Is iPhone 15 Pro at risk? The yield rate of TSMC's 3nm process is only 55%, fortunately Apple prepared in advance

Tech 2023-07-19 14:25:47 Source: Network

Those who follow the digital industry know that the biggest highlight of the upcoming iPhone 15Pro and iPhone 15ProMax releases this year is not only the periscope telephoto lens and 8GB of memory, but also the latest A17 chip. This chip will be built based on TSMC's 3nm process, and if it comes out, it will be the strongest level in the industry

Those who follow the digital industry know that the biggest highlight of the upcoming iPhone 15Pro and iPhone 15ProMax releases this year is not only the periscope telephoto lens and 8GB of memory, but also the latest A17 chip. This chip will be built based on TSMC's 3nm process, and if it comes out, it will be the strongest level in the industry. However, according to the latest news, the yield of TSMC's 3nm process does not seem to be very high.

According to foreign media reports, Apple has booked approximately 90% of TSMC's 3-nanometer process wafers for the production of A17Bionic and M3 chips. However, currently the yield of this advanced process is only 55%, which means nearly half of the wafers cannot be used in Apple's products.

However, some analysts have revealed that Apple and TSMC have reached a special agreement where Apple only needs to pay for qualified wafers, rather than standard pricing. The standard wafer price may be as high as $17000 per chip (approximately RMB 122000), but TSMC may not implement this business model with Apple until the second half of 2024.

The 3-nanometer process is currently one of the most advanced chip manufacturing technologies, which can improve chip performance and efficiency, reduce power consumption and costs. Apple plans to launch A17Bionic and M3 chips using this process, which will be used for iPhone15Pro and iPhone15ProMax. TSMC expects to produce 100000 3-nanometer wafers per month by the end of 2023 to meet Apple's demand. However, with a yield of only 55%, only 55000 wafers are available. Apple will only pay the standard wafer price when the yield reaches 70%, but according to reports, this situation may not be achieved until the first half of 2024.

In addition, there are rumors that Apple may switch to using TSMC's other 3-nanometer process N3E in 2024, which is said to have better yield and lower production costs. However, this may also lead to a decrease in the performance of A17Bionic and M3 chips, so Apple has not yet made a decision.

In summary, Apple has ordered most of TSMC's 3-nanometer process wafers to produce A17Bionic and M3 chips. Despite advanced manufacturing processes, the current yield rate is only 55%, and Apple's special agreement to only pay for qualified wafers also demonstrates the close cooperation between TSMC and Apple. In the future, Apple may continue to seek to increase yield to reduce costs, and may switch to using TSMC's other 3 nanometer processes in 2024. Anyway, consumers still have high expectations for Apple's new iPhone, expecting it to bring stronger performance and user experience.

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