TSMC's 2025 timeline for 2nm chips suggests Intel gaining steam

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Semiconductor veteran says x86 titan could catch up with Asia-Pacific rivals in three years

www.theregister.com, Apr. 18, 2022 – 

TSMC said it won't start production at its 2nm node until the second half of 2025 or possibly the end of that year, which could signal a shift in the competitive landscape.

The Taiwanese chip foundry revealed the timeline for its 2nm node, known officially as N2, during a conference call [PDF] last week for its first-quarter financial results. With a mid- to late-2025 production timeline, after late-2024 risk production, TSMC's 2nm production dies will likely land in the hands of their designers in volume in 2026, which, in turn, means those chips could, at the earliest, be available for phones, PCs, and servers that year.

TSMC made the disclosure only a few days after Intel, which is revitalizing its competing foundry business, revealed that its next-generation 18A node will be ready for manufacturing in the second half of 2024, months ahead of the previously given 2025 timeline. As the A is short for angströms, Intel's 18A label suggests it will be a 1.8nm process (see Register passim for caveats about node sizes.)

Now here's the fun part: does this mean Intel will beat TSMC to the market with a comparable manufacturing process? We should remain skeptical, though there is reason to believe competition is growing tighter and Intel could catch up or take the lead by 2025, assuming things keep going smoothly.

Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger has maintained that his x86 goliath will become the leader in process performance with its 18A node, and the company's recent disclosure that production will begin several months sooner shows the chipmaker is feeling confident right now.

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