TSMC Starts Next-Gen Mass Production as World Fights Over Chips

  • Firm mass produces 3 nm chips, to adopt 2nm in Taiwan plants
  • Concern grows over global reliance on Taiwan for high-end tech
A ceremony at TSMC’s Tainan campus on Dec. 29.Photographer: Lam Yik Fei/Bloomberg
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Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. kicked off mass production of next-generation chips Thursday, ensuring the island remains the linchpin of a critical technology fought over by governments from Washington to Beijing.

The primary chipmaker for Apple Inc. began bulk production of advanced 3-nanometer chips at its Tainan campus in southern Taiwan. In doing so, TSMC follows Samsung Electronics Co. in gearing up on production of a technology that’s expected to control the next lineup of cutting-edge devices from iPhones to internet servers to supercomputers.