TSMC’s 7nm process node is likely to be underutilised in H1 2018

TSMC’s 7nm process node will become a huge factor moving into 2019, acting as the node from which AMD’s 7nm CPU and GPU designs will be forged, while also seeing use in high-end SoCs from the likes of Apple and Qualcomm. 

7nm is a huge node for the industry, taking a major step forward when compared to the 14nm and 16nm nodes that are commonly used to manufacture today’s PC hardware, delivering performance, density and power efficiency improvements.  

A report from Digitimes has claimed that TSMC’s 7nm node will be underutilised during the first half of 2019, running at between 80 and 90% capacity. Qualcomm, HiSilicon and Apple have all reportedly reduced their orders for 7nm silicon, possibly due to lower than expected demand for high-end smartphones, leaving TSMC with spare capacity to sell to other manufacturers. 

This underutilisation may prove to be good news for AMD, depending on the success of their early 7nm products, giving them a little more wiggle room when it comes to expanding their wafer orders. AMD’s second-generation EPYC (ROME) processors are set to make a big splash in the server market, with the performance, scaling and power advantages of 7nm merging perfectly with AMD’s Zen 2 processor design to create compelling products with PCIe 4.0 support and up to 64 cores on a single socket system. 
 

TSMC has projected that 7nm will contribute to 20% of the company’s revenue in 2019, taping out over 50 designs so far with more products on the way. 

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