TSMC joins Sematech, cites 450-mm wafer R&D
As the cost of investing in advanced node semiconductor fabs continues to rise asymptotically the country club of companies that will be able to afford it will become more exclusive. This is a very favorable trend for TSMC (largest semi foundry in the solar system). Equipment makers don't want to foot the bill for the full R&D as they may never recover this. Therefore it is no surprise that there are a few companies like Intel, Samsung, and TSMC that are needed to drive the development of 450 mm silicon wafers. Many have speculated when they will be available in production. Mechanical samples are available today in limited quantities. Full production is probably 3-5 years away. There is still a lot of room for growth with migration to 300mm wafers. But, it is safe to say that we are now in the same decade as the often debated launch of 450 mm wafers.
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