[News] TSMC’s US 4nm Fab in Arizona Faces Delays Amid Workforce Shortage and 43-Degree Heat Challenges

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According to the news from Mydrivers.com, TSMC announced its ambitious plans for constructing cutting-edge 4nm and 3nm chip fabs in the United States. The move is expected to generate tens of thousands of job opportunities in the US job market. However, TSMC’s timeline for commencing production at its inaugural 4nm fab has been pushed back from 2024 to 2025. The attributed cause behind this delay is the insufficient availability of skilled American workers, causing setbacks in equipment installation.

This situation has led to a heated dispute between TSMC and local labor unions. TSMC’s assertion of a skilled worker deficit in the US has sparked disagreement from the unions. They assert that TSMC’s stance is a pretext for bringing in lower-wage overseas labor to vie for domestic employment opportunities. TSMC, on the other hand, refutes these claims, emphasizing that employing local staff on assignment doesn’t undermine their US-based operations or recruitment efforts.

Apart from the skill-related quandary, the delay in TSMC’s factory plans may have an underlying factor – the scorching conditions in Phoenix, Arizona. Sources report that the city has experienced an unbroken streak of over 20 days with temperatures hovering around 43 degrees Celsius. Notably, this heat wave has raised internal questioning within TSMC about the wisdom of selecting a desert-adjacent location for their facility.

According to this industry insider, the intense heat seemingly played a role in impeding progress. The sweltering climate of over 40 degrees Celsius undoubtedly hampers worker productivity, particularly for outdoor tasks.

The informer indicated that TSMC had an alternative option when choosing a location for its US facility. Aside from Arizona, they could have set up shop in Portland, the capital of Oregon, which is also a hub for the semiconductor industry. However, TSMC’s rationale for settling in Arizona remains undisclosed.

Notably, Phoenix, Arizona, is also a focal point for Intel’s chip investments, with the company injecting 20 billion USD into the establishment of new wafer fabs over the past couple of years.

(Source: https://news.mydrivers.com/1/928/928753.htm)