TSMC Arizona Plant Begins Production of AMD Ryzen 9000 and Apple S9: Production Capacity Rises to 0.01 Million Sheets Per Month

It became clear that production of AMD's next-generation CPU “Ryzen 9000 Series” and Apple's processor “S9” for smartwatches has begun at TSMC's 65 billion dollar Arizona plant (Fab 21). According to a report by industry analyst Tim Culpan, production of A16 Bionic chips for the iPhone 15/15 Plus is already being carried out at the same plant, and full-scale operation has begun as a manufacturing base for the three main products using cutting-edge 4nm process technology.

In Phase 1A, which is the current phase of Fab 21, installation of all manufacturing equipment has been completed, and it is being used in actual semiconductor manufacturing. The current production capacity is starting at 0.01 million wafers per month, and this can be said to be progress in line with TSMC's initial plan. Additional production capacity of 0.01 million4000 sheets per month is anticipated in Phase 1B, and plans are underway to expand total monthly production to 0.02 million4000 sheets.

The variety of products manufactured at the same plant is worthy of attention. Regarding Apple, in addition to A16 Bionic chips for the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus, manufacture of S9 processors for Apple Watch has also been confirmed. The S9 processor adopts a system-in-package (SiP) design integrating silicon specialized in AI and neural processing in addition to the main arithmetic processing core.
AMD products have been reported by Mr. Culpan under the code name “Grand Rapids,” but industry insiders have actually pointed out the possibility of “Granite Ridge.” As a basis for this interpretation, it is more reasonable to use a known design rather than an unknown silicon design for testing a new manufacturing site. Also, since the source of information is in Taiwan, and oral communication is the main focus, it has been suggested that there is a possibility of a mistake in the code name transmission process.

As for the manufacturing process, N4 and N4P technologies, which are TSMC's 4nm class processes, have been adopted. These process technologies are positioned as one of the company's most advanced manufacturing technologies, and they achieve both high performance and power efficiency. However, bottlenecks related to the supply of manufacturing equipment have been reported for Phase 1B deployment, and it has been pointed out that some devices may be installed earlier than planned and some later.

The biggest challenge facing TSMC's Arizona plant is securing and retaining highly specialized human resources. Currently, although the number of locally employed employees exceeds that of foreign staff, the shortage of human resources with expertise to support cutting-edge semiconductor manufacturing technology continues to be serious. In order to respond to this situation, TSMC recruited hundreds of human resources for employees at its Taiwan headquarters this week. These recruitment positions include a wide range of areas of expertise, from operating production lines (fabs) to installing manufacturing equipment.
What is particularly noteworthy is the current situation where even though TSMC has set a policy that prioritizes local recruitment, large-scale personnel transfers from the Taiwan headquarters are still necessary. This shows that transfer of specialized know-how in semiconductor manufacturing is not easy. As the miniaturization of manufacturing processes progresses and manufacturing technology becomes increasingly complex, the presence of experienced engineers has become an important factor affecting the success or failure of factory operations.

TSMC's efforts to address this human resources issue are not limited to simply replenishing personnel. The company's board of directors is planning to hold a local meeting at the Arizona plant as an unusual decision. This move shows the strategic importance of the Arizona plant, and it is seen that there is an intention to strengthen management's direct involvement in local issues. Board members are also planning to inspect manufacturing sites, and it is expected that more specific understanding and countermeasures will be examined on issues related to human resource development and technology transfer.
Furthermore, TSMC's role in the future of the US semiconductor industry is drawing attention, including political aspects. While also considering building relationships with the next administration, the company is aiming for sustainable business development in the United States. While facing issues such as supplying equipment and securing human resources, TSMC continues to make steady steps to establish the Arizona Plant as an important production base.