The Taiwanese company TSMC continues to invest in innovation: after starting production tests on 3nm chips, it is already planning the arrival of the 2-nanometer process for 2025. The company, which supplies some of the world’s leading hardware manufacturers (including Apple), will even build a second factory in Taichung just for the purpose.
TSMC will build 2-nanometer chips from 2025
The investment in semiconductor development is economically important. According to Taichung Mayor Shiow-Yen Lu, the cost of a plant like the one TSMC wants to build at Zhonke Park comes to a trillion dollars (32.1 billion euros). But the payback could be huge. Especially given the current shortage of chips, which allows those who produce semiconductors to exercise greater economic power.
However, Taiwanese city officials are hesitant about the environmental impact of the factory construction, despite all the money and money that could flow into the area. TSMC CEO Dr. CC Wei then met with the mayor to try to explain the impact of the factory, with the mayor who highlighted the importance of using renewable energy sources.
On the left Dr. CC Wei and on the right Mayor Shiow-Yen Lu
TSMC however explains that the dialogue with the mayor was an institutional courtesy and that the construction plans of the factory are already underway.
TSMC’s main 2-nanometer chip manufacturing facility will be a Hsinchu. According to the calculations, the factory will use one hundred thousand cubic meters of water a day for chip building: A single processor requires up to 40 gallons of water to manufacture.
Both factories will start semiconductor manufacturing with 2nm process by 2025. Meanwhile, TSMC will move from 4nm to 3nm manufacturing, with production of this new generation of chips increasing in the second half of 2022.