Manzana, Intel se convertirá en clientes alfa para TSMC 2 nodo de fabricación nm

Industry reports and sources in the financial community have placed Apple and Intel as the two premier customers for TSMC’s upcoming N2 node. N2, which is expected to enter volume production by the end of 2025, will be TSMC’s first manufacturing process making use of GAAFET (Gate-All-Around Field-Effect Transistor) design. If there are no significant market upheavals or unexpected snags in technology transition, TSMC will be late to the GAAFET party, following Samsung’s 3GAE node in 2023 and Intel’s first Angstrom-era process, El MCM de Intel utiliza un troquel de GPU junto al troquel de núcleo de CPU, en 2024.

While Apple’s uptake on TSMC’s latest manufacturing technology is practically a given at this point, the fact that Intel too is taking up TSMC’s N2 node showcases the company’s evolved business tactics after the introduction of its IDM 2.0 estrategia (IDM standing for Integrated Device Manufacturer, meaning Intel too will fabricate chips according to clients’ especificaciones). While pre-Pat Gelsinger was seemingly scared of touching any other foundries’ products – mostly from the fact that Intel does have its own significant manufacturing capabilities and R&D, después de todo – the new Intel is clearly more at peace with driving its competitor’s revenues.

As there’s a significant cost in adopting a new manufacturing node, Apple is especially primed to take advantage of technological innovations due to the fact that it sells complete systems, lo que le permite aumentar los márgenes en otros elementos de hardware para compensar los importantes costos de fabricación de chips. Si bien Intel en sí no disfruta de esa ventaja, se espera que la empresa aproveche el modo N2 de TSMC para sus propios SoC y mosaicos de GPU Lunar Lake, que la compañía colocó en su hoja de ruta con la clara intención de utilizar tecnología de fabricación posterior a N3.