Apple Exec Rumored Visit: Eyeing 2nm TSMC Deal

As per industry insiders in Taiwan, Jeff Williams, Apple's Chief Operating Officer, recently undertook a discreet visit to Taiwan, where he paid a visit to TSMC and was personally received by TSMC's President, Wei Zhejia. Discussions reportedly revolved around Apple's endeavors in developing proprietary AI chips and the potential collaboration with TSMC to secure advanced manufacturing capacity.

Industry analysts indicate that the discussions between Apple and TSMC are centered around securing TSMC's initial production capacity for cutting-edge 2nm chips. Previously, Apple had secured TSMC's initial production capacity for 3nm chips with its A17 Pro chip and further entrusted TSMC with manufacturing M-series chips using the 3nm node. It is believed that Jeff Williams played a pivotal role in driving this collaboration forward.

Presently, TSMC's 3nm manufacturing process is witnessing robust demand, with major clients such as Apple, Intel, Qualcomm, and MediaTek. Regarding the 2nm node, TSMC's President Wei Zhejia stated in April 2024 that the performance of the 2nm new design project surpasses that of 3nm and 5nm and is slated to enter mass production in 2025. This marks a significant milestone for TSMC, with expectations that the contribution from 2nm chips will exceed that of 3nm.

TSMC's 2nm process introduces Nanosheet transistor structures, replacing the previous FinFET technology. Reports suggest that TSMC's 2nm chip factories are located across four 12-inch wafer fabs in the Baoshan Fab 20 in Hsinchu, as well as in three fabs in the Kaohsiung Fab 22. Progress at the Baoshan site is notably swift, with prospects of being the first to mass-produce 2nm wafers.