TSMC’s chip production in Arizona appears to be in the final stages of reaching mass production capacity. A new report from Nikkei Asia confirms that Apple is in the final stages of “validation” of its US-made TSMC chips, with mass production expected to begin later this quarter. People familiar with the matter confirmed that Apple is currently testing unnamed A-series chips made at TSMC’s Arizona factory.
TSMC semiconductor manufacturing plant site in Phoenix, Arizona
According to recent reports, TSMC’s Arizona factory is selling older products such as the A16 Bionic used in the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus, and the Apple S9 chip found in the Apple Watch Series 9 and Watch Ultra 2 smartwatches. It plans to manufacture Apple chipsets.
TSMC has received several U.S. government grants under the CHIPS and Science Act, the most recent of which was valued at $6.6 billion and awarded in November. The goal of CHIPS and the Science Act is to strengthen U.S. chip manufacturing while creating local jobs.
TSMC’s roadmap suggests the chip manufacturing giant will manufacture 4nm chips in Arizona this year, followed by 3nm chips using N2 and A16 nanosheet process technologies in 2028. The chipset maker has also committed to opening a third semiconductor factory in Arizona by 2030 to produce 2nm chips.
Source (paywall)
