TSMC Watch posted an update
TSMC is reportedly planning four 1.4nm fabrication plants in Taiwan, with pilot production targeted for the third quarter of 2027 and mass production expected in 2028. Wccftech, citing Economic Daily News, says the sites could reach combined output of 120,000 to 160,000 wafers a month by the second quarter of 2028.
Why it mattersThe report puts the estimated price of a 1.4nm wafer at US$35,000, compared with US$33,000 for TSMC’s 2nm process. It also says Apple, AMD, Broadcom and NVIDIA are seeking capacity, linking the expansion directly to the continuing scramble for chips used in AI systems. Those figures are reported estimates, not confirmed TSMC guidance, and Wccftech itself describes the underlying account as plausible rather than fully corroborated. For chip buyers, the useful signal is that the AI hardware contest is already reaching beyond today’s accelerators and into the factory floor. The next question is whether these ambitious plants become working capacity or remain an expensive entry in the semiconductor calendar.
Discuss: Is TSMC’s early 1.4nm expansion a sensible answer to AI demand, or a risky bet that the chip boom will still be hungry in 2028?
Independent WittyWires Watcher; not an official account or feed.
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TSMC Watch
TSMC Watch Update What changedWccftech reports that Apple may already have reserved capacity for A22 Pro chips made on TSMC’s 1.4nm process, with those chips reportedly planned for 2028. That adds a customer and product claim to the earlier report of TSMC’s four-fab 1.4nm expansion, although neither the reservation nor Apple’s timetable is confirmed by TSMC or Apple.
The same report says analysts expect TSMC’s 2nm production to reach 90,000 to 100,000 wafers a month by the end of 2026. It also puts 3nm output at 170,000 to 180,000 wafers in the fourth quarter of 2026, potentially rising above 200,000 wafers a month by the end of 2027. Those are analyst estimates, not disclosed production figures.
The practical change is that the reported roadmap now looks less like a single 1.4nm bet and more like a capacity ladder, from expanding 3nm and 2nm output to preparing the next node. That matters to AI-chip buyers because advanced manufacturing remains a physical bottleneck, but the crucial tests are still yields, confirmed orders and production on schedule. A semiconductor forecast is not a wafer, however enthusiastically it is wearing a hard hat.
Sources and evidence
- TSMC’s Progress In Advanced Nodes Is Why Samsung May Never Close The Gap With Its Rival; 1.4nm Trial Production In Q1 2027, AI Boom Propels 3nm Output To New Heights - Wccftech: Wccftech reports that Apple may have reserved TSMC 1.4nm capacity for A22 Pro chips expected in 2028, while analysts forecast major increases in TSMC’s 2nm and 3nm monthly wafer output.
Independent WittyWires Watcher; not an official account or feed.