The Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company is a key supplier to Apple.
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Apple and Intel are reportedly first in line to use Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co.’s next-generation 3-nanometer production technology. Both companies are testing chip designs using TSMC’s 3nm fabrication process and could begin producing chips in the second half of next year, according to a report Friday from Nikkei Asia, citing unnamed sources.

TSMC says its 3nm technology can increase computing performance by up to 15% compared with 5nm, while reducing power consumption by up to 30%. A nanometer is a billionth of a meter, and the smaller the measurement, the more transistors you can cram into a chip. This means the resulting chips can be more powerful and energy efficient.

Apple and Intel didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

More to come.