https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2023/12/the-race-between-intel-samsung-and-tsmc-to-ship-the-first-2nm-chip/

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Shrinkage --

The race between Intel, Samsung, and TSMC to ship the first 2 nm chip

Samsung and Intel believe this is their best chance to close the game
with TSMC.

Christian Davies, Song Jung-a, Kathrin Hille, and Qianer Liu, FT -
Dec 11, 2023 3:15 pm UTC

Abstract picture of a chip
Enlarge
zf L via Getty

reader comments

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The world's leading semiconductor companies are racing to make
so-called "2 nanometer" processor chips that will power the next
generation of smartphones, data centers, and artificial intelligence.

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company remains the analysts'
favorite to maintain its global supremacy in the sector, but Samsung
Electronics and Intel have identified the industry's next leap
forward as a chance to close the gap.

For decades, chipmakers have sought to make ever more compact
products. The smaller the transistors on a chip, the lower the energy
consumption and the higher their speed. Today, terms such as "2
nanometer" and "3 nanometer" are widely used as shorthand for each
new generation of chip, rather than a semiconductor's actual physical
dimensions.

Any company that opens up a technological lead in the next generation
of advanced semiconductors will be well placed to dominate an
industry that pulled in well over $500 billion in global chip sales
last year. That is projected to grow further due to a surge in demand
for the data center chips that power generative AI services.

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TSMC, which dominates the global market in processors, has already
shown the process test results for its "N2"--or 2 nanometer--prototypes
to some of its biggest customers, including Apple and Nvidia,
according to two people with direct knowledge of the discussions.

But two people close to Samsung said the Korean chipmaker was
offering cut-price versions of its latest 2 nanometer prototypes in
an effort to attract the interest of big-name customers including
Nvidia.

"Samsung sees 2 nanometer as a game-changer," said James Lim, analyst
at US hedge fund Dalton Investments. "But people are still doubtful
it can execute the migration better than TSMC."

[2nm-1-640x424]
Enlarge
Financial Times

Former market leader Intel has also made bold claims about producing
its next generation of chips by the end of next year. That could put
it back ahead of its Asian rivals, though doubts remain about the
performance of the US company's products.

TSMC, which has said that mass production of N2 chips will begin in
2025, typically launches the mobile version first, with Apple as its
lead customer. Versions for PC and then high-performance computing
chips designed for higher power loads will come later.

Apple's latest flagship smartphones, the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max,
were the first mass-market consumer devices to deploy TSMC's new 3
nanometer chip technology when they were introduced in September this
year.

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