Mass production of 3nm chips delayed again? TSMC: Process development in line with expectations and high yield

A few days ago, Korean media reported that TSMC once again delayed the mass production schedule of 3-nanometer chips by three months. In this regard, TSMC stated that the development of the 3nm process is in line with expectations, with a high yield rate, and will be mass-produced later in the fourth quarter.

According to Taiwanese media "Economic Daily", industry insiders pointed out that the reason why the Korean media used the word "delayed again" should be related to TSMC's initial statement that "3 nanometers are expected to be mass-produced in the second half of 2022". Korean media may think that "Second half of 2022" refers to July.

This time, TSMC President Wei Zhejia said at the third-quarter legal conference that customer demand for 3nm exceeded TSMC's supply, and it will be fully loaded next year. TSMC is working closely with equipment suppliers to prepare more capacity for the 3nm process to support strong customer demand next year, 2024 and beyond. In addition, Wei Zhejia pointed out that 3-nanometer demand exceeded expectations, and it is estimated that 3-nanometer revenue will account for about 4-6% next year.