News TSMC Plans to Partly Build U.S. Fab in Taiwan: Report

[Admin]

TSMC is rumored to have plans to import parts of a fab to Arizona to save some money.

TSMC Plans to Partly Build U.S. Fab in Taiwan: Report : Read more

 

[jkflipflop98]

This doesn't make any sense. You can't pre-build something like this and ship it anywhere. The scales of the building itself are simply too massive.

 

[bigdragon]

TSMC is likely making a smart move by building their fab equipment in a known environment. Shipping costs are definitely ridiculous, but the potential for a local contractor to completely screw up building the tools is very high. The fab building will probably be built wrong and be significantly delayed. Having that happen to the tools too could sink the entire build.

The US has a problem with construction and infrastructure projects going awry. Where I live, we can't even build a new light rail line or replace a pair of bridges (seriously, it's been 10 years; why isn't this project finished?! The Romans were faster). In other cities, we've seen images of new construction buildings partially collapsing. I want to see the new fabs built ASAP, but I worry they might wind up like the new nuclear plants that are in permanent states of never being completed.

 

[LolaGT]

U.S. contractors have a history of fouling everything up and incurring huge cost overruns almost like it is on purpose (the cynic in me says it is, having witnessed the good old boy network in operation before). I don't blame them for wanting to build the equipment at home.

 

[waltc3]

They are talking about the actual FAB tools inside the building--the building is nothing without the tools... I don't think this has anything to do with the actual buildings that will house the FAB equipment. ..😉 Plus, likely some of their equipment is proprietary/trade secret, so there is that angle, too. The buildings to house the FAB tools are the easy part.

 

[ElectronDr]

TSMC is rumored to have plans to import parts of a fab to Arizona to save some money.

TSMC Plans to Partly Build U.S. Fab in Taiwan: Report : Read more

Makes a lot of sense. They will put together a line using one of a kind of each tool and verify they can manufacture with a similar yield and performance. That way they have a reference for the new fab. Otherwise a way more complex debugging challenge. They have all the engineers there to figure out the mini line.

 

[kjfatl]

Maybe they want to keep their knowledge close to home. They don't want American engineers to understand how to build the next generation fabs.

 

[Co BIY]

Makes a lot of sense. They will put together a line using one of a kind of each tool and verify they can manufacture with a similar yield and performance. That way they have a reference for the new fab. Otherwise a way more complex debugging challenge. They have all the engineers there to figure out the mini line.

Even better, fly the line development engineers over for the price of a plane ticket and hotel rooms. Setting up a factory and running it are different jobs. Of course they will want to do as much "Pre-fab" pre-fab work as possible on their home ground. TSMC would be wise to copy exactly "Copy Exactly".

This is a large move for TSMC and will change them from a "Globally Important" company to a "Global and Globally Important" company. Even if it accounts for a small percentage of their whole operation I can see it drastically changing the corporate culture.

When my father-in-law was working at Atmel (much smaller semi-conductor firm) he had a peer in the same position as him in Korea operating the same testing equipment. The company found it efficient to have him fly to Korea and live there short term to fill in for temporary absences of his Korea counterpart (and less often vice-versa) rather than train someone up. The machine and larger line that it was apart of were so expensive (and profitable) that the labor costs to ensure it's continuous operation were almost irrelevant.

(And now the cynical take...)

TSMC's most important hires will likely be the lawyers, lobbyists, accountants and fixers that can make "subsidy farming" a bigger and better business than "crypto-mining". (and just as connected to the real world)