It is reported that TSMC decided to give up the N3 process because the cost was so high that even Apple was unwilling to use it.

Thank CTOnews.com netizens for the holy Buddha, soft media users 2040240 clue delivery! CTOnews.com, August 27 (Xinhua) @ Mobile Chip Talent, a digital blogger from Taiwan's chip industry chain, said that TSMC has decided to give up the N3 process because customers, including Apple, are almost unwilling to use it. The development direction will turn to the N3E process, which is mass-produced in the second half of 2023. It is said that the cost of N3 is high and N3E is more cost-effective.

TSMC introduced the information about the future advanced process at the 2022 technical seminar. N3 process will be mass produced in 2022, followed by N3E, N3P, N3X, and N2 (2nm) process will be mass produced in 2025.

From the previous planning, after the completion of technical research and development and trial production of the TSMC 3nm (N3) process, it is expected that the film production volume will begin to increase significantly in the second half of the third quarter, and the monthly film production volume in the fourth quarter will reach the level of thousands of pieces and begin to enter the mass production stage; while the N3E process will enter mass production in the second half of 2023, and Apple and Intel will be the two major customers.

For more information about TSMC N3 and N3E, please see CTOnews.com 's previous report.

TSMC: 3nm chips will be mass produced in the second half of this year, and customer products will be released next year.

"the yield of TSMC's N3E process exceeded expectations, and the leaked PPT showed an average yield of more than 80%."