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TSMC Plans to Build 18” Wafer Fab in Central Taiwan Science Park

2011/12/13 | By Philip Liu

Taipei, Dec. 13, 2011 (CENS)--The Central Taiwan Science Park will appropriate a 50-hectare plot of land for Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Corp. (TSMC) for the construction of the cutting-edge 18-in wafer fab.

TSMC's 15th fab is now located in Central Taiwan Science Park on a premises spanning 18.4 hectares in space, where the company plans to build another 12-inch wafer fab at cost of over NT$300 billion. The projected 18-inch wafer fab will entail investment exceeding NT$800 billion.

TSMC reported yesterday (Dec. 12) that the company will embark on the construction of 18-in wafer fabs during 2015-2016 at the earliest. The company now has fabs in Hsinchu, Taichung, and Tainan. When 18-in wafer has become the mainstream technology, the company will build 18-in wafer fabs not only in Taichung but also in Hsinchu and Tainan.

TSMC will not embark on the construction of 18-inch wafer fab until 2015, since supply chain for 18-inch wafer is still immature. One piece of 18-inch wafer can produce chips over two times that of 12-inch wafer, leading to major cost reduction.

The 50 hectares of land reserved by Central Taiwan Science Park is located near the Taichung area of the park and is sufficient to accommodate an ultra-large 12-inch wafer fab and an ultra-large 18-inch wafer fab.

TSMC reportedly plans to construct an 18-in wafer production line, using 20-nanometer technology, in the 12th fab in Hsinchu Science-Based Industrial Park during 2014-2015. Mass production for the 18-inch wafer fab in Central Taiwan Science Park is scheduled to begin in 2015-2016, embracing 20 nm technology initially, which will be upgraded to 14 nm technology later on.