TSMC gets the OK for its 2nm fab

World's most advanced semiconductor factory is one step closer to reality as TSMC has received the greenlight from Taiwan's environmental regulators to move ahead with its plan to build a 20 hectare facility in Hsinchu's Baoshan township.

2nm iPhone chips in 2024

Hexus writes construction of the new factory is expected to start in early 2022. Production equipment will be installed in 2023, paving the way for initial test production later in 2023. The facility will be the most advanced in the world. One of the initial clients will be Apple, which will use 2nm SoCs for a 2024 iPhone release.

Earlier this year, there were worries about Taiwan's water supply. The new factory is expected to account for roughly 50 percent of TSMC's total daily water consumption of 2020. TSMC aims to significantly increase water recycling efforts to address environmental (and logistics) concerns:

Earlier this year, there was a great deal of worry due to an unusual prolonged dry spell, which meant TSMC's central and southern Taiwan facilities started to organise tankers to provide water supplies. However, the 'plum rain' season eventually made its appearance, and reservoirs now seem to be amply filled.

TSMC's new plant is expected to be rather water hungry, requiring about 98,000 tons of water a day, which is "roughly 50 per cent of TSMC's total daily water consumption in 2020," according to Nikkei Asia. With this in mind, the chipmaker has plans to use 10 per cent recycled water by 2025, moving up to an ambitious 100 per cent reused water at Baoshan by 2030.