TSMC is aiming to manufacture cutting-edge chips in Arizona.
The United States of America and Europe are offering incentives worth billions of dollars in the hopes of convincing corporations, such as those based in Taiwan, to produce chips closer to their respective regions.
At the Tsinghua University Group Research Center in Beijing, China, on February 29, 2016, a researcher can be seen placing a semiconductor on an interface board as part of their research to design and create a semiconductor product. The image was provided by Reuters.
At the Tsinghua Unigroup research centre in Beijing, China, on February 29, 2016, a researcher instals a semiconductor on an interface board as part of the research work being done to design and create a semiconductor product.
TAIPEI: The founder of the firm, Morris Chang, stated on Monday that TSMC, a Taiwanese chipmaker, is intending to build chips with sophisticated 3-nanometer technology at its new factory in the state of Arizona in the United States. However, the plans have not been totally finalized yet.
TSMC, short for Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Ltd., is the largest contract chipmaker in the world and a significant Apple Inc. supplier. It is currently in the process of building a $12 billion plant in Arizona.
The previous year, Reuters published an article about TSMC’s plans to build additional chipmaking factories in Arizona. The article included discussions about whether its next plant should be more advanced, which could make chips with 3-nanometer technology in comparison to the slower, less efficient 5-nanometer chips that will be churned out when the facility begins production.
Chang told reporters in Taipei that the 3-nanometer facility would be placed at the same site in Arizona as the 5-nanometer plant after returning from the APEC meeting in Thailand. The conference had taken place in Thailand.
“Three-nanometer, TSMC right now has a plan, but it has not been entirely finalized,” said Chang, who has retired from TSMC but continues to have a significant amount of influence within the business as well as the wider chip industry.
“The second phase, which will take place at the same location in Arizona, is almost finished. Phase one is defined as five nanometers, and phase two as three nanometers.”
TSMC, the publicly traded company with the highest market capitalization in Asia, declined to comment and referred to a statement it made earlier this month in which it said that while it was building on a site for a potential second fab in Arizona, it had not yet made a decision about whether or not to move forward with the project.
On December 6th, the corporation will be hosting a “tool-in” ceremony in the state of Arizona.
Chang stated that he would be present, along with TSMC customers and suppliers, as well as Gina Raimondo, the Secretary of the United States Department of Commerce.
Chang further stated that Vice President Joe Biden of the United States has also been invited to the event, although he did not know if Biden will attend.
Because Taiwan is in the dominant position as a maker of chips used in technology ranging from cellphones and cars to fighter jets, there are concerns that the world is too dependent on the island. This is especially the case as China ramps up its military pressure to assert its sovereignty claims over Taiwan.
Both the United States and Europe are offering incentives worth billions of dollars in the hopes of luring companies to manufacture chips in their respective regions. In particular, the United States and Europe are courting enterprises from Taiwan.
According to Chang, people were only now becoming aware of how significant chips are.
He stated, “There are a lot of people who are jealous of Taiwan’s superb chip manufacture.” “There are a lot of people who are jealous.” “As a result, there are also a lot of people who hope to manufacture more chips in their countries for a variety of reasons, whether it is for the purpose of enhancing national security or making more money.”
In the course of his discussions at APEC, Chang revealed that “several countries asked me, can we go to their country to produce chips?”
He did not name the countries who were involved in this.
