Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) founder Morris Chang (張忠謀) yesterday confirmed that the company plans to produce its most advanced 3-nanometer chips in the US as part of the company’s phase 2 plan at its plant in Phoenix, Arizona.
The 91-year-old entrepreneur, who has been appointed as Taiwan’s envoy to APEC six times, yesterday morning held a news conference at the Presidential Office Building to discuss his delegation’s accomplishments at this year’s APEC Economic Leaders’ Week in Bangkok, which ended on Saturday.
He was asked whether TSMC has plans to build advanced chips in the US.
Photo: Tien Yu-hua, Taipei Times
“TSMC’s plant in Arizona is to produce 5-nanometer chips, which comprise the most advanced chip design in the US now, but the company is able to produce 3-nanometer chips, which is its newest technology,” Chang said.
Asked whether TSMC plans to produce 3-nanometer chips in the US, Chang said: “Yes, after it begins producing 5-nanometer chips.”
“The phase 1 plan at the Phoenix plant is to manufacture 5-nanometer chips and the production of 3-nanometer chips would be in phase 2,” he added.
Photo: Tien Yu-hua, Taipei Times
Chang said that he and his wife plan to attend a ceremony in Phoenix on Dec. 6 to launch chip manufacturing at the plant, adding that US President Joe Biden and US Secretary of Commerce Gina Marie Raimondo have been invited to the ceremony.
“We are not sure if President Biden will attend, but the secretary is scheduled to attend the ceremony in Phoenix,” he said.
Representatives from the company’s customers and suppliers, along with US lawmakers, would also be present, Chang said.
Chang was also asked about Dutch chipmaker ASML Holding NV’s plan to operate a semiconductor machinery plant in New Taipei City, and whether it constitutes an example of global diversification in chip production.
“Many countries have only begun to realize that chips are essential products, and envy and admire Taiwan for having such products and technology. During the APEC forum, I was approached by quite a few representatives inquiring about whether TSMC could produce chips in their countries,” Chang said.
He did not say which countries made the inquiries, saying only that “it is impossible for TSMC to have chip production plants in so many different places.”
Reporters also asked Chang about his encounter with Chinese President Xi Jingping (習近平) in Bangkok, where he reportedly congratulated Xi for securing a third term at the Chinese Communist Party’s 20th National Party Congress.
Chang said it was his personal comment and he did not discuss it with the Presidential Office prior to his meeting with Xi.
“The only instruction from the Presidential Office was that I do not have to avoid meeting him [Xi] or greeting him if the opportunity presents itself. As to congratulating President Xi for his achievement at the National Party Congress, that was just my own sentiment,” he said.
National Security Council Deputy Secretary-General Hsu Szu-chien (徐斯儉) said President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) respects the way that Chang chose to interact with Xi.
The CIA has a message for Chinese government officials worried about their place in Chinese President Xi Jinping’s (習近平) government: Come work with us. The agency released two Mandarin-language videos on social media on Thursday inviting disgruntled officials to contact the CIA. The recruitment videos posted on YouTube and X racked up more than 5 million views combined in their first day. The outreach comes as CIA Director John Ratcliffe has vowed to boost the agency’s use of intelligence from human sources and its focus on China, which has recently targeted US officials with its own espionage operations. The videos are “aimed at
STEADFAST FRIEND: The bills encourage increased Taiwan-US engagement and address China’s distortion of UN Resolution 2758 to isolate Taiwan internationally The Presidential Office yesterday thanked the US House of Representatives for unanimously passing two Taiwan-related bills highlighting its solid support for Taiwan’s democracy and global participation, and for deepening bilateral relations. One of the bills, the Taiwan Assurance Implementation Act, requires the US Department of State to periodically review its guidelines for engagement with Taiwan, and report to the US Congress on the guidelines and plans to lift self-imposed limitations on US-Taiwan engagement. The other bill is the Taiwan International Solidarity Act, which clarifies that UN Resolution 2758 does not address the issue of the representation of Taiwan or its people in
SHIFT: Taiwan’s better-than-expected first-quarter GDP and signs of weakness in the US have driven global capital back to emerging markets, the central bank head said The central bank yesterday blamed market speculation for the steep rise in the local currency, and urged exporters and financial institutions to stay calm and stop panic sell-offs to avoid hurting their own profitability. The nation’s top monetary policymaker said that it would step in, if necessary, to maintain order and stability in the foreign exchange market. The remarks came as the NT dollar yesterday closed up NT$0.919 to NT$30.145 against the US dollar in Taipei trading, after rising as high as NT$29.59 in intraday trading. The local currency has surged 5.85 percent against the greenback over the past two sessions, central
US Indo-Pacific Commander Admiral Samuel Paparo on Friday expressed concern over the rate at which China is diversifying its military exercises, the Financial Times (FT) reported on Saturday. “The rates of change on the depth and breadth of their exercises is the one non-linear effect that I’ve seen in the last year that wakes me up at night or keeps me up at night,” Paparo was quoted by FT as saying while attending the annual Sedona Forum at the McCain Institute in Arizona. Paparo also expressed concern over the speed with which China was expanding its military. While the US