TSMC Begins Planning Production Lines for 1nm and Below, Aiming for Pilot Production in 2029
During a recent quarterly earnings conference call, TSMC disclosed plans for production lines for 1nm and below processes. The company plans to build the A10 fab in Tainan, Taiwan, with P1 to P4 areas dedicated to developing 1nm and more advanced processes, with pilot production expected to begin in 2029 with an initial monthly capacity of 5,000 wafers.
Regarding the Fab 21 plant in Phoenix, Arizona, future P3, P4, and P5 areas will correspond to 2nm, A16, and A14 processes respectively. TSMC is also planning six additional areas nearby, totaling 11 fabs.
The first advanced packaging plant will begin construction in the second half of this year, with a target completion date of 2028. It will initially employ SoIC and CoWoS advanced packaging technologies.
TSMC also confirmed that the next generation of advanced packaging technology is CoPoS, an evolution of CoWoS towards a "panelized" approach. However, the advancement of this technology is proving more difficult than expected, and will take longer than initially estimated, leading TSMC to adopt a more cautious attitude.
Supply chain sources indicate that the current bottlenecks facing CoPoS primarily relate to issues of "uniformity" and "warpage."
Regarding Intel's recent announcement of joining Elon Musk's previously announced TeraFab project, TSMC also responded.
TSMC Chairman and CEO C.C. Wei stated that TSMC views Intel as a strong competitor and never underestimates them, but that the foundry industry has no shortcuts and the basic rules of the game will never change.