Apple manufacturing partner TSMC is said to be readying to use a 7-nanometer fabrication to manufacture the A13 chips to be used in the 2019 iPhone.
The Commercial Times (via DigiTimes) reports TSMC is ready to enter 7nm production with EUV this quarter. EUV stands for ‘extreme ultraviolet lithography,’ which enables more precise and smaller chips layouts.
While the new process will be used to create Apple’s upcoming A13 chip, the Cupertino firm won’t be the first customer to use the process. The HiSilicon Kirin 985 will be the first system-on-a-chip to be manufactured using the process. Soon after, production of the A13 will begin, and will benefit from an ‘enhanced version’ of the process named ‘N7 Pro’.
The A13 system-on-a-chip will power the 2019 iPhone lineup, which will likely be unveiled in September.