TSMC says first advanced U.S. chip fab dang near back on schedule. Here’s an inside look.
Summary
Atop a newly-completed, 3.5-million-square-foot building that stands on 1,100 acres in the Arizona desert north of Phoenix is a giant logo of a microchip wafer and the letters TSMC. The project is "dang near back on the original schedule," TSMC Chariman Rick Cassidy told CNBC during an exclusive first look at the completed fab in November. When supply chain chaos collided with booming demand for consumer electronics during the pandemic, the resulting chip shortage exposed the big risks of relying on outsiders for such a critical technology. Thats why President Joe Biden hit the chip industry with a complex web of export controls meant to keep China from pulling ahead with advanced tech. With Taiwan recently facing its worst drought in nearly a century, TSMC is no stranger to recycling the massive amount of water it needs to make chips.