Key Insight
TSMC has begun early construction on its 1.4nm fab at Central Taiwan Science Park, marking a record-setting investment of up to $49 billion and putting it at least two years ahead of major competitors like Samsung and Intel.
Background:
Preparatory work for TSMC’s first 1.4nm plant started in August 2025, with full construction set for October 2025 as part of the Fab 25 project, which expects trial production by end of 2027 and mass production in late 2028. Samsung has delayed its 1.4nm mass production to 2029, while Intel is reconsidering its own 14A (1.4nm) roadmap.
Top Three Reasons This Matters:
1. TSMC’s $39-49 billion investment is among the largest in semiconductor history, dramatically expanding manufacturing capacity for next-gen AI and computing chips.
2. The 1.4nm process will deliver up to 15% speed improvement or 30% lower power consumption compared to current 2nm technology, and Apple, AMD, Qualcomm, and MediaTek have already secured volume.
3. Samsung and Intel now trail TSMC’s advanced node timeline by at least two years, cementing TSMC’s lead as the world’s premier chipmaker amid surging Q2 2025 revenues of $30.1 billion.
Credit perplexity
https://www.perplexity.ai/page/tsmc-starts-building-1-4nm-chi-IC3xfi47Sl.k.Nut0EYABw