TSMC Builds 20 Fabs Simultaneously in Major Push to Double 2nm Capacity

Taiwan’s semiconductor leader, TSMC, has announced an unprecedented expansion wave. Chairman and CEO Wei Zhejia made the announcement during an earnings briefing and in public appearances, stating that in response to the global surge in demand for advanced computing and artificial‑intelligence chips, the company is simultaneously building nearly twenty wafer fabs worldwide.

The scale of this capital outlay and plant construction underscores TSMC’s unshakable leadership in the global foundry market and highlights the fierce appetite for cutting‑edge process capacity that high‑tech industries will have over the next few years.

Among the many expansion plans, the most closely watched are the schedules and capacity layouts for advanced processes. Wei disclosed that, buoyed by the intense demand from major international technology firms for advanced computing chips, TSMC has formally approved a new 3‑nanometre (3nm) fab in the southern part of Taiwan’s National Science Park. The new 3nm plant is slated to begin mass production in the first half of 2028, a move that injects a strong boost into Taiwan’s domestic semiconductor supply chain and further cements the country’s strategic position as a global manufacturing hub.

In addition to expanding mature 3nm production, TSMC is aggressively pursuing 2‑nanometre (2nm) advanced processes, which are seen as the next frontier for the industry. According to the company’s plans and market forecasts, the 2nm capacity is expected to more than double by 2027, far exceeding current projections. This explosive growth is aimed at meeting the stringent requirements of artificial‑intelligence, high‑performance computing, and high‑end smartphones, all of which demand smaller line widths, lower power consumption, and higher computational performance.

TSMC’s simultaneous construction of almost twenty wafer fabs worldwide reflects its enormous supply‑chain mobilization capability and the challenges of cross‑border operations. From Taiwan’s Zhu Ke, Zhong Ke, and Nan Ke science parks to new facilities in Arizona, Kumamoto, and Germany, the company is undergoing a historic globalisation transformation. This requires overcoming differing regulations, cultural differences, and labour costs, while maintaining its unparalleled operational efficiency and yield advantage amid complex geopolitical tensions, thereby ensuring the stability and security of the global semiconductor supply chain.

From a macroeconomic perspective, TSMC’s large‑scale expansion and capacity doubling will directly stimulate the global supply chain for semiconductor equipment, materials, packaging, and IC design, and provide an essential hardware foundation for worldwide digital transformation. With the 2nm capacity set to double in 2027 and the new 3nm fab entering production in 2028, TSMC is actively demonstrating its technological leadership and continuing to guide humanity toward a more advanced era of smart technology.

(Source: Central News Agency)