Apple Starts Mass Production of M5 Chip: Here's What's New [Report]
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Posted February 5, 2025 at 4:00pm by iClarified
Mass production of Apple's next-generation M5 chip for Mac and iPad has already begun, according to a new report from ETNews. The chip will allegedly adopt new process technology to enhance artificial intelligence (AI) performance.
According to industry sources on the 5th, Apple began packaging the M5 chip last month. Packaging is the process of protecting the semiconductor die and enabling electrical connections with other components or devices. Apple entrusted Taiwan's TSMC with the front-end production of the M5 chip, which involves implementing the chip's circuitry. Now that the semiconductor dies have been manufactured, packaging firms (OSAT) have started turning them into final products.
The M5 chip packaging is being handled by Taiwan's ASE, U.S.-based Amkor, and China's JCET. ASE was the first to begin mass production, with Amkor and JCET expected to follow sequentially.
The first batch of M5 chips is likely the standard model. Like previous generations, Apple is expected to introduce Standard, Pro, Max, and Ultra versions of the chip. Packaging firms are reportedly investing in additional facilities to prepare for the upcoming mass production of high-end variants as well.
"Orders for equipment needed to scale up M5 production continue to be placed," said an insider. "Now that full-scale production has begun, the chip will be sequentially integrated into upcoming Apple devices."
Here's a look at some of the key features expected for Apple's M5 chip...
Apple M5 Chip: Key Features • 3nm N3P Process – Built on TSMC's 3nm node, delivering 5–10% better power efficiency and 5% performance gains over M4. • Advanced Packaging – M5 Pro and higher models adopt TSMC's SoIC-MH packaging, vertically stacking chips to improve thermal management and performance. • Hybrid Bonding – Uses copper-based hybrid bonding for direct wafer connections, with Besi supplying the bonding equipment. • Femtosecond Laser Grooving – First Apple chip to use femtosecond laser technology for chip grooving (cutting), minimizing damage and contamination to enhance yield and quality (EO Technics supplies the equipment). • Improved Semiconductor Substrate – The substrate for mounting the M5 on a device's mainboard has been upgraded. • Enhanced ABF (Ajinomoto Build-up Film) – Circuit layering material has seen significant improvements, with Ajinomoto supplying a thinner, larger-area stackable ABF for the M5 chip.
The next-generation iPad Pro is expected to be the first device to feature the M5 chip, after which it be rolled out to Apple's MacBook and Mac desktop models.