TSMC to begin A14 (1.4nm) trial production in Q1 2027, with mass output pushed to 2028

A14 trial output set for Fab 20 in the first quarter of 2027

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) plans to begin trial production of chips built on its A14 (1.4nm) Angstrom-class process at its Fab 20 facility in Hsinchu in the first quarter of 2027, according to industry coverage of Taiwanese reporting on September 22, 2026. The company is expected to reach a comparable level of process readiness to Intel's 14A, with Intel separately said to begin trial production of 14A as early as the first quarter of 2027. Mass production of A14 wafers is not expected before 2028, keeping the trial stage as a precursor to full commercial output.

Fab 25 ramp sequenced for the second and third quarters of 2027

The second Fab 25 factory in Taichung, currently under construction, will be ready to begin A14 development work by the second quarter of 2027 and to start trial production of A14 wafers by the third quarter of 2027, according to the same Taiwanese-sourced reporting. Fab 20's P3 building, which will focus on specialty advanced products, is set to receive prototypes in the first quarter of 2027, while main-stream A14 mass production is slated for the newly completed Fab 25, which is scheduled to be finished in April of next year. A14 will use second-generation GAAFET transistor structures and the NanoFlex Pro architecture, with A13 and A12 follow-on nodes planned for 2029.

3nm capacity scales as AI demand lifts output to a new high

TSMC's 3nm output is projected to reach 180,000 silicon wafers per month in the fourth quarter of 2026 and to exceed 200,000 wafers per month in the following quarter, the industry coverage said, citing Taiwanese reports. The expansion is being driven by AI-related demand that has pushed the node to new highs. By the end of 2026, production of 2nm products is planned to reach 100,000 silicon wafers per month, rising to 140,000 wafers per month by the end of 2027, with TSMC simultaneously expanding N2 and N3 capacity and introducing A16 and A14 for trial production.

Yield signals and customer interest in the next node

In July, company representatives said A14 development progress was better than expected, with suitable-product yield near 90% on the first prototype wafer batch and comparable defect levels on SRAM memory cells often used as process-development proxies. Strong interest in A14 has been expressed by TSMC customers including smartphone, server and PC chip makers, the report added, underscoring the strategic importance of keeping pace with Intel and Samsung at the leading edge.

What to watch next

The next verifiable milestone is the start of A14 trial production at Fab 20 in Hsinchu in the first quarter of 2027, followed by Fab 25's transition to A14 trial production in the third quarter of 2027 and the planned April 2027 completion of the Fab 25 build. Mass production timing for 2028 will be the key downstream checkpoint.