TSMC starts volume production of ‘EUV chips’

Volume production of so-called N7+ or 7nm+ chips has commenced at TSMC, the foundry announced Thursday at its 2019 Technology Symposium in Hsinchu, Taiwan. This is the first node incorporating EUV lithography in the production process. TSMC’s main competitor, Samsung, claims it started 7nm mass production earlier this year.

Reportedly, Huawei (or rather its IC subsidiary Hisilicon) is the first to adopt TSMC’s 7nm+ technology for manufacturing the Kirin 985 processor. This IC is destined to be used in the Mate 30 smartphone series, which would be the first consumer products available with EUV-made chips onboard. Though US sanctions may prevent the phone from being sold in the West, TSMC has explicitly stated it will not stop supplying its Chinese customer this year.