TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — TSMC said it is considering building an advanced fab in Taoyuan’s Longtan Science Park and is evaluating the site’s feasibility for chip production, CNA reported.
The company is reportedly planning an angstrom-scale semiconductor fab at the science park. The angstrom node refers to next-generation process technology below 2 nm. It is expected to be used in the company’s 1.6-nm process, which could begin production in the second half of the year.
The technology can reduce chip size and improve performance by moving power delivery to the backside of the silicon wafer. It is expected to be used in AI data centers and other high-performance computing applications.
TSMC’s Fab 20 in Hsinchu and Fab 22 in Kaohsiung are key sites for 2-nm mass production. The company is also developing its 1.6-nm process at both facilities.
According to the Hsinchu Science Park Bureau, TSMC operates an advanced chip packaging facility in the science park. The bureau said the company had planned to build an advanced semiconductor fab using process technology below 2 nm, but the project was suspended in 2023 due to opposition from local residents.
The bureau said it will submit the science park’s expansion plan to the National Science and Technology Council for review later this month. Mayor Chang San-cheng (張善政) said the city government has been working with the bureau on the project. He also noted challenges, including that much of the expansion area is privately owned land.
Chang pledged the city government will continue working with the bureau to improve infrastructure around the science park. This includes roads, water pipelines, and industrial zones to support TSMC’s advanced chip manufacturing in the park.
The bureau said it held meetings last year with residents near the science park to discuss the expansion plan. It added that it will conduct environmental impact assessments and land acquisition procedures after submitting the plan for review, with construction in the expanded area expected to begin in 2029.
