Apple and Nvidia will be the first customers of TSMC’s US factory
In 2020, TSMC decided to build a new fab in Arizona, USA, worth about $12 billion. The fab is currently under construction and is expected to be put into operation in 2024. The initial production capacity target is about 20,000 wafers per month (WSPM), and the process node is 5nm, which includes N5, N5P, N4, N4P, and N4X processes.
According to Nikkei Asia, Apple will be the primary customer of TSMC’s U.S. plant, followed by Nvidia, and both companies plan to place orders at the fab and increase orders proportionally as their capacity expands. In order to meet the needs of customers, TSMC is likely to introduce more advanced manufacturing processes, such as 3nm process nodes, while doubling its production to 40,000 wafers per month.
There are rumors that TSMC has related expansion plans for its wafer fab in Arizona, and will eventually build six fabs with a total investment of about $35 billion and a production capacity of 100,000 wafers per month. Apple and Nvidia are not the only ones that need advanced technology to support their product lines. AMD is also one of TSMC’s major customers. The rapid development in the past few years is inseparable from TSMC’s semiconductor technology which is ahead of Intel. It is reported that AMD is interested in placing an order at TSMC’s U.S. factory, and it may follow up in the future.
