TSMC has a new trick up its sleeve for meeting 7 nm demand. The company has begun volume production of its state-of-the-art N7+ process, which supersedes the original with Extreme Ultraviolet (EUV) lithography.
This technology will help TSMC meet its target goals by speeding up the printing process for nanometer-scale features. In regard to performance, N7+ provides “15% to 20% more density and improved power consumption.”
Building on its successful experience, N7+ sets a path for future advanced process technologies. TSMC will bring N6 technology into risk production in the first quarter of 2020 for volume production by the end of the year. With further application of EUV, N6 will offer 18% higher logic density over N7, and design rules fully compatible with N7 enable customers to greatly shorten time-to-market.