Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) has managed to secure a significant deal with Apple, as the Cupertino-based company looks to move away from arch-enemy – Samsung.
“TSMC and its IC design service partner Global UniChip have secured a three-year agreement with Apple to supply the next A-series chips built using 20nm, 16nm and 10nm process nodes,” according to a new report from Digitimes.
This information came courtesy of industry source the report states.
“TSMC will start to manufacture Apple’s A8 chips in small volumes in July 2013, and substantially ramp up its 20nm production capacity after December,” Josephine Lien and Jessie Shen report for Digitimes. “The foundry will complete installing a batch of new 20nm fab equipment, which is capable of processing 50,000 wafers, in the first quarter of 2014, the sources said.”
The report suggest that TSMC is scheduled to start volume production of Apple A9 and A9X processors at the end of third-quarter 2014.
In addition, the upcoming Apple A8 processor will be found in a new iPhone slated for release in early 2014, and the A9/A9X chips will be used in the new-generation iPhone and iPad products, the report explains.
“The sources did not identify whether TSMC will be the sole supplier of these Apple-designed chips,” the report states.
However, what is clear, is that Samsung’s place as the top Chip supplier to Apple is weakening.
