Image Source: Visual China

BEIJING, June 6 (TMTPOST) — Semiconductor maker TSMC will start building its first 2nm plant in Q3 this year after receiving a green light from local authorities.

The N2 plant in Hshinchu will be constructed in four phases. Four 12-inch wafer foundries will be built at the plant, which are expected to produce new-generation chips for Apple’s devices in 2024.

It is reported earlier that the company will invest as much as one trillion New Taiwan dollars (around 22.9 million yuan) in expanding its 2nm production capacity in Taichung. TSMC will also reserve land for its future 1nm plant.

TSMC, a leading wafer foundry in the world, might be able to mass-produce 3nm products and is working on the research and development of 2nm process techniques. “The development of 2nm process is going well. It is expected to enter trial production in late 2024. It might enter mass production in the second half of 2025 or late 2025,” TSMC’s CEO Dr. C. C. Wei said at the Q1 earnings report conference.

TSMC will build a wafer foundry in both the United States and Japan. The company will also expand its production capacity in Nanjing and Taiwan. TSMC is expected to spend between US$40 billion and US$44 billion in 2022.

“The company makes use of its diverse funding sources flexibly,” TSMC said. “In 2020 and 2021, our funding came from the company’s operating cash flow and corporate bonds. The company’s spending in 2022 is expected to be similar to that in the past two years.”

Founded in 1987, TSMC is a multinational semiconductor contract manufacturing and design company. It is the world"s most valuable semiconductor company, the world"s largest dedicated independent semiconductor foundry, and one of Taiwan"s largest companies, with its headquarters and main operations located in the Hsinchu Science Park in Hsinchu.