Top contract chipmaker Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. and two other Taiwan chipmakers began work on Tuesday on new plants for a $14.7 billion complex that TSMC said is part of a long-term commitment to investing in the island. TSMC's facility at the Hsinchu Science Park will include an advanced 12-inch wafer plant to make chips for computers and a wide range of consumer gadgets.
"We will have both R&D and manufacturing in the new plants," said J.H. Tzeng, a TSMC spokesman, although he declined to give his own company's investment figure. The Hsinchu Science Park said in a statement on Tuesday that TSMC, Powerchip Semiconductor, and Vanguard were investing a total of $14.7 billion to build new plants, creating eventual production value of $9.81 billion annually. The three companies conducted a joint ground-breaking ceremony.
