nearly all of TSMC’s 3nm process
Apple has reserved nearly all of TSMC’s 3-nanometer process chip production for upcoming iPhone, Mac, and iPad models with the A17 Bionic and Apple Silicon M3 chips.
As early as December 2020, reports emerged stating that Apple had made an order for the complete production of TSMC’s 3nm processors. TSMC had recently completed its 3nm process, and it was expected that Apple would utilize these chips in their Mac, iPhone, and iPad devices.
TSMC plans to begin scaling up the production of Apple’s A17 and M3 processors using the N3 technology. The A17 chip for the iPhone is expected to undergo 82 mask layers, with a likely die size ranging from 100mm to 110mm square.
Based on these specifications, it is estimated that each wafer will yield approximately 620 chips, with a wafer cycle time of four months. On the other hand, the M3 processor is projected to have a larger die size, ranging from 135 to 150mm square, and a yield of around 450 chips per wafer.
