TSMC to produce chips for the next-gen Apple iPhone's fingerprint sensor during Q2?

Sure, the Apple iPhone 5s and TouchID are both only about 4 months old, but already there is talk about chips for the next-gen model. A published report on Tuesday cites industry sources as saying that TSMC will be producing the silicon for the next iPhone's fingerprint sensor. According to the sources, TSMC is going to start producing these chips sometime in the second quarter.

The chips are expected to be produced at TSMC's 12 inch fab using a 65nm process. And to make sure yields remain high, TSMC will handle in-house the backend wafer level-chip scale packaging. Previously, the silicon slinger had the packaging done by a subcontractor.

The Taiwan based chip manufacturer has been producing the fingerprint sensor chip for the Apple iPhone 5s at its 8 inch fab and has outsourced the backend to companies like Xintec, China Wafer Level CSP and Advanced Semiconductor Engineering. And starting in the third quarter, TSMC will start producing application processors for Apple, using a 20nm process. Back last May, we passed along the rumor that TSMC would be responsible for 100% of these chips for the next-gen iPhone, knocking Apple rival Samsung out of the picture.

source: DigiTimes

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