A scorching potato: TSMC has repeatedly mentioned that funding a brand new chip-making enterprise exterior Taiwan could be very costly for quite a few causes. Nevertheless, a brand new evaluation tries to debunk the corporate’s alleged monetary points with constructing new crops in different components of the world.
How a lot does it value TSMC to begin up its new chip-manufacturing crops on US soil? In accordance with a new examine by TechInsights, the overall quantity is nowhere close to the monetary necessities acknowledged by the Taiwanese company. Moreover, processing silicon wafers within the US is simply barely costlier than in Asia, in line with the examine.
TSMC not too long ago confirmed that it’s going to make investments lots of of billions of {dollars} into its new US enterprise, with a selected give attention to Arizona. The corporate acknowledged that constructing new semiconductor crops within the US will take twice as lengthy and value twice as a lot as engaging in the identical purpose in its homeland. TSMC was additionally accused by Chinese language authorities of “promoting off” its enterprise to Washington to try to win Trump’s backing over the geopolitical points within the space.
TechInsights crunched some numbers about TSMC by way of its Semiconductor Manufacturing Economics’ Strategic Price and Worth Mannequin, which is detailed sufficient to think about particular person instruments and course of steps. The mannequin confirmed that TSMC must spend simply 10 % extra to course of a 300mm chip wafer in Arizona than in Taiwan.
Direct and oblique labor bills do not make a lot of a distinction both. Staff do value 200 % extra within the US, TI mentioned, however a contemporary, totally automated chip manufacturing plant would not want many individuals to start with. Labor value is simply 2 % of the entire enterprise bills, the analysts mentioned.
The only most necessary think about setting a brand new plant up comes from the precise tools required to “etch” microchips with complicated gentle and chemical processes. Chipmaking machines bought by Europe’s ASML, Tokyo Electron, and some different firms would account for over two-thirds of wafer value, however they do are likely to have the identical sale value each within the US and Taiwan.
TSMC is aware of extra about its inner prices than anybody else, and making apples-to-apples comparisons is troublesome when coping with oblique data. Regardless of these points, TI mentioned its mannequin can present a “definitive” reply to how a lot the Taiwanese foundry should spend on chips “made within the USA.” The corporate is seemingly planning to cost a 30 % premium on these chips, anyway.
A scorching potato: TSMC has repeatedly mentioned that funding a brand new chip-making enterprise exterior Taiwan could be very costly for quite a few causes. Nevertheless, a brand new evaluation tries to debunk the corporate’s alleged monetary points with constructing new crops in different components of the world.
How a lot does it value TSMC to begin up its new chip-manufacturing crops on US soil? In accordance with a new examine by TechInsights, the overall quantity is nowhere close to the monetary necessities acknowledged by the Taiwanese company. Moreover, processing silicon wafers within the US is simply barely costlier than in Asia, in line with the examine.
TSMC not too long ago confirmed that it’s going to make investments lots of of billions of {dollars} into its new US enterprise, with a selected give attention to Arizona. The corporate acknowledged that constructing new semiconductor crops within the US will take twice as lengthy and value twice as a lot as engaging in the identical purpose in its homeland. TSMC was additionally accused by Chinese language authorities of “promoting off” its enterprise to Washington to try to win Trump’s backing over the geopolitical points within the space.
TechInsights crunched some numbers about TSMC by way of its Semiconductor Manufacturing Economics’ Strategic Price and Worth Mannequin, which is detailed sufficient to think about particular person instruments and course of steps. The mannequin confirmed that TSMC must spend simply 10 % extra to course of a 300mm chip wafer in Arizona than in Taiwan.
Direct and oblique labor bills do not make a lot of a distinction both. Staff do value 200 % extra within the US, TI mentioned, however a contemporary, totally automated chip manufacturing plant would not want many individuals to start with. Labor value is simply 2 % of the entire enterprise bills, the analysts mentioned.
The only most necessary think about setting a brand new plant up comes from the precise tools required to “etch” microchips with complicated gentle and chemical processes. Chipmaking machines bought by Europe’s ASML, Tokyo Electron, and some different firms would account for over two-thirds of wafer value, however they do are likely to have the identical sale value each within the US and Taiwan.
TSMC is aware of extra about its inner prices than anybody else, and making apples-to-apples comparisons is troublesome when coping with oblique data. Regardless of these points, TI mentioned its mannequin can present a “definitive” reply to how a lot the Taiwanese foundry should spend on chips “made within the USA.” The corporate is seemingly planning to cost a 30 % premium on these chips, anyway.
