However, the factory that was supposed to be the pioneer of independent American semiconductors was in trouble from the beginning. The completion date continues to be pushed back, and it currently seems that mass production will not be possible until 2025. Why does the United States, which has the world's top semiconductor technology and industrial scale, only have one wafer fab in trouble?
As the world's leading semiconductor country, the United States has first-tier customers. The problem is certainly not a lack of technology, equipment or demand. The United States is still the world's largest semiconductor industry country, and most semiconductor-related patents and technologies are located in the United States.
TSMC, the world's largest dedicated independent semiconductor foundry, also has the largest number of ASML EUV lithography equipment, while the United States is home to Applied Materials (AMAT), the world's largest semiconductor production equipment company. Therefore, there is no component supply chain issue.
Additionally, U.S. companies are eagerly awaiting the opening of factories in Arizona. Semiconductor design giants such as Apple and AMD have announced their intention to supply TSMC's US branch.
What the United States lacks is not semiconductor technology, but general industry talent
The problem is not advanced semiconductor equipment or technology; This is the factory itself. TSMC Chairman Mark Liu admitted during the second-quarter results conference call that "the construction of the Arizona factory is experiencing difficulties due to a lack of skilled workers."
When discussing semiconductor fabs, what usually gets the most attention is specialized equipment for semiconductor production, such as EUV lithography equipment. The devices cost billions of dollars each, and the number of companies able to manufacture them is limited, leading to ongoing supply anxiety.
However, "general industry" is equally important for fab construction. For example, today's fabs are filled with small rails used to transport FOUPs, special containers used to store and move wafers.
The robotic equipment used to position and package semiconductors must move to precisely designated locations without an inch of error. To do this job reliably requires ultra-precise motors and sensors for the joints.
At the same time, the interior of the facility must be kept clean at all times, as even the tiniest dust particles can affect output. Therefore, there are a large number of devices for stable supply of ultrapure water and special pipelines for air flow in the factory. Not only that, the power supply equipment is also arranged redundantly, because even a single shutdown of the fab requires restarting the entire process.
Therefore, investing in fab equipment is not limited to the semiconductor industry. They need specialized equipment for the mechanical, electrical/electronic and chemical industries, as well as experts from each industry who can manage and handle this diverse supply chain. In other words, managing a semiconductor factory is closer to general industrial technology than semiconductor technology.
What the United States lacks is not semiconductor engineers. If judged solely by semiconductor technology, the United States would be the unparalleled world leader. However, compared with "fab strongholds" such as Taiwan, South Korea, and China, the United States has a serious shortage of general industry technicians with experience in semiconductor factories. That's why TSMC Chairman Andy Lau moved 600 engineers from Taiwan to the Arizona fab.
"Father of Taiwan Semiconductor" Zhang Zhongmou foresaw this situation a year ago. Last year, in an interview with US media, he severely criticized the Biden administration's efforts to strengthen semiconductor manufacturing capabilities, calling it "a wasted effort." He pointed out that the reason is "a serious shortage of manpower and high labor costs."
Zhang also predicted that the narrow industrial talent pool in the United States will increase the overall cost of fab construction. The former chairman said that "the cost of manufacturing semiconductors in the United States is 50% higher than in Taiwan" and called building foundries in the United States a "waste."
Even if the Arizona fab opens and begins volume production in 2025, problems will continue. For TSMC to profit from U.S. fabs, it must pass on the initial investment costs to customers. This means that the price per chip of TSMC in the United States will be higher than that of TSMC in Taiwan or Japan, thereby weakening the price competitiveness of American electronic products.
Ultimately, if TSMC wants to stabilize its yield rate and obtain the human and material foundation to maintain its fabs for the long term,the U.S. government must continue to provide support.
However, maintaining a fab is never cheap.More than US$30 billion has been invested in the construction of the Arizona factory, and more funds will be needed to introduce new equipment and improve the factory in the future. It is unclear whether the Biden administration, and any subsequent administration that inherits power, can continue to write blank checks to TSMC until the long-cherished wish of "American semiconductor independence" is realized.
Although the United States clearly still has the world's number one semiconductor industry, the wisdom of the decision to bring the already globalized "chip production" back to the United States is still a question mark.
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