TSMC, the world's largest foundry, will add a new 3nm fab in Tainan and is targeting mass production in the first half of 2028. This will expand its 3nm production network across its U.S. and Japan sites, with the gap between TSMC and Samsung Electronics expected to widen further.
TSMC has disclosed plans to add a new 3nm fab in Tainan. At its third-quarter earnings briefing, Chairman C.C. Wei explained that the company would expand its 3nm production network at sites in Taiwan and overseas, supported by the long-term strength of demand for 3nm chips. TSMC has set a target of launching mass production in the first half of 2028 under a “3+1” configuration that includes the new line.
The plan includes converting existing lines in Tainan, Taiwan, to 3nm production, as well as progress at the second fabs in Arizona, U.S., and Kumamoto, Japan. Mass production at the new Tainan facility is targeted for the first half of 2028, while the Arizona site is targeting the third quarter of next year and Kumamoto is targeting 2028.
Alongside construction of the new fab, TSMC will convert some of its existing 5nm equipment for 3nm production to maximize supply capacity. Rising demand for 3nm chips is increasing the share of advanced-node production, driven by semiconductor demand from the AI economy.
TSMC overwhelmingly leads the global foundry market, and the gap with Samsung Electronics has been widening. The expansion is viewed as an effort to stabilize long-term supply capacity in conjunction with TSMC's U.S. and Japan sites.