Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電), the world’s biggest contract chipmaker, yesterday held an equipment installation ceremony for its first 2-nanometer fab in Kaohsiung, six months ahead of schedule, Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chi-mai (陳其邁) said.
“To cope with the strong global demand for advanced chips, TSMC is to start moving in equipment for its first-ever 2-nanometer fab half a year earlier than scheduled,” Chen said at an question-and-answer session at the Kaohsiung City Council.
TSMC’s 2-nanometer process technology would help accelerate the development of artificial intelligence (AI) applications as well as the transformation of local industries in Kaohsiung, Chen said in a statement released by the city government.
Photo: Lee Hui-chou, Taipei Times
Chen, who attended the TSMC ceremony, said the chipmaker plans to build four more fabs in Kaohsiung.
Aside from TSMC, many semiconductor-related material, equipment and parts suppliers have set up operations in the city, he said.
Together with TSMC’s 3-nanometer and 5-nanometer fabs, the southern part of Taiwan would create the most valuable semiconductor clusters in the world, Chen said.
TSMC, based in Hsinchu, yesterday reiterated that its 2-nanometer technology development is progressing well with device performance and yield on track or ahead of plan.
The chipmaker said in an e-mail to the Taipei Times that it is on track for volume production next year.
TSMC is also building a 2-nanometer chip production line in Hsinchu.
TSMC chairman and CEO C.C.Wei (魏哲家) told investors last month that demand for the new technology was “more than we ever dreamed about.”
“We are seeing more demand for 2-nanometer than 3-nanometer capacity,” he said.
Demand for A16 is also “very high” for AI server chip production, “so we are working very hard to prepare both 2-nanometer and A16 capacities.”
The 2-nanometer chips would be primarily used in smartphones and high-performance computing applications, the company said.
Apple Inc and Micro Devices Inc are likely to be among the first adopters of TSMC’s 2-nanometer chips.
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