Following the report that TSMC started producing Apple’s A16 Bionic chips at its newest Arizona factory later last year, it seems Apple is in the “final stages” of verifying those processors so the company can start using them.
The information comes from Nikkei Asia. According to the publication, the first batch of mass-produced chips manufactured in the US is expected as “early as this quarter.” Apple wants to ensure the quality of these chips is the same as the ones made in China.
People familiar with the matter told Nikkei that TSMC has already tested these iPhone chips, and they all passed its quality tests to ensure the processors are “mass production-ready.” Still, Apple is conducting a “comprehensive test” of its own to verify the integrity of the chips.
Even though Apple is currently focused on 3nm processors, the technology based on the A16 Bionic is still pretty new. The 4nm process node also marks the company’s first cutting-edge production line on American soil.
Once Apple finishes its verification process, TSMC will take three months from the start of commercial mass production to the first output of chips. The publication reveals that the factory has more than 2,000 employees, including experienced engineers brought over from Taiwan, university graduates recruited aggressively from campuses across America, and US military veterans to serve as technicians to run daily operations and production.
“Military veterans play key roles in enhancing U.S. manufacturing capability, as many of them have good mechanical and electronic engineering skill sets, and they also have great discipline when it comes to work and following the standard operation procedures to run cutting-edge chip plants,” one chip executive with knowledge of the matter told Nikkei Asia.
Just last week, BGR reported that the TSMC Arizona factory has also started making Apple Watch chips in the US, as they’re based on the same 4nm technology process. While the manufacturer is still in the first phase of making these chips, it’s possible that soon they will undergo the same verification process that Apple is using for its A16 Bionic chips. That said, the company could plan to use those processors in new products starting the second half of the year.
BGR will keep following TSMC and Apple’s plans to manufacture some of its best chips in America.
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