Semiconductor giant Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (TSMC, TSMC) announced on December 29 that it has started mass production of the world's most cutting-edge semiconductor "3nm products" at a new factory in Taiwan. Processing performance is 10-15% higher than previous products, and it is expected to be used in servers and smartphones. TSMC plans to mass-produce its new factory in the United States in 2026, and its base in Taiwan will be 4 years ahead.
On the same day, a commemorative ceremony for the start of mass production was held at the new factory in Tainan City, southern Taiwan. Chairman Liu Deyin, who is the head of operations, said that TSMC will invest heavily in Taiwan to maintain its technological leadership.
TSMC announced on December 6 that at the invitation of the U.S. government, which promotes investment in semiconductor factories, it will build a new factory for 3nm products in Arizona, the western United States. The factory plans to start mass production in 2026, and TSMC will continue to concentrate production in Taiwan.
TSMC accounts for 90% of the world's share in cutting-edge semiconductor production, and all production is now in Taiwan. It is planned to start mass production of "2nm products" which are a generation more advanced than 3nm products in Taiwan by 2025.
Compared with the previous "5nm products", the processing performance of the 3nm products that started mass production this time has been improved by 10 to 15%, and the data processing speed of video and so on has been accelerated. Power consumption is reduced by 30 to 35%, which can improve the standby time of smartphones and the like.
Due to the impact of China's economic slowdown and other factors, the semiconductor industry has been in a destocking situation since the summer of 2022. TSMC also lowered its equipment investment forecast for the full year of 2022 by about 10% to US$36 billion in October. However, it has maintained a positive attitude towards investment in cutting-edge fields that hold the key to competitiveness.
