From ExtremeTech: In the final days of 2022, TSMC announced it had started production on its highly-anticipated 3nm process, which it calls FinFlex. Several months later, it was reported that Apple was the first TSMC customer to open up its checkbook for the fledging node, as it had reportedly purchased the entirety of TSMC's first run of 3nm wafers. That wasn't a surprise, as Apple has always been the first company to utilize the most advanced node TSMC offers. However, a new report shows that Apple has gone even further than just buying that first batch, as it has secured all of TSMC's 3nm production for the first year of its production.
Details on the arrangement between the two companies regarding 3nm wafers are included in a new report from The Information, which was flagged by ArsTechnica. It states that Apple was eager to invest in TSMC's most advanced node to offer its iPhone and MacBook customers A17 Bionic and M3 chips. However, Apple needed assurances that it wouldn't be stuck paying for defective dies on the new wafers, so TSMC agreed to let it off the hook and only charge it for perfect chips. Notably, the new report says TSMC's yields for N3 are already at 70%, which is higher than previous reports of it being around 55%.
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