Taiwan Semiconductor 2nm, unrivaled

TSMC Chairman Wei Zhejia stated at a press conference on the 17th that the demand for 2-nanometer technology from customers is "a lot, a lot more" than even 3-nanometer, which is "beyond imagination". It is expected to begin mass production next year, and preparations for production capacity are actively underway. The currently known 2-nanometer factory plans include 4 in Baoshan, Hsinchu, and 3 in Nanzih, Kaohsiung, totaling 7 factories. This will be the most factories in the company's history, surpassing competitors Samsung and Intel, symbolizing TSMC's dominance in advanced processes and establishing itself as the king, showcasing its prowess in the industry.

As the leading semiconductor foundry, TSMC's advanced processes are unrivaled, making it an industry leader. With a surge in orders for high-performance AI chips, the capacity for advanced processes has greatly increased. Shipments of 3-nanometer processes accounted for 20% of wafer sales in the third quarter, while 5-nanometer processes accounted for 32%, totaling 52%. The main production area is TSMC's Fab 18 in Southern Taiwan.

With the anticipated mass production of 2-nanometer technology next year and the overwhelming demand from customers, Wei Zhejia expects the demand to surpass that of 3-nanometer. Therefore, TSMC is actively preparing production capacity to meet customer needs. The 2-nanometer wafer factories in Hsinchu and Kaohsiung Science Parks are known to be under construction. According to recent data released by TSMC, Fab 20, a super large-scale 2-nanometer wafer factory being built in Phase 2 of Baoshan, will consist of 4 phases, while the Kaohsiung factory plans to build 3 2-nanometer wafer factories, totaling 7 factories.

Phase 1 of Baoshan P1 factory has been completed and is currently undergoing trial production of 2-nanometer technology, with mass production expected next year. Phase 2 is also under construction. Phase 1 to Phase 2 of Nanzih, Kaohsiung are under construction, with the first factory expected to be installed by the end of the year, and Phase 3 is also preparing for construction. Recently, Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Qimai revealed that Phase 4 and 5 are in the environmental assessment stage.

Different Destinies for Semiconductor Foundries?

On the 18th, the Taiwan Stock Exchange rose by 433.43 points to close at 23,487.27 points, up 1.88%. According to the stock exchange's chip movement data, foreign investors collectively bought a net of 56.62 billion NT dollars. Among the top 10 stocks bought by foreign investors, UMC, the second largest semiconductor foundry, closed at 50.5 NT dollars, down 2.32%, with 43,000 shares sold by foreign investors ranking first; FSC, a financial stock, was sold 16,000 shares ranking second; another major semiconductor foundry, Powerchip, was bought 4,686 shares. In addition, TSMC, the leading semiconductor foundry, saw its stock price surge by 50 NT dollars to close at a historical high of 1,085 NT dollars, up 4.83%, with foreign investors buying a large amount of 34,398 shares.

Among the top 10 stocks sold by foreign investors today, UMC ranked first with 43,959 shares sold; FSC ranked second with 16,137 shares sold; third was HT Tech with 8,919 shares sold; fourth was Taishin Financial with 6,969 shares sold; and fifth was Lianjian with 6,039 shares sold.

The remaining stocks sold by foreign investors, from sixth to tenth, were Yageo with 6,000 shares sold; Lianmao with 5,891 shares sold; Xinxing with 5,712 shares sold; Kingpak with 5,259 shares sold; and Powerchip with 4,686 shares sold.

This article is from: Semiconductor Industry Observation, original title: "Taiwan Semiconductor 2nm, Unrivaled"