Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (TSMC) said that its board had approved an investment to set up a wholly-owned subsidiary in Arizona with an overall capital of $3.5 billion, according to a report by Reuters.
The investment is part of the plan that the chipmaker announced in May to build a $12 billion factory in that U.S. state.
The company has said that the construction of the Arizona facility would start next year with production targeted to begin in 2024. The company said that the plant would use a 5-nanometer process technology to produce semiconductor chips, with a planned production capacity of 20,000 chips per month. It could create up to 1,600 jobs directly, and thousands of jobs in the semiconductor industry ecosystem.
“This U.S. facility not only enables us to better support our customers and partners, it also gives us more opportunities to attract global talents. This project is of critical, strategic importance to a vibrant and competitive U.S. semiconductor ecosystem that enables leading U.S. companies to fabricate their cutting-edge semiconductor products within the United States and benefit from the proximity of a world-class semiconductor foundry and ecosystem,” TSMC previously said.
“This project will require significant capital and technology investments from TSMC. The strong investment climate in the United States, and its talented workforce make this and future investments in the U.S. attractive to TSMC. U.S. adoption of forward-looking investment policies to enable a globally competitive environment for a leading edge semiconductor technology operation in the U.S. will be crucial to the success of this project.”
In the U.S., TSMC currently operates a fab in Camas, Washington and design centers in both Austin, Texas and San Jose, California. The Arizona facility would be TSMC’s second manufacturing site in the United States.
Apart from its main base of operations in Hsinchu in Northern Taiwan, where several of its fab facilities are located, the chipmaker also has fabs in Southern Taiwan and Central Taiwan, with other fabs located at its subsidiaries TSMC China in Shanghai, China. The company has offices in China, Europe, India, Japan, North America, and South Korea.
