The first US plant to make A-series chips for Apple devices is expected to begin mass production as early as this quarter, says a new report.
It implies that test production by TSMC has already begun, with Apple said to be in the final stage of verifying the chips produced in Arizona …
‘Made in America’ Apple chips
Apple first announced its plan for ‘Made in America’ chips back in 2022, with the news hailed as one of the success stories of the US CHIPS Act. This is a government subsidy program intended to free the US from dependence on China for advanced chip supplies and to generate jobs for US workers.
The initiative will see a series of TSMC chipmaking plants built in Arizona, with some of the production reserved for Apple chips for older devices.
Mass production was originally set to begin in 2024, but the project fell behind schedule, pushing production into this year. Later production of smaller-process 2nm chips has been delayed until 2028.
There were claims that the first plant would be a paperweight, as output would need to be sent back to Taiwan for what’s known as the ‘packaging’ process of encapsulating different circuit boards into a single chip. Apple later announced that it would commission another US-based facility to package the chips.
Controversy has surrounded TSMC’s hiring for the plants, with many workers brought in from Taiwan instead of recruited in the US. The company initially said this was a temporary measure during the construction phase, but this was called into question when the situation remained unchanged last year. A lawsuit has accused the company of “anti-American discrimination.”
First US plant almost ready for mass production
A brief Nikkei report implies that test production has already been completed, and that mass production will soon begin.
Apple is in the final stage of verifying its first “made in America” cutting edge processor chips from Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co’s plant in Arizona. The first batch of commercial mass-produced chips is expected as early as this quarter, after the quality assurance processes are completed, people briefed on the matter said.
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