TSMC 3nm Process
TSMC recently held its 26th Technology Symposium, revealing the progress of its latest process processes, including the latest 5nm process, as well as more advanced 3nm and 4nm processes.
TSMC said that the company is planning two generations of 5nm processes, N5 and N5P, with N5 introducing EUV (extreme ultraviolet lithography) technology, which is now in mass production. Apple A14 and Kirin 9000 series are said to use this process to build.
According to the official statement, compared to the current flagship SoC used in the N7, N5 power consumption is reduced by 30%, performance increased by 15%, logic device density increased by 1.8 times.
The N5P is an improved version based on the N5, still under development, and planned for mass production in 2021, with a further 10% reduction in power consumption and a 5% increase in performance over the first generation 5nm.
Then more advanced 3nm, 4nm, from the naming, 4nm is a further improvement of 5nm, will be risk trial production later next year, mass production in 2022, the use of N5 customers can smoothly transition to 4nm, basically can be regarded as the final improved version of 5nm.
This is somewhat the same as the previous 6nm process, but it is also an upgraded version of the 7nm process, with the advantage that performance and power consumption will continue to be optimized, and the designs will be compatible, allowing customers to get the new process at almost the same cost.
The 3nm is the true iteration of the 5nm upgrade, also at risk of trial production later next year, and will be put into mass production in 2022.TSMC says that 3nm will deliver a 25-30% reduction in power consumption and a 10-15% increase in performance over the 5nm process.
But TSMC is not the only mass production of 3nm process manufacturers, Samsung has previously revealed that next year will put 3nm mass production arrangements, and the two core technologies are not the same, TSMC is using FinFETs (fin-type field-effect transistors), Samsung is to use the Gate-All-Around (GAA, surround gate)(transistors), the differences between the two technologies need to wait for the final mass production.
According to Samsung, 3nm can reduce the core area by 45%, power consumption by 50%, and performance by 35%, but it should be noted that Samsung is comparing the 7nm process.
