According to a report from TechNews, TSMC held a technology forum on May 23, where Senior Fab Director pointed out that benefiting from HPC and mobile phone demands, the 3nm production capacity this year has more than tripled compared to last year, but this is actually still not enough, so efforts are still being made to meet customer demand.

During the forum, TSMC also indicated that its compound annual growth rate (CAGR) in advanced processes below 7nm surpassed 25% from 2020 to 2024. Moreover, TSMC remains committed to investment, with capital expenditure in 2024 increasing by 10% compared to the preceding four years.

Due to the booming demand for AI and HPC, TSMC is actively expanding its capacity for advanced processes. Huang stated that TSMC’s capacity for SoIC and CoWoS is experiencing CAGRs exceeding 100% and 60%, respectively, from 2022 to 2026.

The topic of TSMC’s manufacturing has always been a focus of the industry. In the past, it was presented by Executive Vice President and Co-Chief Operating Officer Y.P. Chyn, Vice President of Fab Operations I Dr. Y.L. Wang, and TSMC Vice President of Advanced Technology and Mask Engineering Dr. T.S. Chang. This time, it is presented for the first time by the key driver of the most advanced process and plant-level executives in Taiwan.

He mentioned that the share of TSMC’s special processes in maturity has also steadily increased, from 61% in 2020 to the target of 67% in 2024.

Huang further pointed out that TSMC averaged the construction of five fabs per year  between 2022 and 2023, increasing to seven this year. Among them are three fabs, two packaging plants, and two overseas facilities.

Fab 20 in Hsinchu and Fab 22 in Kaohsiung are both 2nm fabs, progressing smoothly and expected to commence production next year.

Taichung AP5 is expanding its capacity to meet the needs for CoWoS production, while the recently announced advanced packaging investment in Chiayi is for CoWoS and SOIC production.

In terms of global deployment, three fabs are planned in Arizona, USA. The first fab is already had its first tool-in, set to commence 4nm production next year, while the second fab is scheduled for 2028 production, and the third fab is expected to begin production by the end of the 2020s. In Japan, Kumamoto Fab 1 is slated for production in the fourth quarter of this year, with Fab 2 set for production in 2027.

In Europe, the Dresden fab will offer 16nm technology, with construction beginning in the fourth quarter of this year and production slated for 2027, mainly to meet European customer needs. Additionally, Nanjing Fab 16 in China continues to expand its 28nm capacity.

When discussing the application of EUV technology, he mentioned that TSMC’s EUV machine count has grown tenfold since 2019, now accounting for 65% of the global total. Both wafer output and efficiency have significantly increased along with learning.

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• [News] TSMC’s Nanjing Plant Reportedly Pushes for Indefinite Exemption From US Before the May 31 Deadline
• [News] TSMC More Ambitious on CoWoS Capacity Expansion, Targeting 60% CAGR by 2026

(Photo credit: TSMC)

Due to escalating geopolitical risks, Tesla is reportedly requesting its suppliers to begin manufacturing components and parts outside of China and Taiwan as early as 2025.

According to a report from Nikkei News on May 23rd, citing sources from the supply chain, suppliers of printed circuit boards, panels, and electronic controllers for models sold outside of China have recently received requests from Tesla to avoid China and Taiwan. The reason cited is the increasing geopolitical risks in the Greater China region prior to the U.S. presidential election. The objective of this move is to create alternative supply sources for markets outside of China to avoid disruptions in the supply chain.

Reportedly, a Taiwan-based supplier of Tesla revealed that Tesla wants all components to be OOC, OOT, meaning ‘out of China’ and ‘out of Taiwan.’ Allegedly, they hope this proposal can be implemented in new projects next year. Tesla is said to have made this request before the US government increased tariffs on Chinese electric cars fourfold to 100%.

Nikkei News’ report also indicates that Tesla has discussed this issue with suppliers in Japan, South Korea, and other Asian countries. A component supplier source cited in the same report mentioned that his company has responded to Tesla’s request by expanding production in Thailand. The source claimed that for many customers like Tesla, the “China Plus One” strategy—which involves diversifying investments beyond China into other countries—also includes avoiding Taiwan.

The report further cited sources, indicating that American car manufacturers such as General Motors and Ford are also instructing their suppliers to explore on relocating their electronic production lines away from China and Taiwan. However, they have not formally made requests similar to Tesla’s.

Another source cited in the report remarked that Tesla is the most proactive among American automakers in wanting to avoid risks associated with China and Taiwan, but implementing the OOC and OOT strategy is indeed challenging and costly.

Tesla has previously placed orders with TSMC for numerous chips related to electric vehicles. For instance, the supercomputer chip “D1” is utilizing TSMC’s 7nm technology along with advanced packaging processes.

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• [News] TSMC Reportedly Commences Production of Tesla’s Next-Generation Dojo Chips, Anticipates 40x Increase in Computing Power in 3 Years
• [News] TSMC Advanced Packaging Crucial for AI Computing Power

(Photo credit: Tesla)

In October 2022, the U.S. imposed a new wave of chip controls on China, but TSMC ultimately received an extension of its exemption permit from the U.S. Department of Commerce for one year. This exemption is set to expire on May 31, potentially impacting the shipment schedule of the Nanjing plant.

TSMC stated that in October last year, the company applied for an indefinite exemption from the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) of the U.S. Department of Commerce, and the process is still ongoing. As per a report from Commercial Times, industry sources have noted that if a new permit is not obtained, the Nanjing plant will need to apply for export permits on a case-by-case basis for certain items sourced from the U.S. starting June 1.

The U.S.-China trade war, which began in 2018, saw the U.S. impose stricter export controls in October 2022 on certain high-performance computing chips and semiconductor production items when exported to specific countries. While South Korean semiconductor companies like Samsung have received indefinite extension exemptions for semiconductor equipment controls in China, TSMC’s Nanjing subsidiary only secured a one-year exemption from the U.S. government, drawing significant attention.

Currently, TSMC operates 12-inch fabs in both Nanjing and Songjiang, Shanghai, along with 8-inch fabs, catering to local chip design companies. The most advanced process is at 16 nanometers. Over the past five years, TSMC’s revenue share from China has gradually declined from 20% in 2019 to 12% in 2023.

The latest news from TSMC indicates that it has obtained “Validated End User (VEU)” authorization, according to Commercial Times. However, according to TSMC’s annual report, there is no guarantee that the authorization obtained will not be terminated in the future.

TSMC emphasizes that while global trade barriers may increase the company’s production costs, its operations have not been significantly impacted so far. However, with the deepening of global trade tensions, related regulations, laws, and measures may still have negative effects on its business and operations. TSMC also reiterates its commitment to continue monitoring changes in trade policies and measures among major economies and taking corresponding measures based on subsequent developments.

Industry sources cited by the same report predict that the need for TSMC’s Nanjing plant to apply for export permits on a case-by-case basis in the future will inevitably increase operational procedures and extend the wafer shipment schedule in that region.

Additionally, on June 4th, TSMC’s shareholders will hold a comprehensive election for the board of directors. One of the independent directors, Ursula Burns, also serves as the Vice Chair of the Supply Chain Competitiveness Advisory Committee for the U.S. Department of Commerce. Orders from specific countries will undoubtedly receive close attention from the board of directors in the future.

Besides China, TSMC’s global expansion has also reached locations in the United States, Japan, and Germany, solidifying its goal of being a “long-term and trustworthy provider of technology and capacity.”

TSMC’s Kumamoto Plant in Japan held its opening ceremony in February, with mass production expected to begin in the fourth quarter. Meanwhile, as per a previous report from Reuters, TSMC will start construction of its first chip plant in Europe in Dresden, eastern Germany. The project is scheduled to commence in the fourth quarter of this year, with production expected to begin in 2027.

In contrast, the construction progress of its Arizona plant in the United States has been relatively slow. Due to the delay in the first phase’s production timeline from the end of 2024 to the first half of 2025, the production schedule for the second phase will also be postponed to start after 2027.

Read more

• [News] Apple COO Rumored to Make Secret Visit to TSMC, Booking Advanced Capacity for AI In-house Chips
• [News] Apple M4 Incoming, Boosting TSMC’s 3nm Production

(Photo credit: TSMC)

The market was originally concerned that NVIDIA might face a demand lull during the transition from its Hopper series GPUs to the Blackwell series. However, the company executives clearly stated during the latest financial report release that this is not the case.

According to reports from MarketWatch and CNBC, NVIDIA CFO Colette Kress stated on May 22 that NVIDIA’s data center revenue for the first quarter (February to April) surged 427% year-over-year to USD 22.6 billion, primarily due to shipments of Hopper GPUs, including the H100.

On May 22, during the earnings call, Kress also mentioned that Facebook’s parent company, Meta Platforms, announced the launch of its latest large language model (LLM), “Lama 3,” which utilized 24,000 H100 GPUs. This was the highlight of Q1. She also noted that major cloud computing providers contributed approximately “mid-40%” of NVIDIA’s data center revenue.

NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang also stated in the call, “We see increasing demand of Hopper through this quarter,” adding that he expects demand to outstrip supply for some time as NVIDIA transitions to Blackwell.

As per a report from MoneyDJ, Wall Street had previously been concerned that NVIDIA’s customers might delay purchases while waiting for the Blackwell series. Sources cited by the report predict that the Blackwell chips will be delivered in the fourth quarter of this year.

NVIDIA’s Q1 (February to April) financial result showed that revenue soared 262% year-over-year to USD 26.04 billion, with adjusted earnings per share at USD 6.12. Meanwhile, NVIDIA’s data center revenue surged 427% year-over-year to USD 22.6 billion.

During Q1, revenue from networking products (mainly Infiniband) surged more than threefold to USD 3.2 billion compared to the same period last year. Revenue from gaming-related products increased by 18% year-over-year to USD 2.65 billion. Looking ahead to this quarter (May to July), NVIDIA predicts revenue will reach USD 28 billion, plus or minus 2%.

NVIDIA’s adjusted gross margin for Q1 was 78.9%. The company predicts that this quarter’s adjusted gross margin will be 75.5%, plus or minus 50 basis points. In comparison, competitor AMD’s gross margin for the first quarter was 52%.

Read more

• [News] CoWoS Production Capacity Reportedly Falls Short of GPU Demand
• [News] NVIDIA’s H100 Chip Heat Declines, CoWoS Capacity Eases

(Photo credit: NVIDIA)

Belgium-based IMEC Microelectronics Research Center has announced the leading role in establishing the NanoIC pilot line project, for which it has received a total of EUR 2.5 billion from public and corporate donations.

As one of the four advanced semiconductor pilot line projects designated by the European Chips Joint Undertaking (Chips JU), the NanoIC pilot line is to bridge the technology gap between the lab and the fab, accelerating the development, design, and testing of proof-of-concept products through small-scale production.

According to the European Chips Act, which has a total budget of EUR 15.8 billion by 2030, the “European Chips Initiative” is regarded as a key part. This initiative aims to significantly enhance advanced chip technologies and innovation. The European Chips Initiative will gather EU, member states, and resources from the stakeholders from third-party countries related to EU programs, which is expected to be driven by the Chips Joint Undertaking (Chips JU).

In addition to spearheading the NanoIC pilot line project, IMEC will also be a part of two other projects: the advanced FD-SOI process pilot line and the advanced heterogeneous system integration pilot line. The NanoIC pilot line will focus on developing sub-2nm process SoC, providing prototype development PDK to participants from academia to industry, thereby reducing the risk of chip R&D and improving development efficiency.

Of the EUR 2.5 billion in funding, EUR 1.4 billion comes from Chips JU and the Belgian government, while the remaining EUR 1.1 billion comes from partners such as  ASML. IMEC President and CEO Luc Van den hove stated that the support from the EU, the Belgian government, and corporate partners will enable IMEC to maintain a top position and better align with market demands.

This investment will double output and learning speed, accelerate the pace of innovation, strengthen the European chip ecosystem, and hence promote economic growth in Europe.

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(Photo credit: IMEC)