TSMC begins pilot production of 1.4nm A14 chips ahead of 2028 mass output

September 24, 2026 at 11:01 PM2 min

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TSMC has started pilot production of chips on its 1.4nm-class A14 process at facilities in Hsinchu Science Park and Central Taiwan Science Park. The company is validating equipment and processes ahead of mass production planned for 2028. The pilot launch comes earlier than previously expected, with initial customers including Apple, AMD, and Nvidia.

Key Facts

TSMC's A14 process is expected to deliver 15% higher speed at the same power or 30% lower power at the same performance compared with the 2nm N2 process.
TSMC is building four A14 fabs in Central Taiwan Science Park, with the first scheduled for completion by April 2027 and total investment estimated at $49 billion.
A single 1.4nm wafer is expected to cost about $35,000, slightly above the $33,000 price of a 2nm wafer after recent increases.
Samsung plans to begin commercial use of its 1.4nm process only in 2029, trailing TSMC's 2028 mass production target.
TSMC says yield ramp for A14 is ahead of the original schedule, and mass production could begin at one site as early as late 2027.

Pilot Production Launch

TSMC has started pilot production of chips on its A14 process, which corresponds to the 1.4nm class, at facilities in Hsinchu Science Park and Central Taiwan Science Park, where Fab 25 is located. At this stage, TSMC is checking equipment and production processes before moving to larger-scale output. Earlier reports had suggested trial production of A14 might begin only in April 2027, tied to the commissioning of new capacity. The new information indicates that preliminary technology development has started considerably earlier than those forecasts.

Technology and Performance

The A14 process will use second-generation gate-all-around transistors and the NanoFlex Pro architecture. TSMC will not adopt High-NA EUV lithography for A14 and will continue using existing EUV equipment. Compared with the 2nm process, A14 chips promise 15% higher speed at the same power or 30% lower energy consumption at the same performance. TSMC expects A14 to be the next major step after the 2nm N2 process, with a performance gain of 10–15% at the same power or a 25–30% power reduction at the same speed.

Customers and Competition

Apple, AMD, Broadcom, and Nvidia have begun reserving capacity for the 1.4nm process, driven by demand from the artificial intelligence boom. Apple is rumored to plan its first 1.4nm processor, the A22 Pro, for 2028. Samsung, TSMC's main competitor, plans to begin commercial use of its 1.4nm process only in 2029. TSMC is building four fabs in Central Taiwan Science Park for A14, with the first expected to be ready by April 2027 and total investment estimated at $49 billion.