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etempleton 2 days ago

US company. R&D is more important than the fabs. TSMC is under threat from China.

equinox_nl a day ago | parent [-]

Gee I wonder why the US gov showered TSMC in money to build a fab on US soil.

etempleton a day ago | parent [-]

Again, that is nice in the short term, but not for long term development if the worst happens between China and Taiwan.

OnlineGladiator a day ago | parent [-]

We'd still have the fab on US soil even if they went to war. I don't think China would invade the US over it.

etempleton 11 hours ago | parent [-]

What about the next fab? And the fab after that? Yes, for the short term the USA has a cutting edge fab on US soil, but what about 10 years after that? The US would lack the ability to build future cutting edge fabs.

OnlineGladiator 9 hours ago | parent [-]

Having TSMC build a fab on US soil doesn't prevent any parallel efforts. If anything having the workforce here would make it easier to build future fabs.

etempleton 7 hours ago | parent [-]

I never said it did. Having a fab on US soil is important for the short term, but you need cutting edge fabs on US soil in the future too and that doesn't happen unless you are doing a lot of research.

Okay, so Taiwan is blockaded or invaded by China. The USA has a 3nm TSMC fab that they can assume control over, and, yes, they have the labor of that fab, great, but what about 2 nm? 1 nm? Etc? Without TSMCs R&D does the US have a cutting edge fab in 10 years? 20 years? Beyond? There is literally no other company in the United States that could even hope to expand their capabilities to be considered on the cutting edge within the next 15 years.

OnlineGladiator 7 hours ago | parent [-]

The easiest way to get TSMC's R&D in the US is to have them build a fab here and have employees here. If China invades Taiwan, and TSMC has employees that want to flee to somewhere else, the US would be the most logical option. If they already have a fab here, an established workforce and infrastructure here, that's better than having to start from nothing.

etempleton 7 hours ago | parent [-]

Taiwan as a country doesn't want that. There is a reason they only fab their latest and greatest chips domestically in Taiwan. It is of Taiwan's national interest and of TSMCs interest to do everything they can to ensure that the US protects them from China.

Again, it is a net positive for the US to have TSMC manufacture chips on US soil, so I am not arguing against that point, I simply posit it is not enough from a US national security / technology leadership standpoint.

OnlineGladiator 7 hours ago | parent [-]

I think we agree and we've just been talking past each other. Cheers.

etempleton 6 hours ago | parent [-]

Best.