All posts tagged: TSMC

Google and TSMC Strike Long-Term Deal to Manufacture Tensor Chips for Pixel Phones: Report

Google and TSMC Strike Long-Term Deal to Manufacture Tensor Chips for Pixel Phones: Report

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Google is expected to unveil its Pixel 10 series later this year with its next-generation SoC — Tensor G5. The new chipset is said to be being developed in partnership with TSMC. As we wait for the arrival of new generation Pixel phones with the new custom-built chip, a report coming out of China suggests that Google will continue its partnership with TSMC for a couple of years. It is said to use the TSMC chipset until at least through the Pixel 14 series in 2029. Google’s Partnership With TSMC to Continue for the Next 3–5 Years As per a report by Digitimes, Google is strengthening its partnership with Taiwan’s semiconductor industry. The report indicates that Google executives visited TSMC in Taiwan to discuss long-term collaboration, suggesting a multi-year partnership that could extend to future Pixel models, including the Pixel 14 series, which is believed to arrive in 2029.  “The cooperation between the two parties will last for many years, at least until the stage of the new Pixel 14, which is about three to five …

iPhone 18 Price Hike Likely Due to ‘Significant’ Cost Increase From Adopting TSMC’s 2nm Process, Tipster Claims

iPhone 18 Price Hike Likely Due to ‘Significant’ Cost Increase From Adopting TSMC’s 2nm Process, Tipster Claims

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Apple’s iPhone 18 lineup could arrive next year with a price hike, according to a tipster, after years of the company launching its smartphones at the same price. While the Cupertino company is expected to launch new smartphones with a next generation 2nm ‘A20’ chipset, the cost of producing these chips could result in a rise in iPhone 18 prices. Apple is also expected to release its purported ‘M6’ chip in 2026, which is also said to be a 2nm chipset for the Mac and iPad. Apple Said to Adopt TSMC’s 2nm Process Technology in 2026 In a post on Weibo, user Digital Chat Station (translated from Chinese) claims that Apple, Qualcomm and MediaTek will adopt TSMC’s advanced 2nm process technology in the future. Apple is expected to receive the first of TSMC’s new 2nm chips, and these are expected to arrive on the iPhone 18 series, which could debut in the second half of 2026. The tipster states that the cost of producing these 2nm chips is “expected to increase significantly” and suggests that …

Intel Agrees to TSMC Takeover of Chip Foundries, Sources Say

Intel Agrees to TSMC Takeover of Chip Foundries, Sources Say

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Intel foundry. Image: Intel Intel has tentatively agreed to let Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) take over some of its chipmaking facilities, according to The Information. TSMC will hold a 20% stake in the joint venture, contributing not cash, but value through sharing its chipmaking practices and training Intel staff, according to anonymous sources cited by the publication. Rumours of a possible takeover of Intel started swirling in February, with TSMC and Broadcom considering splitting the U.S. company’s manufacturing and design arms between them. The following month, TSMC reportedly offered a share in its proposed acquisition of the chip foundries to NVIDIA and AMD, as well as Broadcom. Both NVIDIA and Broadcom initiated manufacturing testing at Intel’s facilities at the time, sources said. However, Intel did not want to sell its chip design house separately from the foundry division, which manufactures custom chips for its customers. SEE: TSMC’s $100B Investment in US Data Centers Sets Foreign Investment Record Intel used to be a giant in the CPU industry, but the AI boom has led to …

Intel CEO Tan Starts Company’s Pivot: Spin Off Non-Core Assets

Intel CEO Tan Starts Company’s Pivot: Spin Off Non-Core Assets

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Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan. Image: Intel Business/YouTube Intel will spin off assets that aren’t part of its core mission, according to Bloomberg. Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan, who became CEO in mid-March after Pat Gelsinger took a heavily encouraged suggestion to retire, made the announcement on March 31 at the Intel Vision conference. Tan did not define the core business or which parts of the business would be affected. Intel will try to expand its core business using AI and Software 2.0, Tan said. Software 2.0 is a term about the way generative AI allows for coding without writing individual lines of code; instead, the technique, named by computer vision scientist Andrej Karpathy, uses natural language and an AI model. Software 2.0 has some similarities to “vibe coding,” although Software 2.0 encompasses more possible uses for generative AI. More must-read AI coverage Tan tries to turn Intel around as other semiconductor companies pull ahead in the AI boom Despite the AI boom, Intel was not lifted on the wave of demand for chips. Gelsinger’s departure and …

Who is Intel’s New CEO? 5 Key Things to Know

Who is Intel’s New CEO? 5 Key Things to Know

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Image: Intel Intel has named chip industry veteran Lip-Bu Tan as its new CEO, effective March 18. The 65-year-old spent 12 years as the CEO of Cadence Design Systems, a company specializing in software and hardware solutions for chip design, during which he doubled its revenue. Tan also founded a venture capital firm that has backed numerous successful tech startups and served on the boards of major tech companies, including Intel, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, and Schneider Electric. “Together, we will work hard to restore Intel’s position as a world-class products company, establish ourselves as a world-class foundry and delight our customers like never before,” Tan said in a letter to Intel employees on Wednesday. TechRepublic breaks down key details about the Malaysian-born executive as he takes charge of the U.S. tech giant. 1. Tan was on Intel’s board of directors As CEO of Cadence Design Systems, Tan oversaw the company’s supply of design solutions and IP to Intel. He also served on Intel’s board of directors from 2022 to 2024. This was a significant era …

TSMC Proposes Shared Takeover with Chip Giants

TSMC Proposes Shared Takeover with Chip Giants

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Intel foundry. Image: Intel Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company has offered a share in its proposed acquisition of Intel’s chip foundries to NVIDIA, Broadcom, and AMD, sources told Reuters. The Taiwanese chipmaker intends to oversee the operations of Intel’s fab division, but aims to retain less than 50% ownership and is seeking multiple partners for the deal. Intel’s reluctance and internal divisions According to the anonymous sources, Intel does not want to sell its chip design house separately from the foundry division, which manufactures custom chips for its customers. Intel executives are also divided on whether striking any deal is a good idea. Last month, it was reported that TSMC and Broadcom were considering splitting the U.S. company’s manufacturing and design arms between them. Intel’s factories already operate somewhat independently; since 2022, they have taken orders from outside customers and in-house at equal priority. More about data centers Challenges in potential TSMC-Intel partnership TSMC has its own demands when it comes to the joint venture, as it wants any potential investors to also be Intel advanced-manufacturing …

A Country’s ‘Radical Approach’ to Chip Production Includes New 0M Deal

A Country’s ‘Radical Approach’ to Chip Production Includes New $250M Deal

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Image: ellinnur/Envato Elements With an eye toward boosting Malaysia beyond chip assembly and into more lucrative semiconductor production, Arm Holdings Plc will provide the Southeast Asian country with chip designs and technology. The Malaysian government will pay the Softbank Group-owned Arm $250 million over a 10-year period for semiconductor-related licenses and access to intellectual property. Deal includes training 10,000 chip engineers The plan is to enable Malaysian companies to design their own chips with the goal of exporting $1.2 billion in semiconductors by 2030. Malaysia’s semiconductor industry has traditionally focused on midstream and downstream operations. The terms of the deal include Arm training 10,000 chip engineers and providing support toward the development of locally designed semiconductor products, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said in a speech. Arm will open its first Southeast Asian office in Kuala Lumpur to enhance its regional presence, including in Australia and New Zealand, according to Ibrahim. See: Boosting R&D Could Lift Australia’s GDP by 3%, Report Finds More about Innovation Shifting focus to build ‘the whole ecosystem’ Malaysia joins an increasing …

Trump Calls for CHIPS Act Repeal, Slams ‘Horrible’ Subsidies

Trump Calls for CHIPS Act Repeal, Slams ‘Horrible’ Subsidies

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Image: Gage Skidmore U.S. President Donald Trump has called on Congress to “get rid of” the 2022 CHIPS and Science Act, arguing the semiconductor funding law funnels billions to foreign companies without meaningful returns for the U.S. Speaking during a joint address to Congress on March 4, Trump criticized the act’s $39 billion in semiconductor manufacturing incentives, particularly funds allocated to Taiwanese chip giant TSMC. Trump targets TSMC “We’re not giving them any money,” Trump said, referring to Taiwanese chipmaker TSMC. “Your CHIPS Act is a horrible, horrible thing. We give hundreds of billions of dollars. It doesn’t mean anything. All that was important was they didn’t want to pay the tariffs.” His remarks came soon after TSMC announced plans to expand its U.S. operations with three new fabrication plants, two advanced packaging facilities and a major R&D team center — an ambitious $165 billion investment. The company, which supplies semiconductors to Apple, NVIDIA, AMD, Broadcom, and Qualcomm, has already established a facility in Phoenix under the CHIPS Act but has faced repeated delays. “You …

TSMC’s 0B Investment in US Data Centers Sets Foreign Investment Record

TSMC’s $100B Investment in US Data Centers Sets Foreign Investment Record

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Image: Wikimedia Commons/TrickHunter Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company has pledged to spend an additional $100 billion building data centres in the U.S., bringing total spend up to $160 billion. The investment will go into building three new fabrication plants in Phoenix, Arizona, as well as two packaging facilities and a research center. TSMC has dubbed it the “largest single foreign direct investment in U.S. history,” and says the build itself will create 40,000 construction jobs at the Fab 21 complex over the next four years. Once up and running, tens of thousands of new “high-paying, high-tech” jobs in chip manufacturing and research will be added while generating over $200 billion in indirect economic output nationwide. TSMC’s history in the U.S. started in 2020, when it committed $12 billion to build its first Arizona factory. It raised this figure to $40 billion in 2022 with the announcement of a second fab, and then $65 billion last April with a third. The long-term benefits may not be felt for a while, though, as the second factory’s opening date …

TSMC announces 0 billion investment in US chipmaking

TSMC announces $100 billion investment in US chipmaking

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Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. – the world’s biggest chipmaker – will invest at least $100 billion to expand chip manufacturing in the US. During a press conference on Monday, President Donald Trump said the funding would go toward building two additional chip manufacturing facilities in Phoenix, Arizona. The $100 billion investment builds upon the $65 billion TSMC has already committed to building three Arizona factories, as well as the $6.6 billion the Biden administration awarded to TSMC under the CHIPS Act. TSMC began producing 4-nanometer chips at its Arizona plant in January, but its future factories are expected to make chips using “2nm or even more advanced process technology” by the end of the decade, according to the company’s website. Last year, TSMC pushed back the timeline for its second Arizona plant, saying it will open in 2027 or 2028 instead of 2026. “We are producing the most advanced chip made on US soil with the success of our first plant,” TSMC CEO C.C. Wei said during the press conference. “We’re going to create thousands …