Honey, I Shrunk The Chips - Inside Tsmc's 2nm Breakthrough

Microchips are the foundation of modern technology, found in nearly all electronic devices, from electric toothbrushes and smartphones to laptops and household appliances. They are made by layering and etching materials like silicon to create microscopic circuits containing billions of transistors .

These transistors are effectively tiny switches, managing the flow of electricity and allowing computers to work. In general, the more transistors a chip contains, the faster and more powerful it becomes.

The microchip industry consistently endeavours to pack more transistors into a smaller area, leading to faster, more powerful and energy efficient devices.

Compared to the previous most advanced chip, which use a 3nm process, TSMC's 2nm technology should deliver notable benefits. These include a 10-15 boost in computing speed at the same power level or a 20-30 reduction in power usage at the same speed.

Additionally, transistor density in 2nm chips is increased by about 15, over and above the 3nm technology. This should enable devices to operate faster, consume less energy and manage more complex tasks efficiently.