TSMC to Begin 2nm Trial in Kaohsiung, Apple as First Client

According to reports, TSMC has exceeded expectations with its 2nm process development in Kaohsiung, with reports indicating small-scale trial production will begin this month, following the early installation of equipment last November—approximately six months ahead of schedule. Additionally, the 2nm process in the Hsinchu Baoshan facility has already begun trial production, enabling TSMC to rapidly advance its 2nm technology in both the north (Hsinchu) and south (Kaohsiung). Mass production is set to commence later this year, with a significant ramp-up projected for 2026, supporting TSMC's operational growth.

Industry insiders estimate that Apple's first batch of 2nm chips will be produced using this cutting-edge process, with companies like NVIDIA, AMD, Qualcomm, and MediaTek expected to follow suit in the future.

Ahead of TSMC's earnings call on Thursday (16th), more good news about its 2nm process is expected, making it a key topic of discussion. However, due to the earnings blackout period, TSMC has not released any updates on the Kaohsiung facility's trial production.

During previous earnings calls, TSMC highlighted that the R&D progress for the 2nm process is on track, with device performance and yield exceeding expectations. The 2nm process is slated to enter mass production in 2025, with a production curve expected to be similar to that of the 3nm process.

Reports indicate that TSMC's Baoshan plant in Hsinchu has already conducted small-scale risk trial production of around 5,000 wafers using the 2nm process. There are also rumors that the Kaohsiung plant will begin small-scale trial production this month.

TSMC Chairman Dr. Mark Liu previously mentioned that many customers are showing strong interest in the 2nm process, with demand exceeding expectations, even surpassing that of the 3nm process. The company is actively preparing for the required production capacity.

Industry estimates suggest TSMC's 3nm process reached an estimated monthly capacity of 110,000 wafers by the end of last year. Due to high demand, TSMC has repurposed some 5nm capacity and equipment to support 3nm production, and also allocated some 7nm production capacity to 5nm operations.

Supply chain sources suggest that the total potential production capacity for the 2nm process could reach up to 180,000 wafers. In addition to the six plants in Baoshan and Kaohsiung, some space in TSMC's southern Taiwan Science Park facility may also be reallocated for 2nm production.

According to TSMC's official website, the 2nm process utilizes the first-generation nanosheet transistor technology, offering performance and power efficiency improvements across all process nodes to meet the growing demand for energy-efficient computing. The company's primary clients have already completed 2nm silicon intellectual property (IP) design and validation.

TSMC is also developing low-resistance reset interconnect layers and ultra-high-performance metal interlayer capacitors to further enhance the 2nm process's capabilities. The company believes that when mass production begins, the 2nm process will be the most advanced semiconductor technology in the industry in terms of density and energy efficiency. TSMC plans to introduce the N2P technology as an extension of its 2nm family, with mass production expected in the second half of 2026.