TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) unveiled plans on Tuesday (Dec. 6) to build a second semiconductor plant in Arizona, U.S., to produce more technically advanced 4-nanometer chips.
U.S. President Joe Biden attended the "tool in" ceremony in Arizona on Tuesday as TSMC and tech giants alike celebrated the arrival of the latest equipment. The first equipment was symbolically moved onto the shop floor of the new facility during the ceremony.
The two big announcements were well-received, and the first 4-nanometer chips will be produced in 2024 in the first facility.
Meanwhile, Taiwan's largest semiconductor company also upped its investment in Arizona to US＄40 billion with its latest plans to build a second fab in 2026 to make 3-nanometer chips. This marks the largest foreign direct investment in the history of the U.S.
At the ceremony, tech giant leaders Apple CEO Tim Cook and Micron Technology chief executive Sanjay Mehrotra were also in attendance to witness the historic moment. Speaking at the event, Cook pointed out that the presence of the President Biden indicated the significance of the ceremony.
With the new plans in place, the two fabs are scheduled to produce more than 600,000 wafers per year and are set to meet the U.S. annual demand.
