Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) is expected to move in the first piece of manufacturing equipment for its first 2-nanometer fab in April, paving the way for the world’s biggest contract chipmaker to start producing 2-nanometer chips in 2025, Hsinchu Science Park (新竹科學園區) Bureau director-general Wayne Wang (王永壯) yesterday said.
TSMC’s 2-nanometer fab is in Hsinchu County’s Baoshan Township (寶山), where the science park administration is working on a second-phase development program, after it completes its first-phase program, where it houses TSMC’s new research and development center, Wang said during a ceremony celebrating the science park’s 43rd anniversary.
The infrastructure construction is proceeding smoothly, he said.
Photo: Reuters, Ann Wang
TSMC’s new 2-nanometer fab construction progress, as Wang described it, indicates that TSMC might be on track to start engineering a pilot run for its 2-nanometer technology next year, before entering a production pilot run and volume production in 2025. The chipmaker said in May that it planned to start building a second 2-nanometer fab next year in Taichung.
However, Taichung Mayor Lu Shiow-yen (盧秀燕) told reporters earlier this week that TSMC could change its mind and consider building a more advanced 1.4-nanometer fab in Taichung, as the chipmaker suffered a setback in securing land to build a 1.4-nanometer fab in the Longtan (龍潭) section of Hsinchu Science Park, amid local protests over government appropriation of privately owned land for industrial use.
TSMC did not comment on whether it has altered its new fab construction plan in Taichung.
Photo: CNA
Separately, Wang told reporters that the production value of manufacturers in Hsinchu Science Park is set to recover to its peak level starting from next year, following a tough period this year when an economic slowdown and geopolitical tensions cut production value by 19 percent annually in the first half of this year to NT$668.4 billion (US$21.38 billion).
As demand returns, the decline has shrunk to about 10 percent, Wang said. He expects the recovery to extend into 2025, fueling explosive growth in production value to a new record high from companies in the park.
Additionally, the science park bureau said that the third building of the biological technology district within the science park would be completed in the second quarter of next year. It cost more than NT$3 billion, it said.
In addition, the first building of the “X” base is to be completed in the near future, Wang said.
The “X” base is designed to be a hub for the development of emerging technologies such as precision healthcare and generative artificial intelligence.
Hon Hai Precision Industry Co (鴻海精密) yesterday said that its research institute has launched its first advanced artificial intelligence (AI) large language model (LLM) using traditional Chinese, with technology assistance from Nvidia Corp. Hon Hai, also known as Foxconn Technology Group (富士康科技集團), said the LLM, FoxBrain, is expected to improve its data analysis capabilities for smart manufacturing, and electric vehicle and smart city development. An LLM is a type of AI trained on vast amounts of text data and uses deep learning techniques, particularly neural networks, to process and generate language. They are essential for building and improving AI-powered servers. Nvidia provided assistance
DOMESTIC SUPPLY: The probe comes as Donald Trump has called for the repeal of the US$52.7 billion CHIPS and Science Act, which the US Congress passed in 2022 The Office of the US Trade Representative is to hold a hearing tomorrow into older Chinese-made “legacy” semiconductors that could heap more US tariffs on chips from China that power everyday goods from cars to washing machines to telecoms equipment. The probe, which began during former US president Joe Biden’s tenure in December last year, aims to protect US and other semiconductor producers from China’s massive state-driven buildup of domestic chip supply. A 50 percent US tariff on Chinese semiconductors began on Jan. 1. Legacy chips use older manufacturing processes introduced more than a decade ago and are often far simpler than
STILL HOPEFUL: Delayed payment of NT$5.35 billion from an Indian server client sent its earnings plunging last year, but the firm expects a gradual pickup ahead Asustek Computer Inc (華碩), the world’s No. 5 PC vendor, yesterday reported an 87 percent slump in net profit for last year, dragged by a massive overdue payment from an Indian cloud service provider. The Indian customer has delayed payment totaling NT$5.35 billion (US$162.7 million), Asustek chief financial officer Nick Wu (吳長榮) told an online earnings conference. Asustek shipped servers to India between April and June last year. The customer told Asustek that it is launching multiple fundraising projects and expected to repay the debt in the short term, Wu said. The Indian customer accounted for less than 10 percent to Asustek’s
Gasoline and diesel prices this week are to decrease NT$0.5 and NT$1 per liter respectively as international crude prices continued to fall last week, CPC Corp, Taiwan (CPC, 台灣中油) and Formosa Petrochemical Corp (台塑石化) said yesterday. Effective today, gasoline prices at CPC and Formosa stations are to decrease to NT$29.2, NT$30.7 and NT$32.7 per liter for 92, 95 and 98-octane unleaded gasoline respectively, while premium diesel is to cost NT$27.9 per liter at CPC stations and NT$27.7 at Formosa pumps, the companies said in separate statements. Global crude oil prices dropped last week after the eight OPEC+ members said they would
RSS