Apple outsources post-processing of semiconductors made at TSMC Arizona factory to Amkor and plans to build a new factory worth 300 billion yen

The world's largest semiconductor foundry ``TSMC'' is building a new factory in Arizona, USA, and Apple has promised to ask the TSMC Arizona factory to manufacture semiconductors. It has recently been revealed that Apple has strengthened its partnership with Amkor and started construction plans for a new factory that will handle the back-end processing of semiconductors manufactured at the TSMC Arizona factory.

Apple announces partnership expanded with Amkor for silicon packaging - Apple
https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2023/11/apple-announces-expanded-partnership-with-amkor-for-silicon-packaging/

Amkor Announces US Advanced Packaging and Test Facility | Amkor Technology
https://ir.amkor.com/news-releases/news-release-details/amkor-announces-us-advanced-packaging-and-test-facility

TSMC, which is based in Taiwan, is proceeding with plans to build new factories in Japan , the United States , and Germany . Among them, the factory currently under construction in Arizona, USA, is scheduled to manufacture cutting-edge 4nm and 3nm semiconductors, and Apple , which is known as a major customer of TSMC, has decided to manufacture its own designed semiconductors at the TSMC Arizona factory. I promise.

TSMC announces plans to build a 3nm semiconductor factory in Arizona, and Apple CEO Tim Cook declares that ``Apple silicon will be manufactured in Arizona'' - GIGAZINE

The semiconductor manufacturing process is divided into the ``front-end process,'' in which circuits are formed on silicon wafers, and the ``back-end process,'' in which the silicon wafer is cut into pieces and chips are assembled, and TSMC is in charge of the front-end process. In a new move, Apple announced that it will outsource the post-processing of semiconductors manufactured at the TSMC Arizona factory to Amkor.

Amkor is planning to invest approximately $2 billion (approximately 300 billion yen) to build a new semiconductor packaging factory to handle the back-end processing of semiconductors manufactured at the TSMC Arizona factory. The factory is scheduled to be the largest outsourced packaging factory in the United States, and is expected to employ approximately 2,000 people when it starts operating.

In 2021, Apple announced a plan to ``invest $430 billion (approximately 64 trillion yen) in the American economy over five years.'' Apple is positioning this strengthened partnership with Amkor as part of its plan, and says, ``With spending and capital investment in American suppliers, the plan is on pace to achieve its goals.''

In addition, TSMC's original plan was to start manufacturing 4nm semiconductors at its Arizona factory in 2024, but due to a lack of personnel, the start of 4nm semiconductor manufacturing has been postponed to 2025.

TSMC's Arizona factory, which aims to manufacture iPhones and AI chips, postpones production start date due to ``labor shortage'' - GIGAZINE