TSMC is reportedly handling a significant volume of orders, with 15 or more customers designing on its latest "N2" 2 nm node. According to KLA's Ahmad Khan and Bren Higgins, this N2 node is attracting considerable interest, with 10 of these customers focused on high-performance computing (HPC) designs. Potential clients could include Intel, NVIDIA, AMD, and various startups, while the rest may be developing mobile-optimized designs from companies like Apple, Qualcomm, and MediaTek. "As we're seeing today, the N2 node has about 15 customers working on designs, with around 10 focused on high-performance computing. This is driving rigorous performance requirements," noted KLA's team at a Goldman Sachs conference.
TSMC's N2 node is noted for its high power efficiency and a transistor density of 236.17 million transistors per mm², making it an excellent choice for both HPC/AI and mobile designs. Although TSMC initially planned to implement a backside power delivery network with this node, this feature has been shifted to the A16 node. The N2 will remain a Gate All Around (GAA) FET design to better control transistor gate leakage, moving away from the older FinFET design that has reached its limits with further miniaturization. TSMC has scheduled the commercial launch of the N2 semiconductor node for the second half of 2026, indicating that major technology companies may start adopting this advanced chip technology by early 2027.