Samsung beats TSMC to production of 3nm chips

Image: Samsung

TSMC's process won't be mass produced until the second half of 2022.

In the future, it hopes to reduce power consumption and size by 50% and 30% respectively, and increase performance by 30%.

TSMC dominates the market for contract chip production and is the manufacturer of Apple's chips for its phones and computers. The market leader, TSMC, is unlikely to be able to make inroads against the market leader until it proves the cost-efficiency of its new 3nanometer process is competitive.

The chips will initially be made for high performance, low power computing applications, but will eventually be used in mobile devices. Initially, the chips will be manufactured at its Hwaseong facility before moving to Pyeongtaek. According to early reports, the company's Texas chip plant will not start mass manufacturing until 2024.

The location of chip manufacturing has come under a lot of scrutiny due to the recent global chip shortage, with the US, Europe, and China vying to have manufacturers produce more chips domestically.