Apple becomes first customer of TSMC’s Arizona plant · TechNode

TSMC’s Arizona plant is producing its first batch of A16 chips using the company’s 4nm process, with Apple becoming the facility’s first customer, said Taiwan-based independent journalist Tim Culpan. Apple’s A16 chips, first introduced with the iPhone 14 Pro in 2022, are currently in trial production at TSMC’s Arizona plant using the same advanced N4P process technology as in Taiwan. The facility is expected to start mass production by mid-2025, with the A16 chips likely to be used in future devices, such as the upcoming iPad or iPhone SE, the report claimed. In April, TSMC announced its plans for 2nm technology at its second fab and plans to build a new third fab in the US to produce more advanced chips, backed by up to $6.6 billion under US CHIPS funding. [TechNode reporting, Tim Culpan]