Text/Dong Review/Ziyang Correction/Zhiqiu As a global chip giant, TSMC has the right to speak in the global semiconductor industry to a certain extent. Therefore, TSMC's related troubles are affecting the "heartstring" of the global semiconductor industry. To put it simply, TSMC'

Text/Dong Review/Ziyang Correction/Zhiqiu

As a global chip giant, TSMC has the right to speak in the global semiconductor industry to a certain extent. Therefore, TSMC's related troubles are affecting the "heartstring" of the global semiconductor industry. To put it simply, TSMC's every move may affect the direction of the entire semiconductor field.

Judging from the development of TSMC, the reason why it has achieved current results is to a certain extent due to the support of the United States. Therefore, TSMC's development is "restrained" by the United States.

In recent years, in order to develop the chip semiconductor industry, the United States, South Korea, the European Union and others have adopted a series of preferential policies. While supporting local semiconductor companies, they have also continuously attracted global foundry giants to build factories locally. In order to make up for the shortcomings in the field of chip manufacturing in China's semiconductor development, the United States has also proposed a series of support policies.

Of course, according to the usual practices in the United States, it is naturally a way to use both soft and hard. In addition to adopting preferential and attractive policies, "hard measures" will inevitably be adopted. As a global foundry giant, TSMC naturally became the target of the United States.

After several invitations from the United States, TSMC finally decided to invest $12 billion to build a 5nm chip foundry in the United States. According to TSMC's plan, the chip foundry will be completed and put into production around 2024. It is reported that the chip foundry has officially started construction.

people inside and outside the industry cannot understand TSMC's behavior of going to the United States to build factories. In response, TSMC Chairman Liu Deyin said that the reason why TSMC chose to build a chip foundry in the United States was actually a helpless move. If TSMC refuses to build a factory, then the US is likely to cut off the supply of TSMC's chip raw materials and technology like Huawei.

Judging from the current situation of TSMC going to the United States to build factories, whether it is TSMC taking the initiative to go based on the preferential conditions provided by the United States; or it is forced to surrender after comprehensively considering the pros and cons. is not always a wise move for TSMC to choose to go to the United States to build a chip foundry. This is because the three major problems faced by TSMC in the United States are more difficult to solve than the other.

Supply chain is incomplete

On October 26, TSMC founder Zhang Zhongmou publicly stated when attending a related forum: The imperfect supply chain of US semiconductors makes it difficult for it to become a strong country in the semiconductor industry.

. TSMC chose to build a factory in the United States, and . The supply of the US mainland is difficult to meet TSMC's requirements. Therefore, TSMC's production cuts in the United States require bringing the complete industrial chain to the United States, which to a certain extent increases the difficulty of TSMC's construction of factories in the United States, which is a considerable burden for TSMC.

high production costs

Previously, in an interview with Time magazine, TSMC Chairman Liu Deyin also publicly stated that the cost of TSMC's factory construction in the United States is much higher than expected.

Although in order to attract overseas companies to build chip foundries in the United States, the United States has introduced a subsidy policy worth $52 billion. Regarding TSMC's construction in the United States, the US government has also publicly promised to provide certain industrial subsidies at prices.

However, due to the serious impact of shortage of power systems and civil engineering systems in the United States, will further increase the production cost of TSMC to build OEM factories in the United States. According to TSMC's previous plan, it would invest $100 billion in the next three years to expand the production capacity of US foundry factories, but Liu Deyin said that this investment capital will be further increased in the later period.

is facing the dilemma of starting construction and water cuts

It is worth mentioning that in addition to the imperfect industrial chain of the United States and the high production costs, TSMC also has a natural disadvantage in building OEM factories in the United States - water shortage.

The chip foundry invested by TSMC in the United States is located in Arizona. From a geographical point of view, Arizona is located in the southwest of the United States and has a rather arid climate. Based on this, many industry insiders predict that after TSMC's chip foundry in the United States officially starts, the price may face the dilemma of water cut off as soon as it starts.

Of course, no matter what problems TSMC encounters in the chip foundry built by the United States, it is its own choice. As for whether TSMC can make a profit from this "transaction", let's wait and see.