TSMC expands to Arizona; delays high‑NA EUV
- Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. said on April 22 it plans to open a chip-packaging plant in Arizona by 2029, extending its U.S. buildout beyond wafer fabrication into a later production step. - At the same Santa Clara event, TSMC introduced its A13 process for 2029 with about 8% faster speed or 15% to 20% lower power and roughly 1.1x logic density. - The move adds to TSMC’s pledged $165 billion U.S. investment and follows its March plan to bring advanced packaging stateside under the CHIPS push. (tsmc.com)
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. said it plans to open a chip-packaging plant in Arizona by 2029. (reuters.com) Packaging is the stage after wafers are made, when finished chips are connected, stacked and readied for systems such as artificial-intelligence servers. TSMC executive Kevin Zhang told Reuters the Arizona site is aimed at that step, not just front-end fabrication. (reuters.com) The company disclosed the plan during its North America Technology Symposium in Santa Clara, California, where it also introduced its A13 manufacturing technology. TSMC said A13 is scheduled for volume production in 2029. (tsmc.com) TSMC said A13 can deliver up to 8% higher speed at the same power, or 15% to 20% lower power at the same speed, plus more than 1.1 times logic density versus A14. The company said the node targets artificial intelligence, high-performance computing and mobile chips. (tsmc.com) TSMC also mapped out a longer roadmap through 2029 without using high-numerical-aperture extreme ultraviolet tools in production. Reuters reported the company is delaying those machines, which can cost more than $350 million each, until 2029 or later. (reuters.com) (tsmc.com) That matters for Arizona because advanced packaging has become a bottleneck for artificial-intelligence chips, especially the kind that combine multiple dies and high-bandwidth memory in one package. TSMC said in March it would add its first U.S. advanced packaging investments as part of a broader U.S. expansion. (tsmc.com) (reuters.com) TSMC’s U.S. plan now spans three Phoenix fabs, two advanced packaging facilities and a research-and-development center, with total U.S. investment of $165 billion, according to the company’s March announcement. The first Arizona fab entered volume production in late 2024, TSMC said. (tsmc.com 1) (tsmc.com 2) The company’s message in Santa Clara was that it can keep shrinking chips and expanding U.S. manufacturing without immediately buying the most expensive next-generation lithography tools. Arizona is now part of both sides of that plan: making chips and packaging them. (reuters.com) (tsmc.com)
