Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. will break ground on its 1.4-nanometer chip facility in Central Taiwan on November 5, marking an acceleration of the chipmaker’s most advanced production plans as Washington seeks faster access to cutting-edge semiconductors.
The facility, requiring an estimated $46 billion investment, is slated for mass production in the second half of 2028 at the former Taichung baseball stadium site. TSMC’s supply chain indicates the timeline shift responds to American pressure for diversified chip manufacturing, though Taiwan’s regulations require the island to maintain its technological lead over overseas facilities.
The Central Taiwan Science Park facility was originally designated for 2-nanometer production before TSMC upgraded specifications to the more advanced 1.4nm process in its October filing with local authorities. The project is expected to generate up to $15.9 billion in annual revenue and create as many as 10,000 jobs.
Taiwan’s “N-1” regulation mandates chipmakers only produce older-generation nodes at foreign facilities, forcing TSMC to sequence its domestic production ahead of American operations. The company must begin volume production of 1.6nm chips in Taiwan before it can manufacture 2nm semiconductors in Arizona, where the second and third fabs are scheduled to produce 3nm and 2nm chips starting in 2028 and 2030.
Supply sources suggest TSMC may advance its fourth Central Taiwan building to accommodate 1-nanometer trial production, though development of the Tainan science park for that technology lags behind schedule. The move would ensure Taiwan retains control of leading-edge manufacturing while meeting customer demands for next-generation computing power.
