Apple is going to launch first! TSMC announces that 2nm is ready

 TSMC announced at its European Open Innovation Platform (OIP) Forum that N2P IP is ready and all customers can design 2nm chips based on TSMC’s 2nm node.

It is reported that TSMC is preparing to start mass production of the N2 process at the end of 2025, while the A16 process is planned to start production at the end of 2026.

According to TSMC’s plan, N2P, N2X and A16 will arrive one after another from the end of 2025 to the end of 2026. From a technical point of view, the above process nodes have similarities, including transistors with GAA architecture, high-performance metal-insulator-metal (SHPMIM) capacitors, etc.

The A16 will also be combined with TSMC’s Super Power Rail architecture, which is the back power supply technology. This can free up more layout space on the front, improve logic density and performance, and is suitable for high-performance computing (HPC) products with complex signals and dense power supply networks.

In the past few years, Apple has repeatedly become one of the first users of TSMC’s advanced process technology. For example, the first launch of 3nm chips was realized in the iPhone and Mac series. Therefore, Apple will also become one of the first users of TSMC’s 2nm process.

Analysts previously revealed that the iPhone 17 series cannot keep up with TSMC’s latest 2nm process and will still use TSMC’s 3nm process. The 2026 iPhone 18 Pro series will become the first smartphones equipped with TSMC’s 2nm processor.

It is understood that “3nm” and “2nm” are not just changes in numbers, they represent a new height of semiconductor manufacturing technology. With the continuous advancement of process technology, the size of transistors is shrinking, which makes it possible to integrate more components on the same chip, thereby significantly improving the processor’s computing speed and energy efficiency.