- 0-20%: Unlikely - Lacks credible sources
- 21-40%: Questionable - Some concerns remain
- 41-60%: Plausible - Reasonable evidence
- 61-80%: Probable - Strong evidence
- 81-100%: Highly Likely - Multiple reliable sources
55%
Plausible
The Central Taiwan Science Park will hold immense significance in the future because it is where TSMC’s new Phase II plant will be constructed. A report states that the company is planning to establish four plants dedicated to 1.4nm production. Although full-scale manufacturing is not expected until the second half of 2028, it will set the stage for chips made on bleeding-edge lithography and also create thousands of jobs in the process.
Up to 10,000 jobs can be made with TSMC’s four 1.4nm construction plans, and looking at the recent timeline, Apple will likely be the semiconductor giant’s first customer
A report from Commercial Times mentions TSMC's submission of the land lease briefing to the Central Taiwan Science Park, which stated the company’s plans of mass producing wafers on the 1.4nm process. The initial investment of around NT$1.5 trillion, or approximately $49 billion, has been planned for the construction of the four factories, and after TSMC’s plans have reached fruition, between 8,000 and 10,000 jobs will be created.
Risk production at one of the plants is estimated to begin by the end of 2027, with mass production scheduled for the second half of 2028. Even though TSMC has had to inject an unfathomable sum for constructing these factories, the report states that the initial estimated revenue from a single facility will exceed NT$500 billion, or $16.26 billion. With all four factories operating at maximum capacity, that figure can climb to $65.04 billion annually.
Unfortunately, the 1.4nm, or A14, will blow a hole through the wallet of TSMC’s customers, as it was mentioned that each wafer could cost an eye-watering $45,000. What is interesting to note is that the initial $49 billion investment will not be used to purchase any of ASML’s next-generation and expensive High-NA EUV equipment. Instead, TSMC believes it can pursue 1.4nm production without purchasing those $400 million machines and will resort to using photomask pellicles to improve yields.
Apple will likely be TSMC’s first customer because a previous report mentioned that NVIDIA is currently the only client for the Taiwanese behemoth’s A16, or 1.6nm process, with the iPhone maker yet to enter talks with its supply chain partner. It is possible that this gargantuan investment could be for Apple to make the move to pre-order the initial supply, and given that the latter is already said to have secured more than half of the initial 2nm wafer supply, we should not be surprised if history repeats itself.
News Source: Commercial Times
About the author: Omar Sohail is a reporter and analyst for Wccftech's mobile section, specializing in the technology and business of the mobile industry. His expertise lies in the intricate hardware supply chain, covering developments in semiconductor manufacturing, chip lithography, and camera sensor technology.
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