The first fab will be operational by 2024
while the second facility nearby will produce advanced chips by 2026. US
President Joe Biden and others, including the CEOs of major TSMC customers, are
attending a "tool-in" ceremony for the symbolic moving of the first
equipment onto the shop floor of the new $12 billion facility.
"When completed with both fabs, we
will manufacture over 600,000 wafers a year, representing $10 billion (roughly
Rs. 82 crore) yearly revenue and with our customers product sales over $40
billion a year," said TSMC Chief Executive Mark Liu.
The projects will result in 31,000
construction jobs and "create an additional 13,000 high pay high tech jobs
including the 4,500 direct TSMC employees," Liu added.
Apple, Nvidia, and Advanced Micro Devices,
all major TSMC customers, said they expected their chips to be made in the new
Arizona plants.
"We work with TSMC to manufacture the
chips that help power our products all over the world. And we look forward to
expanding this work in the years to come as TSMC forms new and deeper roots in
America," said Apple CEO Tim Cook.
"AMD expects to be a big customer, of
both fabs and we're committed to working closely with TSMC and the entire
ecosystem," said AMD CEO Lisa Su.
At least a dozen major cranes are still set
up around the first factory which is dubbed Fab 21. The factory is in the
northern part of Phoenix, surrounded by brown hills and empty land.
With the new TSMC factory in the backdrop
with the flag and a drape reading "A Future Made in America Phoenix,
AZ," TSMC executives led by founder Morris Chang, 91, along with CEOs of
key machine suppliers and Apple, Nvidia and AMD, toasted the factory opening
with sparkling wine. © Reuters