Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電), the world’s largest contract chipmaker, yesterday said that the company expects its advanced 10 nanometer (nm) process to start generating sales in the first quarter of next year.
The 10 nanometer process began commercial production in the fourth quarter of this year as scheduled, TSMC said.
The chipmaker made the statement after media reports that TSMC and South Korean rival Samsung Electronics Co have had lower-than-expected yields on their 10 nanometer process technology.
Although TSMC did not directly respond to the reports, it indicated that it expects the technology to start generating revenue from next month.
The reports did not have an adverse effect on TSMC shares on the Taiwan Stock Exchange yesterday. The stock closed at NT$179.5, up 0.56 percent, as investors looked to Wall Street where TSMC’s American depositary receipts increased 1.08 percent on Friday.
The gains posted by TSMC drove a rebound by the main board yesterday, with the weighted index ending at 9,110.54 points, up 0.35 percent.
According to the Taipei-based Digitimes, TSMC has received orders from US-based Apple Inc, China-based integrated circuit designer HiSilicon Technologies Co (海思) and Taiwanese IC designer MediaTek Inc (聯發科).
The report cited industry sources as saying that the yield rate for the 10 nanometer process failed to meet expectations.
The report has been cited by international high-tech Web sites such as Electronics Weekly, the 9 to 5 Mac and Mobile & Apps.
The lower-than-expected yields could delay production of Apple Inc’s next generation iPad, which is expected to make its debut next year using the A10 X processor provided by the Taiwanese chipmaker, the Digitimes said.
KGI Securities analyst Kuo Ming-chi (郭明錤), who has in the past accurately predicted Apple’s moves, said in a research note that TSMC could serve as the sole supplier of the A10X processor for production of Apple’s 12.9-inch iPad Pro 2 and 10.5-inch iPad Pro.
Kuo added that TSMC is expected to become the sole supplier of the A11 processor for Apple’s next-generation iPhones, which are to be launched next year.
NEW MARKET: The partnership opens up India to the Dutch company, which already has a strong hold in the semiconductor market of South Korea, Taiwan and China ASML Holding NV entered into a partnership agreement with Tata Electronics Pvt Ltd aimed at ramping up India’s goal to develop domestic chip-manufacturing capabilities. The Dutch company’s technology would help power Tata Electronics’ planned 300 millimeter (mm) semiconductor foundry in Gujarat, according to a joint statement from the two companies on Saturday. The signing of a memorandum of understanding coincides with a visit by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the Netherlands, which is looking to deepen bilateral relations with New Delhi. ASML, whose top customers include Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (台積電) and Samsung Electronics Co, makes lithography machines that can print
Tokyo Electron's Taiwan unit today said in a written response that it respects the judicial process, takes the court ruling seriously and would not appeal in the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) trade secrets case. Last month, a court fined the Taiwan unit of Japan's Tokyo Electron NT$150 million (US$4.74 million) in a case involving trade secrets related to TSMC's sensitive chip technology.
ROUGH RECORDS: Bonds in Japan, as well is in New Zealand, Australia and the US, are seeing the effects of a nervy market as stock exchanges across Asia edge down A deepening slump in Japanese government bonds added fuel to the selloff in global debt markets as rising oil prices stoked inflation fears and pushed yields to multi-decade highs. Japan’s 30-year yield yesterday surged as much as 20 basis points to the highest level since the tenor’s debut in 1999, before paring some of the move. Shorter-maturity Japanese debt was also under pressure, underscored by weak demand at a sale of five-year notes that offered a record-high coupon of 2 percent. Concerns over inflation and government spending rippling through markets including the US, Australia and New Zealand are being amplified in Japan,
Wall Street is licking its chops over an unprecedented slate of massive initial public offerings (IPOs) set to arrive in the coming months, beginning with Elon Musk’s Space Exploration Technologies Corp (SpaceX) next month. That is expected to be followed by artificial intelligence (AI) rivals OpenAI and Anthropic PBC. The trio of mega listings, each eyeing valuations around US$1 trillion or more, constitutes a heady period of elevated risk and reward. SpaceX is targeting an IPO that would raise up to US$80 billion — about double the funds generated from all IPOs last year. OpenAI and Anthropic are eyeing IPOs raising US$60 billion. “We’re