It took TSMC around five years to build the first module of its Fab 21 near Phoenix, Arizona, from groundbreaking to production start. This is significantly longer than the company takes to construct a fab in Taiwan. But now that TSMC's executives in the U.S. have learned how to build fabs in America, the world's No. 1 contract chipmaker plans to build its U.S. production facilities at a pace comparable to one it has in Taiwan (about two years), reports Nikkei. As always, there are a couple of caveats.
Building Fab 21 module 1 took nearly five years due to labor issues, soaring costs, and cultural barriers. However, now that all the potential construction bottlenecks and reliable contractors have been identified, it should be easier and faster for TSMC to build new Fab 21 modules at a pace closer to its usual two-year timeline in Taiwan. TSMC has not officially confirmed whether it will match its domestic build speed in the U.S. However, Nikkei says the company plans to start constructing its third fab in the U.S. — Fab 21 module 3 — this year.
