TSMC 7nm EUV volume production starts next month

TSMC is going full steam ahead with its 7nm technology. Industry sources told DigiTimes that mass production of chips made on an enhanced 7nm node with EUV will start towards the end of March.

The report also highlights that 5nm risk production will start in Q2 2019, this process will fully incorporate EUV.

TSMC CEO CC Wei disclosed previously the foundry expects to start taping out 5nm chip designs later in the first half of 2019 and move the node to volume production in the first half of 2020.

Meanwhile, TSMC continues to expand its 7nm chip client portfolio. Wei noted that the foundry's 7nm chip client portfolio is "growing stronger" as more chip designs for applications such as HPC and automotive demand the process.

Major clients of TSMC's 7nm process include AMD, Apple, HiSilicon, and Xilinx. The 7nm node is expected to account for 25 percent of TSMC's wafer sales in 2019, up from 9 percent in 2018. There's also a report going around that Apple's A13 SoC will be manufactured exclusively by TSMC, as Samsung has fallen behind in its 7nm rollout.