5-nanometer wafers of TSMC will undergo a strong growth phase in the next six months and 3-nanometer wafers are expected to achieve mass production by 2022. TSMC was responsible for the development of the 2-nanometer wafer. Yang Jui Lin, Chief Research Officer of Industrial Science and Technology International Strategic Development Institute of ITRI, believes that the process of TSMC will dominate the OEM wafer industry in the next five years and 3D encapsulation is now a new challenge.
　　The process of 7-nanometer wafer of Intel, a tycoon in the global chip industry, is behind schedule and it may release OEM orders at a later stage; in the meantime, it is said that the cellphone chip factory Qualcomm may ask TSMC to replace Samsung in producing 5-nanometer processors via a manufacturing contract; of which this makes the leading position of TSMC processors the recent focus of attention in the market.
　　In addition to TSMC’s lead in mass production of 7-nanometer processors in 2018 and their introduction of EUV lithography in the enhanced version of 7-nanometer processors for the first time, it continues to take the lead in mass production of 5-nanometer processors, which will grow rapidly in the next six months and will contribute to 8% of their annual results.
　　TSMC’s development of 3-nanometer processor technology is running smoothly and it will continue to use FinFET technology. Mass production is expected within the next six months approaching 2022. TSMC is confident that the 3-nanometer processor will still be the most advanced technology by that time in the semiconductor industry.
　　To guarantee its lead in process technology, TSMC had beaten its peers in the semiconductor industry to develop a 2-nanometer processor technology in 2019; TSMC has not yet announced the time for mass production. However, based on TSMC’s promotion of releasing one generation of processor technology every two years, it is reckoned that the 2-nanometer processor is expected to reach mass production by 2024.
　　According to the analysis of Yang Jui Lin, although the 2-nanometer processors of TSMC will be converted from FinFET technology to GAA technology, it is still expected to maintain its leadership. Based on the current situation, the processor technologies of TSMC will continue to dominate the OEM wafer industry for at least 5 more years.
　　Only the process miniaturization technology will soon be facing physical bottlenecks while pricing and costs are growing higher and higher, said Yang Jui Lin, advanced 3D encapsulation is becoming increasingly important, with problems related to equipment and materials yet to be solved, which is also a new challenge for TSMC.
　　Yang Jui Lin said that TSMC has been engaged in advanced encapsulation field for a long time. After it introduced InFO encapsulation technology in 2016, the technology has evolved to the 5th generation of InFO-PoP technology and the 2nd generation of InFO_oS technology with the 5th generation of CoWoS undergoing development. (New source: the Central News Agency)