A story about how TSMC’s upcoming 1.4nm factories are also triggering surrounding investments. The scale is significant; TSMC is investing nearly $50 billion in the plants.
TSMC invests 1.5 trillion NTD in Taichung; Taichung City Government: Fully stimulating the establishment of factories in surrounding supply chains.
With TSMC expanding its investment in Taichung to NT$1.5 trillion, and four new 1.4-nanometer advanced process plants breaking ground last October, the Taichung City Government Economic Development Bureau stated that this development is comprehensively and further driving the surrounding supply chain to set up factories in Taichung. The Bureau will continue to optimize the investment environment and promote more stable industrial and commercial development.
The Economic Development Bureau stated that, in addition to ASML (a chip lithography equipment manufacturer) and TEL (a Japanese semiconductor equipment manufacturer) having offices in Taichung, many other suppliers have also made early preparations. For example, Juling Precision Chemical has expanded its production capacity by setting up a new plant in Taichung Port, Xinlai Materials has set up a new plant in Wuchi District, and Hung Chin Precision, a testing equipment manufacturer, has added its fifth and sixth plants in Daya District.
In addition, Shenghuang Technology, a manufacturer of wafer carrier micro-contamination prevention equipment, which is currently under construction, will invest over NT$500 million to build a new factory in Dadu District and introduce intelligent production lines. Mingjin Technology, which specializes in producing semiconductor key fixtures and consumables of various materials, also received approval from the Ministry of Economic Affairs on January 2 this year to invest over NT$950 million to expand its factory and add production lines in Waipu District, Taichung.
The Economic Development Bureau pointed out that Taichung City has the highest number of registered factories in Taiwan, exceeding 19,500. Last year, over 1,200 new factories were registered, also ranking first nationwide. Metal products manufacturing was the largest sector among newly registered factories last year, with 571 companies, accounting for approximately 45%. Machinery and equipment manufacturing followed with 254 companies, accounting for about 20%, and plastic products manufacturing with 93 companies, accounting for about 7%. This demonstrates Taichung’s solid industrial foundation in key manufacturing and precision processing sectors. TSMC’s expanded investment will drive related industrial clusters, and is expected to continue to contribute to Taichung’s industrial growth.
The Economic Development Bureau stated that, in order to assist businesses investing in Taichung, it has established a single investment window to integrate resources across departments and agencies, helping businesses handle various administrative procedures and accelerating their establishment and operation. At the same time, it has comprehensively upgraded its review and convenience services for company registration, business registration, and factory registration, simplifying administrative procedures and shortening processing times through dedicated windows, transparent processes, and progress control.
I’m speculating that since we know TSMC uses Low-NA equipment with pellicles there, we’re likely talking about at least a 600W tool on ASML’s roadmap. There isn’t really any other sensible option here… Most likely, the NXE:3800F coming next year would be in use.
