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Just weeks after a Taiwanese minister said it was illegal for TSMC to transfer its advanced processing technology, such as N2 (2nm class), from Taiwan to its overseas factories, another minister said that after the N2 (2nm class) entered mass production N2 in the second half of 2025, discussions on the transfer of the node to friendly democratic nations can take place, reports Economic daily (as noted Dan Nystedt). Still, TSMC plans to start manufacturing 2nm-class chips in the United States by the end of the decade.

According to the company’s roadmap, TSMC’s N2 manufacturing process is expected to enter mass production by the end of 2025. At that time, discussions could take place on whether the 2nm manufacturing process should be extended to other friendly democratic countries, said Cheng-Wen Wu, country director. Minister of the Science and Technology Council (NTSC). This comment comes after JW Kuo, Minister of Economic Affairs, reminded us that TSMC cannot transfer its cutting-edge technology to other countries due to Taiwanese regulations. As a result, the best production node that TSMC can use in the United States in 2025-2026 will be N3 (3nm class process technology).

Based on TSMC’s current roadmap for its Fab 21 (which is aligned with funding under the CHIPS Act), phase 1 of the facility is expected to begin mass production of chips on the N4 and N5 nodes in the first half of 2025, phase 2 is expected to produce chips using N3 technologies in 2028, and phase 3 is expected to produce chips of class 2nm. chips by the end of the decade. However, concerns are growing that TSMC may be forced to transfer its cutting-edge 2nm-class process technology to its U.S. fab sooner than expected.

During the campaign, Trump criticized the Biden administration’s chip and science law and said import duties would be a better incentive for chipmakers to build manufacturing plants in the United States such as grants, loan guarantees and tax credits. If it implemented such tariffs, it would force TSMC to shift more of its advanced nodes to its Arizona facilities. However, given the shortage of manufacturing tools, it is uncertain whether the company will be able to equip its factories sooner than expected.

There are two things to remember about TSMC’s advanced manufacturing processes and why they will remain exclusive to Taiwanese facilities, the analyst noted. Dan Nystedt. The main reason why TSMC’s most advanced process technologies stay in Taiwan is that they are designed in Taiwan and then developed in Taiwan. With the presence of the R&D team, it is easier to accelerate mass production and adjust a process technology for mass production. That said, TSMC’s cutting-edge nodes are unlikely to enter mass production simultaneously in Taiwan and elsewhere anytime soon.