In the United States, production of 4-nanometer (1 nanometer is one-billionth of a meter) semiconductors has begun at TSMC’s foundry in Arizona.
U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo mentioned in an interview with Reuters on the 11th (local time) that for the first time in American history, 4-nanometer chips are being produced on American soil, announcing the mass production of TSMC’s 4-nanometer chips.
She continued, “American workers are producing advanced 4-nanometer chips with the same yield and quality as in Taiwan,” and explained that production had begun in the last few weeks.
Secretary Raimondo emphasized, “This is a major achievement that has never been accomplished before and was thought to be impossible by many,” adding that “this will be a milestone in the Biden administration’s semiconductor efforts.”
Currently, the most advanced commercial foundry technology is the 3-nanometer process, with TSMC and Samsung Electronics mass-producing 3-nanometer products in Taiwan and Korea, respectively.
The Biden administration has encouraged the construction of plants in the U.S. by global semiconductor companies by providing substantial subsidies, and last November finalized a $6.6 billion semiconductor support fund for TSMC.
TSMC previously announced in April that it would increase its investment in the U.S. to $65 billion and plans to build a third fab in Arizona using the 2-nanometer process by 2030.
Secretary Raimondo stated that this expansion was persuaded by the Department of Commerce, encouraging TSMC to expand its U.S. plans.
She mentioned, “This didn’t happen on its own,” emphasizing that “we had to persuade TSMC to want to expand.”