TSMC faces shortage of 2nm wafers because of AI boom, expected to raise prices for four years in a row

A TSMCthe world’s leading semiconductor manufacturer, has notified its customers about a new pricing strategy that is expected to impact the entire technology industry.

Due to the explosive demand for artificial intelligence and the shortage of production capacity, the Taiwanese giant plans to increase the prices of its advanced process wafers for four consecutive years, starting on January 1, 2026.

According to industry reports, the company’s 2nm production capacity is already fully reserved until the end of 2026. The AI ​​boom, led by companies like NVIDIA, has created a supply bottleneck, forcing the manufacturer to raise costs to balance the balance between supply and demand, in addition to covering the increase in capital expenditure.

The Taiwanese giant plans to increase the prices of its advanced process wafers for four consecutive years

Rising prices and wafer shortages

Sources linked to the sector claim that the increase in prices for 2nm wafers will be a single digit percentage in 2026. However, the increase is not restricted to newer processes.

3nm lithography, widely used in current devices, also faces supply constraints and is expected to increase by around 3% next year.

Analysts indicate that although the first quarter is usually a period of seasonal slowdown, the TSMC should maintain a strong revenue momentum due to these adjustments.

The expectation is that increases will vary between 3% and 10% depending on the client and contracted volume, a necessary movement to support the expansion of factories and the hiring of specialized labor, which has become a scarce resource.

Apple dominates the 2nm queue

Apple remains the foundry’s priority customer. Reports indicate that the Cupertino company has secured more than 50% of the initial 2nm capacity for its future chips, possibly the A20 and A20 Pro.

The aggressive move leaves little room for competitors like Qualcomm and MediaTek, who may have to compete for the remaining capacity or wait for the N2P process to mature.

Apple has secured more than 50% of the initial 2nm capacity for its future chips, possibly the A20 and A20 Pro

Even with the option to migrate to Samsung and its 2nm GAA process, most large customers prefer to absorb TSMC’s higher costs. The Taiwanese manufacturer’s reliability and superior yield are still seen as non-negotiable competitive advantages, especially in the high-performance segment focused on PC Games and AI servers.

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The cost of success

The situation is unique for the hardware industry. TSMC is, in a way, “suffering from its own success”. The need to build three new facilities focused on 2nm requires an astronomical investment, and passing these costs on to customers is the way found to sustain growth.

For the end consumer, this sequence of increases in wafer prices suggests that the next generation of electronics — from smartphones to video cards — could reach the market with higher prices, maintaining the increasing price trend seen in recent years.

Fonte: Android Headlines