Apple Chipmaker TSMC Unveils Advanced 1.6nm Process to Be Used for 2026 Chips

Apple chipmaking partner TSMC on Wednesday announced its plans for new chips to be fabricated using a 1.6nm fabrication process that will likely be used to produce future generations of Apple Silicon chips.

TSMC unveiled a series of technologies, including the “A16” process (not to be confused with Apple’s A-series chip of the same name), which is a 1.6nm node. The new technology allows TSMC to enhance its chip logic density and performance, which should result in substantially increased performance for high-performance computing (HPC) products and data centers.

TSMC A16 Technology: With TSMC’s industry-leading N3E technology now in production, and N2 on track for production in the second half of 2025, TSMC debuted A16, the next technology on its roadmap. A16 will combine TSMC’s Super Power Rail architecture with its nanosheet transistors for planned production in 2026. It improves logic density and performance by dedicating front-side routing resources to signals, making A16 ideal for HPC products with complex signal routes and dense power delivery networks. Compared to TSMC’s N2P process, A16 will provide 8-10% speed improvement at the same Vdd (positive power supply voltage), 15-20% power reduction at the same speed, and up to 1.10X chip density improvement for data center products.

Apple traditionally gets the first crack at any new, state-of-the-art chip fabrication technologies from the chip maker. Apple was the first to utilize TSMC’s 3nm process with the A17 Pro chip that debuted in the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max. Apple is likely to continue that “tradition” with the chipmaker’s upcoming nodes.

Apple generally used the most advanced chip designs in its iPhone at first, later in its iPad and Mac lineups, and eventually in the Apple TV and Apple Watch.

TSMC plans to begin producing chips based on its A16 technology as soon as 2026. The new technology uses innovative nanosheet transistors and a novel backside power rail solution. When run at the same speeds as chips fabricated using TSMC’s N2P process, the new process is expected to deliver an 8% to 10% speed increase and a 15% to 20% drop in power usage, as well as a 1.10x chip density improvement.

TSMC also announced its System-on-Wafer (SoW) technology, a new option that provides more computing power in less space. The technology could be used in Apple’s data center operations. TSMC’s first SoW offering, currently in production, is based on Integrated Fan-Out (InFO) technology. 

TSMC is also working on the manufacturing process for 2nm and 1.4nm chips that will likely make an appearance in future Apple products. The 2nm “N2” node is scheduled to go into trial production in the second half of this year, with small-scale production scheduled to kick off in Q2 2025. The chip company’s enhanced “N2P” process will ramp up in late 2026. Taiwanese facilities will begin moving to production of “A14” 1.4nm chips sometime in 2027.

Apple is expected to introduce a new A18 chip this year based on TSMC’s N3E process for its upcoming iPhone 16 lineup. The A19, which is likely to be used in next year’s iPhone 17 models, is expected to be Apple’s first 2nm chip. Next year, Apple is expected to use a chip based on an enhanced version of the 2nm node, followed by chips based on the 1.6nm fabrication process.