Apple Chip Supplier TSMC Plans to Build Second $12 Billion Arizona Factory
Apple chip supplier TSMC plans to build another fabrication plant in Arizona alongside the $12 billion factory it has already committed to in Phoenix, reports The Wall Street Journal.
The second plant will be located north of Phoenix and investment is expected to be roughly similar to the $12 billion the company committed to in 2020, according to people familiar with the plans who spoke to
WSJ.
The original plant was originally expected to exclusively mass-produce 5nm chips, but it is now gearing up to also produce more advanced 4nm chips with larger capacity at the facility, according to WSJ's sources. The plant is expected to start mass production in 2024.
Meanwhile, the second plant is expected to manufacture cutting edge next-generation 3nm chips, a process that Apple is rumored to be moving its custom silicon to starting with the M2 Pro or M3 chip. Both Apple's M3 chip for Macs and A17 chip for iPhone 15 Pro models are expected to be manufactured based on TSMC's enhanced 3nm process. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has said he expects the M2 Pro to be used in the 14-inch MacBook Pro, 16-inch MacBook Pro, and a high-end Mac mini.
The news about TSMC's unannounced plans follows attempts by the Biden administration to attract investments in U.S. chipmaking by offering companies billions in financial support to become established in the country. The efforts aim to counter China's tech sector ambitions and secure components considered vital to national security. The efforts were accelerated after the chip shortages in late 2020 and 2021 underlined how important semiconductors have become in the world of consumer electronics.
TSMC's main factories are located in Taiwan, but it already operates a factory in Camas, Washington, as well as design centers in Austin, Texas and San Jose, California, meaning that the second Arizona facility will be its third manufacturing site in the United States.
Popular Stories
Apple says iOS 16.4 is coming in the spring, which began this week. In his Sunday newsletter, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said the update should be released "in the next three weeks or so," meaning a public release is likely in late March or early April.
iOS 16.4 remains in beta testing and introduces a handful of new features and changes for the iPhone. Below, we have recapped five new features ...
As previously rumored, the next-generation iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max will feature a unified volume button and a mute button, according to leaked CAD images shared in a video on the Chinese version of TikTok and posted to Twitter by ShrimpApplePro.
Instead of separate buttons for volume up and volume down, the iPhone 15 Pro models are expected to have a single elongated button for...
The iOS 16.4 update that is set to be released to the public in the near future includes voice isolation for cellular calls, according to notes that Apple shared today.
Apple says that Voice Isolation will prioritize your voice and block out the ambient noise around you, making for clearer phone calls where you can better hear the person you're chatting with and vice versa.
Voice...
The iOS 16.4 release candidate version that was provided to developers today appears to hint at a new set of AirPods that could be coming in the near future. According to @aaronp613, the beta features references to AirPods that have a model number of A3048 and an AirPods case with a model number of A2968.
There have been no rumors that new AirPods are on the horizon, and it is early for...
Nothing today announced the launch of its second-generation wireless earbuds, the Nothing Ear (2), which offer many of the same features as Apple's AirPods Pro 2 at a lower price point. We went hands-on with the Ear (2) earbuds to see whether they're a viable alternative to the AirPods Pro 2 for those who want to save some cash.
The Ear (2) earbuds are the successor to the Nothing Ear (1),...
Apple today seeded the release candidate versions of upcoming iOS 16.4 and iPadOS 16.4 updates to developers for testing purposes, with the software coming a week after the launch of the fourth betas. The RCs mark the final version of the software that will be provided to the public in the near future. Registered developers are able to download the iOS 16.4 and iPadOS 16.4 updates...
Apple is tracking the attendance of its employees at offices using badge records in order to ensure they are coming in at least three times a week, according to Platformer's Zoë Schiffer.
Since April 2022, Apple employees have been operating on a hybrid home/office work policy as part of a gradual return strategy following the pandemic, with staff required to work from the office at least...
While the iPhone 15 series is still around six months away from launching, there have already been plenty of rumors about the devices. Many new features and changes have been rumored for the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max in particular.
Below, we have recapped 10 changes rumored for iPhone 15 Pro models that are not expected to be available on the standard iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus:A1...
Top Rated Comments
(Yes the chip is produced in Taiwan but still)
Provided they can get enough neon required to actually make the chips. I have read that:
:( Ukraine produces 90% of the semiconductor-grade neon used by the U.S.
:( Some 45%-54% of the world’s semiconductor grade neon, critical for the lasers used to make chips, comes from two Ukrainian companies, Ingas and Cryoin, both of which shuttered their operations earlier this year.
Not only has Ukraine fed many of its neighboring countries with its wheat production...now we have chip-grade neon on the other side of the spectrum. Globalized supply chains are as complicated as they are vulnerable. Let's hope TMSC (and Intel, for that matter), can get the raw materials they need to actually run those plants.