Apple’s A17 is TSMC’s first large-scale OEM product on the 3nm process node. Instead of opting for the conventional wafer procurement method, Apple has chosen the finished product procurement method where payment is exclusively made for the qualified chips on the wafer. Does this mean that while Apple chips progress towards cutting-edge technology, TSMC has to bear the risk of defective products alone?

Eric Bouche, Founder and CEO of Silicon Valley Research Initiative. Approximately 40 years in the semiconductor industry, worked at NXP, TSMC, and KLA, expertise in wafer fabs and equipment companies.