MediaTek Inc (聯發科), Taiwan’s largest chip designer, yesterday said that it has adopted Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co’s (TSMC, 台積電) advanced 2-nanometer process to build its next flagship system-on-a-chip (SoC).
The SoC has completed the tape-out stage, in which the final design is sent for manufacturing preparation, and is expected to enter mass production in the second half of this year and be available at the end of next year, MediaTek said in a statement.
Although the company did not reveal the chip’s name, international media reported it could be the Dimensity 9600, MediaTek’s next-generation mobile flagship SoC, as part of its strategy to cement its global position in cutting-edge semiconductor technologies.
Photo: CNA
MediaTek president Joe Chen (陳冠州) said the company’s partnership with TSMC has enabled its flagship chips to deliver highly efficient performance and provide solutions across products ranging from edge applications to cloud services.
MediaTek and TSMC have long collaborated on mobile platforms, computing, automotive electronics and data centers, the chip designer said.
The new SoC highlights the strength of their relationship, it added.
TSMC deputy co-chief operating officer and senior vice president of business development and global sales Kevin Zhang (張曉強) said the 2-nanometer process marks TSMC’s entry into nanosheet transistor architecture, underscoring its commitment to meeting customer demand by upgrading technologies, and enhancing computing performance and energy efficiency.
The partnership with MediaTek reflects TSMC’s ambition to support a broad range of applications, Zhang added.
MediaTek is among several companies adopting TSMC’s 2-nanometer process. Other prominent customers — including Apple Inc, Nvidia Corp and Advanced Micro Devices Inc — are also expected to release products built with the technology.
The 2-nanometer process would be the world’s most advanced in density and energy efficiency, offering full-node improvements in performance and power consumption, TSMC said on its Web site.
The domestic unit of the Chinese-owned, Dutch-headquartered chipmaker Nexperia BV will soon be able to produce semiconductors locally within China, according to two company sources. Nexperia is at the center of a global tug-of-war over critical semiconductor technology, with a Dutch court in February ordering a probe into alleged mismanagement at the company. The geopolitical tussle has disrupted supply chains, with some carmakers reportedly forced to cut production due to chip shortages. Local production would allow Nexperia’s domestic arm, Nexperia Semiconductors (China) Ltd (安世半導體中國), to bypass restrictions in place since October on the supply of silicon wafers — etched with tiny components to
Singapore-based ride-hailing and delivery giant Grab Holdings Ltd has applied for regulatory approval to acquire the Taiwan operations of Germany-based Delivery Hero SE's Foodpanda in a deal valued at about US$600 million. Grab submitted the filing to the Fair Trade Commission on Friday last week, with the transaction subject to regulatory review and approval, the company said in a statement yesterday. Its independent governance structure would help foster a healthy and competitive market in Taiwan if the deal is approved, Grab said. Grab, which is listed on the NASDAQ, said in the filing that US-based Uber Technologies Inc holds about 13 percent of
Taiwan is open to joining a global liquefied natural gas (LNG) program if one is created, but on the condition that countries provide delivery even in a scenario where there is a conflict with China, an energy department official said yesterday. While Taiwan’s priority is to have enough LNG at home, the nation is open to exploring potential strategic reserves in other countries such as Japan or South Korea, Energy Administration Deputy Director-General Chen Chung-hsien (陳崇憲) said. While the LNG market does not have a global reserve for emergencies like that of oil, the concept has been raised a few times —
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) yesterday received government approval to deploy its advanced 3-nanometer (3nm) process at its second fab currently under construction in Japan, the Ministry of Economic Affairs said in a news release. The ministry green-lit the plan for the facility in Kumamoto, which is scheduled to start installing equipment and come online in 2028 with a monthly production capacity of 15,000 12-inch wafers, the ministry said. The Department of Investment Review in June 2024 authorized a US$5.26 billion investment for the facility, slated to manufacture 6- to 12nm chips, significantly less advanced than 3nm process. At a meeting with