Apple has begun mass production of its next-generation M5 chip, according to South Korean media, with the processor expected to arrive in devices potentially as soon as this year.
ET News reports that Apple began packaging the M5 chip last month. Packaging is the final step in semiconductor manufacturing after fabrication, and involves the process of protecting the chip and enabling electrical connections with other devices or components.
Apple outsources to TSMC the front-end manufacturing phase of fabricating the chips on silicon wafers. Now that fabrication is underway, the packaging is being handled by OSAT (Outsourced Semiconductor Assembly and Test) companies including Taiwan’s ASE Group, America’s Amkor, and China’s JCET. According to the report, ASE was the first to begin mass production, while Amkor and JCET are expected to follow sequentially.
Read more at MacRumors.com