Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), the world’s largest semiconductor foundry, has announced it will build a 5-nanometer (nm) 12-inch wafer fab in the US state of Arizona.
The economics ministry said TSMC sent in an application in November and the state should respond around February next year. If approved, the project will be considered Taiwan’s biggest overseas investment in the last eight years.
TSMC has plans to invest US$3.5 billion into the project. With the current restructuring of global supply chains, TSMC’s decision to build a factory in the US is a landmark move.
TSMC is also planning to open a new research-and-development (R&D) center in Hsinchu next year to develop 2-nanometer (nm) technology to maintain its technology leadership.
The company’s fourth quarter market share is expected to reach 55.6%, securing the company status as the world’s leading chipmaker.
TSMC has two wafer fabs in China, in the cities of Shanghai and Nanjing.