Update: TSMC -- Arizona -- September 16, 2024

Locator: 48598TSM.

Link here.

From the linked article:

TSMC first announced plans to build a new semiconductor fab in Arizona in 2020, and ever since then, it's reportedly been beset by multiple delays, labor shortages, and culture clashes. Now, things appear to be looking up for TSMC, as Bloomberg reports the company performed a successful yield test in April, and the results matched those from a TSMC fab in Taiwan.

TSMC produces its most advanced products in Taiwan. The company seeks to replicate those facilities in Arizona, but with less-advanced processes at first while its operations get up to speed. The test was reportedly performed on a 4nm process—several years behind the 3nm process it currently uses in Taiwan but still the node of choice for both Nvidia and AMD's latest hardware. Unfortunately, the report doesn't say what the yield numbers were. In an email to Bloomberg, TSMC stated that the company's project in Arizona is "proceeding as planned with good progression,” but it didn't mention what yields it has achieved. The Tainan facility that the Arizona fab is being compared to is home to Fab 18, which is used for both 5nm and 3nm wafer production, and has been producing 5nm chips since 2020.

TSMC was originally supposed to enter high-volume production at its Arizona facility this year, but that has been pushed back to 2025 due to labor shortages. However, the company has three different fabs planned for the desert location, and the yield test was performed on its first location, which has been four years in the making. According to the company, its second fab might be delayed until 2027, and TechSpot reports the third fab will come online at the end of the decade.

One central sticking point that could impact TSMC's plans in Arizona is when it will receive the promised funds from Uncle Sam. In April, TSMC was awarded $11 billion from the CHIPS Act, so it's probably looking at its checking account daily to see when the direct deposit will hit.