TSMC wanted to start building its 2nm chip production facility this year. An ambition that could well be thwarted!
The Taiwanese giant is the undisputed leader in high-performance chips, being one of the few capable of producing 3nm chips. And TSMC wants to keep moving forward by quickly bringing a 2nm chip factory into the world. Except that not everything goes as planned.
A water problem?
TSMC had a simple plan to mass-produce chips engraved in 2 nm from 2025. The foundry had to start operations this year and launch the construction of a first factory dedicated to this activity in the city of Taichung. This should not ultimately take place, if we are to believe the boss of the agency in charge of the country’s scientific and technological infrastructures.
For what ? Well, it seems that the paperwork related to the electricity and water needs of this site has dragged on. Thus, even if the municipality gave its agreement, and the Ministry of the Economy followed quickly, to allow the necessary resource allocations, the project could not start in 2023.
Samsung in ambush
The question of pure water is particularly important, the activity of producing chips being very consuming of the latter. In the past, for example, TSMC had to face a drought situation in Taiwan and order water tankers to be able to continue its production. At this time, it’s unclear whether this delay will impact mass production scheduled for 2025.
This problem could also make the business of TSMC’s main competitor in the field, namely Samsung. The South Korean giant also aims to bring 2 nm chips to market within two years. These will first equip smartphones and tablets before finding their place the following year (2026) in high-performance computing, and one year later (2027) in the automotive world.
Source : Wccftech
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