Image by "Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd."

Hsinchu, Taiwan is the location of TSMC AP1, one of their first “foundries” for computer chips. This cluster of mega-size buildings is where the magic of chip making happens. This is one of six or more clusters in Taiwan where the most advanced chips, the 5nm, 3nm, and next in line 2nm are made. 80% of the world’s most advanced chips are made here.

The Boeing plant in Everett, WA, the world’s largest indoor assembly facility could likely fit inside the volume of this one TSMC cluster.

There are two mega-size plants being made northeast of Scottsdale, AZ. It will take years until these are operational. Chip making is like Swiss watch making quality and machine tolerances, except on exponentially larger scale.

The Taiwanese are the modern Swiss like chip makers that the world depends on.

TSMC Fab 21 under construction in November 2023 in Phoenix, Arizona
Image by TrickHunter