Editor’s Note: In our May 17 edition, we published an expansive article based on multiple international reports, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company investor materials, and commentary from a senior TSMC official about the company’s potential to expand its Phoenix operations into six-phase “GIGAFAB®” facility that has the potential to increase final fabrication space to as much as 17.25MSF. (AZBEX, May 17)
A report in the Wall Street Journal this week confirmed the possibility that Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company may be planning an expansion to its facility currently in development in north Phoenix.
Reports say that “in the coming months” the company will announce its plan to build a new state-of-the-art fab. The project investment is anticipated to be similar to the first $12B commitment from 2020. The first two phases now under development have an estimated total investment of $35B, which marks the largest foreign direct investment in TSMC history.
The second component now under construction is leveraging resources from the first to maximize cost effectiveness, according to a TSMC statement. The company also said it has not yet finalized plans on a fab expansion but is considering adding capacity in Arizona based on market demand and cost considerations.
Phoenix officials say they are continuing to work with the company, which is expecting the arrival of its first production equipment on site next month. Full scale production at the initial development is expected to commence in 2024. (Source)