AppleInsider Staff
A report from the Far East cites sources who expect Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company to "tape out" Apple's A7 SoC this month ahead of risk production in early summer, suggesting that future iOS devices may not rely solely on silicon manufactured by Samsung.
According to DigiTimes, industry sources say that TSMC is ready to "tape out" the new A7 chip on its 20nm process, with the processors scheduled to be implanted into Apple products in the first quarter of 2014. While the publication has a questionable track record, Thursday's report echoes recent accounts that said TSMC has started production of certain Apple chips as part of a long-rumored partnership.
As noted by CNET, TSMC is expected to reach the "tape out" stage — which references the photomasking process that is one of the final steps in circuit design — for the A7 in March and move into early production in either May or June. The firm will reportedly expand operations at its "14-fab" located in Tainan Science Park, with investments in production facilities said to reach nearly $17 billion.
TSMC set a capital expenditure budget of $9 billion for 2013, an increase of $700 million from 2012. The report claims that about 90 percent of this year's capex will be put toward bolstering output of chips based on company's 28nm process. The Taiwanese firm said in January that it forecasts a near 100 percent ownership of the 28nm chip market during 2013, a statement that sparked speculation of massive orders from Apple.
Marko Zivkovic
Wesley Hilliard
Oliver Haslam
Christine McKee
Malcolm Owen
William Gallagher
17 Comments
1. Why doesn't DigiTimes interview Phil Schiller, try getting info straight from the horses' mouth? 2. TSMC getting '100% ownership of the 28nm chip market during 2013' is that actually a good thing, competition-wise? 3. I wonder if their subsidiary WaferTech (outside of Portland) is able to produce chips for Apple, putting more US build parts into iPhones et cetera.
"TSMC is ready to "tape out" the new A7 chip on its 20nm process" That doesn't make sense. Tape-out is done by the chip designer.
A7 with 3d FinFet transistors
From tapeout to production its at least 6 month! For example X86 at least 12 month. Even with risk wafers they would never get SoCs into production before October. (To many uneducated news reporters that talk about Intel, TSMC, Samsung and so on... Its not just to move production. A new tapeout is required for each manufacture redesign of the SoC to meet the specific manufactures rules. Apple need 50-70K wafer starts per month. People have to understand how much that is. TSMC total output is 90K. )
[quote name="PhilBoogie" url="/t/156463/apples-next-gen-a7-processor-reportedly-being-readied-for-production-by-tsmc#post_2293049"]1. Why doesn't DigiTimes interview Phil Schiller, try getting info straight from the horses' mouth? 2. TSMC getting '100% ownership of the 28nm chip market during 2013' is that actually a good thing, competition-wise? 3. I wonder if their subsidiary WaferTech (outside of Portland) is able to produce chips for Apple, putting more US build parts into iPhones et cetera.[/quote] 1. Schiller may never do another interview again in his life. Seriously, though, I wonder what that WSJ thing was. It was not an interview, it was some kind of ambush. We may hear something about this. 2. If they seriously have such a process jump on everbody else, how is it not a good thing for Apple to be using their whole output exclusively? 3. "Project Azalea." So mysterious. Is this a huge strategy shift for Apple toward Taiwan and the U.S., and away from you-know-who? 4. They gotta do something about that logo.