TSMC prepping 25 price hike -- and 4nm ready ahead of schedule

Taiwanese tech site DigiTimes writes TSMC will be able to deliver its 4nm process node ahead of schedule. Originally, the company expected to start volume production in 2022 but sources at fab tool makers claim the Taiwanese foundry is now planning to start mass production of N4 in Q4 2021.

TSMC to jack up prices 25 percent?

Demand for semiconductors is huge and all the foundries are unable to keep up. As a result, a lot of products have been in short supply for many months. Rumors are circulating again about price hikes at TSMC. WCCF Tech picked up a report from a Chinese-language about an upcoming price increase for 300mm wafers -- these will allegedly see an increase of up to 25 percent for some customers. In US dollar terms, a single wafer will become about $400 more expensive:

The details suggest that by the end of his year, TSMC will have increased its 12-inch wafer prices by $400 for a 25% year-over-year increase - resulting in all-time record high prices. The fab's 7nm process node is its bread and butter for the time being as it looks to scale up production for the more advanced 5nm node this year and bring the leading-edge 3nm process to mass production in the second of 2022.

Price hikes are also planned for 200mm wafers. Furthermore, the report highlights that TSMC is no longer giving discounts to large customers. UDN claims these discounts, which ranged from 3 to 5 percent, have been cancelled due to the continued high demand.