Backside line: That isn’t a typo: a 2nm-capable fab might price round $28 billion. In reality, prices all through the 2nm improvement and manufacturing course of will likely be elevated because the instruments will likely be extra advanced and the expertise wanted will likely be costlier. One saving grace is perhaps AI-enabled EDA instruments that may streamline processes and assist scale back prices.

A 2nm-capable semiconductor fabrication plant that has a capability of fifty,000 wafer begins per 30 days, or WSPM, will price round $28 billion, in response to consulting agency IBS. That’s $8 billion greater than the associated fee for a 3nm fab and only one illustration of the exponentially larger bills that corporations can anticipate because the business strikes to the following technology of chips.

To be exact, 2nm chip prices will rise round 50% in comparison with 3nm processors, IBS says, which means that firms akin to Apple must spend $30,000 to course of a single 300mm wafer utilizing TSMC’s N2 fabrication course of when it’s launched within the subsequent few years. Probably, although, there may be some wiggle room in these numbers, doubtlessly bringing down the anticipated excessive price of those chips.

There are in actual fact quite a few approaches that semiconductor firms can take and an array of design selections they will make throughout the pre-construction, building, and operations phases that may materially alter the ultimate price of the fab.

Additionally learn: How CPUs are Designed and Constructed

To make certain, the prices of chip improvement are nothing to scoff at. Software program improvement alone accounts for $314 million and verification is one other $154 million, IBS figures present. Additionally, designing chips on the 2nm node requires specialised expertise, which is in brief provide. Then there may be additionally the elevated use of photolithography, a course of used to create the patterns on a chip’s floor.

The smaller the options on a chip, the extra exact the photolithography course of must be, thus driving up the price of the gear and the supplies used within the course of. And that 2nm-capable fab that may clock in at $28 billion? Driving the $8 billion price differential is the elevated variety of EUV litho instruments required to keep up a 50,000 WSPM capability.

However even IBS acknowledges that there are nuances behind such figures and the evolving panorama of chip design. It has estimated that it might price an organization $725 million to construct a large 2nm chip from scratch. However that’s by an organization with out pre-existing mental property and the fact is many semiconductor firms, significantly startups, pursue extra environment friendly methods.

IBS additionally factors out that the function of AI-enabled EDA instruments is changing into more and more essential in chip design, streamlining processes and decreasing prices by automating advanced design processes and optimizing chip efficiency.