TSMC Unveils New Chip Manufacturing Technology: A16, to Enhance AI Speed

In a major announcement during a conference in Santa Clara, California, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC) announced that it will start production on a new chip manufacturing technology called “A16” in the second half of 2026. The company’s co-Chief Operating Officer Y.J. Mii highlighted that this technology will enable power delivery to computing chips from the backside of the chip, which will enhance the speed of artificial intelligence chips.

The development has been a key area of competition between TSMC and its U.S. rival Intel in the chip manufacturing industry. TSMC is known as the world’s largest contract manufacturer of chips, catering to clients such as Nvidia. The company currently produces the fastest chips in the world. However, Intel made a statement in March claiming that it anticipates surpassing TSMC in chip speed with its “14A” technology in 2026. This announcement has stirred up the competition between the two major players in the chip market.

Intel is no stranger to making bold claims about its technological capabilities, but TSMC has been quick to counter these claims with its own innovations. For example, earlier this year, TSMC announced that it had successfully produced a 3nm chip using its cutting-edge process technology, beating Intel’s own 3nm efforts by several months.

Overall, the technological advancements in chip manufacturing are driving fierce competition in the industry as companies strive to deliver faster and more efficient chips to meet the growing demands of consumers and businesses