TSMC facing environmental issues in manufacturing 2nm chips. Even though the world’s largest chipmaker, TSMC, is currently busy manufacturing 7nm, 5nm, and 4nm wafers, the company is already planning for a future with 2nm chips.
TSMC plans to expand its production with an additional plant to handle the 2nm node, which they hope to mass-produce by 2024. However, the manufacturer is running into some environmental issues.
As reported by Taiwan’s United Daily News, TSMC’s plans were halted because the company wanted to reduce water consumption in the region. The water reserves, which come from the Taichung region south of Hsinchu, would thus be exhausted. The government is calling for an 18% reduction in water consumption, from 120,000 cubic meters per day to 98,000 cubic meters per day.
By 2030, all the water it needs will come from sustainable sources and help protect the environment. TSMC has also committed to sourcing 100% of its electricity consumption from renewable sources by 2050.
Another drawback for the manufacturer is the site in the Taichung region, which is contaminated by an old oil refinery, forcing it to undertake a costly and time-consuming cleanup.
TSMC has not commented on this yet, but by August 31 the whole project is to be reviewed again to find out whether this new fab for 2nm chips is ready or not. In case of rejection, the manufacturer will have to choose another location.