Today’s reports from the research firms TrendForce and Isaiah Research stated that TSMC’s 3nm process would have delays and have an impact on the company’s relationship with the world’s largest chipmaker, Intel Corporation, which has experienced manufacturing issues for years. According to TrendForce research, the company thinks that TSMC’s capital expenditure will suffer as a result of the delay in 3nm manufacturing for Intel because spending may end up being lower in 2023. It also didn’t hold back from blaming Intel, asserting that a design flaw had initially led the manufacturer to move from 2H 2022 to 1H 2023, which has since been postponed until late 2023. When it came to the details of the delay, Isaiah Research was more open, disclosing both the initial quantity of wafers that were anticipated to be produced and the subsequent drop. According to Isaiah, TSMC’s initial goal was to produce 15,000 to 20,000 3nm wafers per month by the end of 2023, but that number has since been lowered to between 5,000 and 10,000 wafers per month. The research firm was upbeat in response to concerns about the spare capacity left over as a result of the reduction, noting that the majority of equipment (80%) for advanced manufacturing processes like 5 nanometers and 3 nanometers is replaceable, suggesting that TSMC still has the option of using it for other clients.
