Taiwan's Environmental Review Committee gave its approval for Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. to move ahead with construction of a wafer fabrication facility that will make microchips with 2-nanometer features, while the government's Investment Commission allowed the giant foundry to proceed with its proposed expansion of the TSMC fab in Nanjing, China. Separately, TSMC reports that heavy rainstorms and flooding over the weekend did not disrupt production at the company's fab in Tainan.
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Taiwan's Environmental Review Committee gave its approval for Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. to move ahead with construction of a wafer fabrication facility that will make microchips with 2-nanometer features, while the government's Investment Commission allowed the giant foundry to proceed with its proposed expansion of the TSMC fab in Nanjing, China. Separately, TSMC reports that heavy rainstorms and flooding over the weekend did not disrupt production at the company's fab in Tainan.
The US is lobbying Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. over the foundry's plans to expand its 12-inch wafer fabrication facility in Nanjing, China, industry sources say. While TSMC says the fab expansion is to boost production of automotive components, the US government sees the move as part of efforts to make China less reliant on overseas chip vendors, those sources note.
The 8-inch wafer fabrication facility that Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. will reportedly construct in Tainan will be handling orders for automotive semiconductors from STMicroelectronics and other foundry customers, industry sources say. Sources also contend that IC design houses in China are directing their orders for 5G, artificial intelligence and internet of things microchips to TSMC, which can make those devices with a 7-nanometer process.
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. on Wednesday officially opened its new 12-inch wafer fabrication facility in Nanjing, China, with Chairman Mark Liu and Chief Financial Officer Lora Ho on hand for the ceremony. TSMC's Fab 16 is turning out 10,000 12-inch wafers per month, with plans to increase output to 15,000 wafers a month by the end of next year and shipping 20,000 wafers each month in 2020.
Morris Chang, founder and chairman of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., announced his plan to retire in June. Co-CEO Mark Liu will succeed him as chairman, while co-CEO C.C. Wei will have the CEO post to himself in the succession. Meanwhile, TSMC said it will go ahead with construction of a $15.7 billion wafer fabrication facility in Taiwan's Tainan Science Park, capable of making chips with 3-nanometer features.