TSMC to make 3nm chips in US – Computing – News

Running after is a strong word. Setting up a new factory in a new country with new employees is a lot of challenges. If you also develop a new product there, you don’t make things easier.

It is therefore logical to copy an existing process somewhere, so that you know exactly which machines are (bought the same ones you have now) and therefore also how the performance should be. So you have time to adjust the machines and, if necessary, make changes to, for example, new climatic conditions. Or the influence of another (local) raw material supplier, which means that your chemical composition is slightly different. It also gives you room to train your staff.

If you have the new position under control, you can move on to new developments. Then you also know where to look for the solution in case of problems. You were then able to fix all the other teething problems for years that would otherwise make troubleshooting a real nightmare.

Don’t forget, these kind of factories mean a test run you now launch in 1 wafer and you only have the final result in 3 months. Some stages of the process easily take a day’s work. So you can’t “just” make changes to your process or quickly collect datasets.

edit: you see that the factory is already ready, the construction had already started in 2021 and the first equipments will be delivered and installed this year. They hope to be operational at 20% capacity by 2024 and steadily expand thereafter.
They are all 5nm, 3nm will be several years later.

[Reactie gewijzigd door Xanaroth op 21 november 2022 12:25]