TSMC's Foundry model price for its GAA 2nm process is rising day by day, and is expected to soar to nearly 25000 dollars per wafer. Multiple factors, including the limitation of Extreme ultraviolet lithography EUV lithography nodes and the increase of investment costs, make Moore's law approach the limit. According to the data from The Information Network, a research institution, the Foundry model price of TSMC at each node continues to rise. By 2025, the 2nm Foundry model price of TSMC will reach US $245700/piece.
Although the Semiconductor industry is in a weak period, TSMC is determined to raise investment costs and prices in order to achieve the long-term Gross margin target of 53%. TSMC currently maintains an absolute leading position in the field of Foundry model, which can not only meet a large number of orders for the 3nm process, but also has begun to explore the joint development of the 2nm process with partners.
Recently, there have been reports that TSMC's 2nm process research and development progress has exceeded expectations, and it is expected that the risk trial production yield will reach 90% in the second half of 2023. In addition, Apple will become the first batch of trial production customers for TSMC's 2nm process. Although many IC design practitioners regret TSMC's OEM prices, they have to accept this fact and bravely place orders. Currently, there are fewer and fewer customers who can afford to use the 3/2nm process.
According to The Information Network, by 2023, TSMC's 3nm process outsourcing price will reach $19865 per wafer, equivalent to approximately RMB 140000. Compared to $13400 (approximately 95500 RMB) for 5nm wafers, it has increased by approximately 48%. By 2025, the Foundry model price of each 3nm process is expected to drop to US $18445, and that of 5nm process to US $12095.
From the price trend from 2020 to 2025, TSMC set the 5nm process OEM price at $13495 per piece in 2020, but by 2022, the price had risen to $14105 per piece. The price reduction in the next few years will be mainly driven by the natural iteration of the process.
TSMC's OEM prices have reached a new high, coupled with inflation pressure and other factors, this pressure is bound to be transmitted to downstream end customers. And only major customers, such as Apple, can enjoy discounts.