Dec 02, 2022 13:00:00

TSMC's Arizona new factory will switch to 4nm process instead of 5nm in response to requests from Apple etc.

by

Lee Jilin

TSMC's semiconductor manufacturing plant under construction in Arizona, USA, initially announced that semiconductors would be manufactured in the 5nm process, but in response to requests from Apple, AMD, and NVIDIA, TSMC changed the production line to the 4nm process. Bloomberg reports that it has switched.

TSMC Plans to Make More Advanced Chips in US at Urging of Apple - Bloomberg
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-12-01/tsmc-plans-to-make-more-advanced-chips-in-us-at-urging-of-apple

Apple To Get 4nm Chips From TSMC's Arizona Plant in 2024
https://wccftech.com/apple-to-get-4nm-chips-from-tsmcs-arizona-plant-in-2024/

TSMC has announced plans to build a new factory in Arizona on June 1, 2021, and is proceeding with construction toward operation in 2024. Initially, TSMC planned to set up a production line for the 5nm process used in the iPhone 12 series, etc., but according to Bloomberg, TSMC, at the request of Apple and other major customers, changed this to a more precise 4nm process. The plan is to switch. A source familiar with TSMC's affairs said the information is likely to be officially released at TSMC's ceremony on December 6, 2022.

Fabless companies such as Apple, AMD and NVIDIA rely heavily on TSMC's chip manufacturing capabilities. The new plant in Arizona was originally supposed to produce 20,000 wafers per month, but officials said it could be more than originally planned. It seems that Apple will use one-third of the wafers produced. Apple installed a 5nm process A15 Bionic chip in the iPhone 14 released in 2022, but since the iPhone 14 Pro series was equipped with a 4nm process A16 Bionic chip, the 4nm process will be the mainstream in the future, and TSMC will do so. It has been pointed out that the possibility of asking for the cooperation of According to officials, a second factory to manufacture more advanced 3nm chips will also be added nearby.

Supply chain disruptions, trade tensions with China, and China's push to dominate Taiwan's growing technology are fueling efforts to expand manufacturing to the United States and Europe. In particular, the United States will enact the CHIPS and Science Act (CHIPS Act) to encourage the construction of semiconductor manufacturing plants in the country, prepare subsidies, and provide billions of dollars (hundreds of billions of yen) to TSMC. It is said.

However, it is reported that TSMC is struggling to secure personnel for the new factory in Arizona due to the salary that can not be said to be high and Taiwan's strict labor system.

Prediction that China will be forced to requisition TSMC if US sanctions continue - GIGAZINE