TSMC Targets Sub-1nm Trial Production, Apple Likely First Customer

According to industry reports, TSMC continues to extend its leadership in advanced semiconductor process technology, with a clear roadmap toward sub-2nm and eventually sub-1nm manufacturing nodes. After successfully ramping up 2nm production in Q4 2025, the company is expected to enter the next phase of scaling as demand from AI and high-performance computing (HPC) applications continues to surge.

Market expectations indicate that TSMC’s 1.4nm process node (A14) is scheduled for high-volume production in the second half of 2028. This next-generation node is projected to deliver approximately 30% improvements in both performance and power efficiency compared with current technologies, further strengthening its position in advanced logic manufacturing.

Beyond 1.4nm, TSMC is reportedly preparing to initiate trial production of sub-1nm process technology around 2029, with an initial monthly output target of approximately 5,000 wafers. This milestone represents a significant step toward the physical and engineering limits of semiconductor scaling and highlights the company’s continued push at the frontier of chip miniaturization.

Strong demand from AI accelerators and HPC workloads has already led to advanced reservation of TSMC’s 2nm capacity through 2028, underscoring persistent supply tightness in leading-edge semiconductor nodes. This trend reflects the structural shift of the industry toward compute-intensive AI infrastructure.

In terms of customer adoption, Apple is widely expected to be among the earliest adopters of next-generation nodes. The company is set to introduce TSMC’s 2nm-based chips in its upcoming iPhone 18 series, and is likely to continue integrating more advanced process technologies, including 1.4nm and beyond, into future flagship devices to maintain performance leadership in mobile processors.

TSMC’s 1.6nm (A16) technology is also progressing according to plan, with structured customer delivery schedules already in place. By 2028, the company expects 1.4nm to enter full-scale production, significantly improving energy efficiency and computational performance for key customers across mobile, AI, and data center segments.

However, the transition to sub-1nm technology is widely viewed as one of the most challenging milestones in semiconductor history. While specific customers have not been officially disclosed, long-standing collaboration patterns suggest that Apple could be among the first adopters if technical readiness is achieved.

Industry analysts emphasize that the key challenge for sub-1nm nodes will not only be design complexity, but also yield control. The ability of TSMC to maintain stable yields while scaling production will be a critical factor determining profitability and long-term competitiveness, particularly as capital intensity and process difficulty continue to rise in next-generation semiconductor manufacturing.