TSMC Stepping Up To 20nm Manufacturing Process

Digitimes reports thats TSMC is stepping up its purchases of equipment that is needed for the transition to the 20nm process. TSMC expects to enter volume production of 20nm based silicon from the first quarter of 2014 according to Digitimes’ sources.

“TSMC’s investment in 20nm manufacturing equipment for the fourth quarter of 2013 is expected to outpace that allocated for the third quarter, said the sources. In addition, shipments of equipment for TSMC’s 16nm HKMG process have kicked off, the sources noted.”

TSMC recently announced that it had tripled production and revenues of 28nm wafers in 2013 compared to 2012. TSMC also revealed its capital expenditure target had been raised to a record $9.5 to 10 billion USD as a result. According to Digitimes “TSMC expects to initiate volume production of 20nm chips in early 2014 followed by volume production of 16nm FinFETs in about one year.”

What this means for us graphics cards enthusiasts out there is that Nvidia and AMD will both soon have to make the shift from 28nm to 20nm process manufacturing. This means that the next generation of graphics cards from AMD and Nvidia has to be 20nm based because 28nm production will be put on the back-burner by TSMC.

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