Gas contamination affects TSMC’s key chipmaking facility producing iPhone and Mac processors

Apple’s main chip partner Taiwanese Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) is hit by gas contamination at its key chipmaking facility, ‘Fab 18’. Nikkie Asia reports that the factory, located in Tainan Science Park in Taiwan, is the company’s most advanced manufacturing unit which produces all the latest processors iPhone and Mac models.

TMSC produces A14 Bionic chip for iPhone 12 series and an M1 chip for Mac and iPad Pro models. The manufacturer is also allegedly producing an advanced A15 Bionic chip and M1X and M2 chip on a 5nm+ process for Apple.

TSMC- semiconductor shortage

The gas contamination at TSMC’s plant will not impact the production of processors for Apple’s iPhones and Mac computers

As per the report that the contamination was discovered on Thursday night, and TSMC is carrying out follow-ups to make sure the contamination does not impact production.

“Some TSMC production lines in the South Taiwan Science Park received certain gases from suppliers that are believed to be contaminated. These were quickly replaced with other gas supplies.

As Apple is expected to launch the four new iPhone 13 models powered by A15 Bionic chip and 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models powered by M1 chip in September, TSMC ensures that this situation will not impact production.

TSMC said it is carrying out stringent follow-up operations to ensure that there will be no issues with production quality. The company currently does not expect the incident to have a significant impact on operations, and said it will continue tracking the situation.

Sources familiar with the matter said the gas contamination affected the chip manufacturing process in a limited way and TSMC immediately called employees who had gone home to return to the factory to control the situation.

Recently the manufacturer was given a green signal by Taiwan’s Environmental Review Committee to build a 2nm chip facility in Hsinchu’s Baoshan township. It will be the most advanced chip plant yet.

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