Silicon Wafer Price by Node (TSMC 300mm) — Historical Time Series Data
Silicon wafer prices by node: 300mm TSMC wafers across 15 nodes, 65nm to A16 — 15 years of flat costs, then a ~133% structural break driven by EUV economics and pricing power.
Silicon Wafer Price by Node (TSMC 300mm) — latest readings
15 data points across 1 series, covering 90nm (2004) to A16 (2026+). Values below are free; the full point-level history is available with Pro.
| Series | Period | Latest ($/wafer) | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| TSMC | 3nm (2024) | $20,000 | +5.3% versus 4nm (2023) |
Silicon Wafer Price by Node (TSMC 300mm)
Silicon wafer prices by node: 300mm TSMC wafers across 15 nodes, 65nm to A16 — 15 years of flat costs, then a ~133% structural break driven by EUV economics and pricing power.
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Data Table
| Period | Series | Value |
|---|---|---|
90nm (2004) | TSMC | ••• |
65nm (2008) | TSMC | ••• |
40nm (2010) | TSMC | ••• |
28nm (2014) | TSMC | ••• |
20nm (2014) | TSMC | ••• |
16nm (2015) | TSMC | ••• |
10nm (2016) | TSMC | ••• |
7nm (2018) | TSMC | ••• |
12nm (2018) | TSMC | ••• |
6nm (2019) | TSMC | ••• |
5nm (2020) | TSMC | $17,000 |
4nm (2023) | TSMC | $19,000 |
3nm (2024) | TSMC | $20,000 |
2nm (2025–26)P | TSMC | ••• |
A16 (2026+)P | TSMC | ••• |
Methodology & Sources
Sources: Tom's Hardware (Bajarin/Creative Strategies), Morgan Stanley, SemiAnalysis, HWCooling.net, EE Times Asia. TSMC does not disclose pricing; all figures are analyst estimates. Volume discounts of 15–30% apply for Apple, NVIDIA, AMD at scale.
Citations:
- Tom's Hardware / HWCooling.net (Jun 2025)
- VLSI Research historical estimates / academic literature (Mar 2026)
- IBS historical node data / TechInsights estimates (Mar 2026)
- Tom's Hardware (Bajarin) (Jan 2025)
- IBS / SemiWiki estimates 2014 (Mar 2026)
- HWCooling.net / IBS (Jun 2025)
- HWCooling.net (Jun 2025)
- CEST model / HWCooling.net (Jun 2025)
- Industry consensus 2018 (Mar 2026)
- Industry consensus / Silicon Analysts (Mar 2026)
- Tom's Hardware / DigiTimes (Nov 2022)
- Tom's Hardware / Morgan Stanley (Jan 2025)
- EE Times Asia / HWCooling.net (Nov 2025)
- Tom's Hardware / China Times (Jun 2025)
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Frequently Asked Questions
- How much does a TSMC 3nm wafer cost?
- A TSMC N3/N3E wafer costs approximately $19,500–21,000 as of 2024–2025. This represents a roughly 20% increase over the 5nm node ($16,000–18,000). TSMC does not publicly disclose pricing; these are analyst estimates from Morgan Stanley and TrendForce.
- Why have TSMC wafer prices increased so much?
- TSMC wafer prices have risen from $2,000 at 90nm (2004) to $20,000+ at 3nm (2024) due to increasing process complexity, EUV lithography requirements, and TSMC’s near-monopoly on leading-edge logic. The 2nm node is expected to cost $28,000–30,000 per wafer.
- Does TSMC offer volume discounts on wafer pricing?
- Yes. Large customers like Apple, NVIDIA, and AMD receive volume discounts estimated at 15–30% below list pricing. These are negotiated through long-term agreements (LTAs) with capacity commitments.