TSMC's U.S. Factory Set for Pilot Production in Mid-April, Mass Production Moved Up to End of This Year

Recent industry rumors have emerged that TSMC’s new plant in Arizona, USA, is racing to start pilot production with its first production line in mid-April and aims to complete all preparations for mass production by the end of this year. If everything goes smoothly, the originally planned mass production timeline for the first half of 2025 could be moved up to the end of 2024.

In response to these rumors, TSMC stated on April 1 that the Arizona wafer fabrication plant is progressing well according to schedule, emphasizing that official information from the company should be regarded as accurate.

Industry insiders claim that TSMC’s new U.S. plant is scheduled to finish construction of the first production line in mid-April and begin electrical testing and pilot production of the first wafers. Based on the estimated 6.5 months from pilot to mass production and one month for verification, there is a possibility that all preparations for mass production could be completed by the end of this year. If the first phase of the plant operates smoothly, it will benefit subsequent planning phases.

Analysts expect that TSMC’s overall overseas capacity expansion plan is on a steady rise. With the inclusion of new factories in Japan, Germany, and the USA contributing to revenue, it is anticipated that TSMC’s overseas capacity will reach about 20% of its total capacity by 2028. This proportion may even increase depending on the progress of overseas investment incentives, helping to solidify its customer base.

TSMC previously announced at an earnings conference that the new U.S. factory plans to start mass production with a 4nm process in the first half of 2025. They believe that once this wafer plant becomes operational, it will offer the same level of manufacturing quality and reliability as TSMC’s wafer factories in Taiwan, China.