________
TSMC's cutting-edge semiconductors power phones, computers and control electronics in cars and wireless networks. TSMC has profited immensely from the current global chip shortage, caused in large part by previous US president Donald Trump's tech war against China.
The campaign has been carried over during the Biden administration, which includes hard bans on the export of any chip-making equipment made with US components to Chinese companies.
At a forum hosted by Taiwanese media outlets, Chang hailed the workhorse mentality of the Taiwanese working class, as well as the island's deep pool of high-caliber, industrious talent devoted to the chip sector.
At the same time, Chang pointed to an apparent comparative lack of talent in America's mostly moribund manufacturing sector.
"The United States stood out for cheap land and electricity when TSMC looked for an overseas site but we had to try hard to scout out competent technicians and workers in Arizona because manufacturing jobs have not been popular among American people for decades," Chang said, according to a transcript of his speech viewed by Asia Times.
Chang also warned about sending Taiwanese managers overseas to run plants.
"Computers of different brands can often be hooked together but not people of different culture," he said, referring to the preponderance of Taiwanese and Taiwan-trained managers and technicians at TSMC.
"The fact that TSMC's top-flight executives can deliver top results in Taiwan is no guarantee of similar performance when they are posted overseas." Only one Westerner sits on the company's 26-member board.
Taiwan’s state-of-the-art infrastructure helps to rev up TSMC's operations and time-to-design and time-to-market capacities, he said.
Chang said the island's efficient and well-developed high-speed rail network and cobweb of expressways provided the vital "circuitry" for TSMC's research and manufacturing between its headquarters in Hsinchu, near Taipei, and other plants across Taichung and Tainan.
"It was a breeze for us to rotate technicians and staff among the three fabs across the island and when employees change over from one location to another, they even do not need to move their homes thanks to Taiwan's bullet trains and highways and well-rounded transport and logistical support," said Chang.
Please go to Asia Times to read more.
Exclusive: Israel's chip sales to China jump as Intel expands
One of the likely reasons why China is pulling ahead on microprocessor engineering and manufacturing is because China has been bleeding off TSMC engineers from Taiwan to work at fabs in China. Taiwan is playing a very dangerous game here by allowing 3,000 chip engineers to head to China while at the same time accuses another tech firm based in China, Bitmain, of poaching their engineers. What doesn't make sense in the article above is TSMC's Morris Chang's concern about sending Taiwanese managers overseas yet is not concerned that 3,000 engineers from Taiwan landed in Chinese tech manufacturing plants?
Chinese semiconductor industry is speeding up advanced chip development
Taiwan loses 3,000 chip engineers to 'Made in China 2025'
Taiwan accuses Bitmain of poaching its top chip engineers
Source: Asia Times
TSMC founder doubts US competence in chip-making
Taiwanese semiconductor giant's founder warns of rocky road for the company's new $12 billion manufacturing plant in Arizona
By FRANK CHEN | APRIL 24, 2021
TSMC founder doubts US competence in chip-making
Taiwanese semiconductor giant's founder warns of rocky road for the company's new $12 billion manufacturing plant in Arizona
By FRANK CHEN | APRIL 24, 2021
TSMC founder Morris Chang is interviewed during the Cross-Strait Entrepreneurs Summit in Taipei in a file photo. Photo: Stringer / Imaginechina via AFP)
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) founder Morris Chang told a symposium this week that the fundamentals underlying his semiconductor production company's world domination are not easy to replicate or transplant elsewhere – including in the United States.
The company's plain-spoken founder warned in particular of challenges for the company's planned, new $12 billion fabrication plant in Phoenix, Arizona, which he and other senior executives and American officials had broken ground on less than a year ago.
TSMC's cutting-edge semiconductors power phones, computers and control electronics in cars and wireless networks. TSMC has profited immensely from the current global chip shortage, caused in large part by previous US president Donald Trump's tech war against China.
The campaign has been carried over during the Biden administration, which includes hard bans on the export of any chip-making equipment made with US components to Chinese companies.
At a forum hosted by Taiwanese media outlets, Chang hailed the workhorse mentality of the Taiwanese working class, as well as the island's deep pool of high-caliber, industrious talent devoted to the chip sector.
At the same time, Chang pointed to an apparent comparative lack of talent in America's mostly moribund manufacturing sector.
"The United States stood out for cheap land and electricity when TSMC looked for an overseas site but we had to try hard to scout out competent technicians and workers in Arizona because manufacturing jobs have not been popular among American people for decades," Chang said, according to a transcript of his speech viewed by Asia Times.
Chang also warned about sending Taiwanese managers overseas to run plants.
A security staff stands next to a logo of the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co, (TSMC) in Taipei on July 16, 2014. Photo: AFP/Sam Yeh
"Computers of different brands can often be hooked together but not people of different culture," he said, referring to the preponderance of Taiwanese and Taiwan-trained managers and technicians at TSMC.
"The fact that TSMC's top-flight executives can deliver top results in Taiwan is no guarantee of similar performance when they are posted overseas." Only one Westerner sits on the company's 26-member board.
Taiwan’s state-of-the-art infrastructure helps to rev up TSMC's operations and time-to-design and time-to-market capacities, he said.
Chang said the island's efficient and well-developed high-speed rail network and cobweb of expressways provided the vital "circuitry" for TSMC's research and manufacturing between its headquarters in Hsinchu, near Taipei, and other plants across Taichung and Tainan.
"It was a breeze for us to rotate technicians and staff among the three fabs across the island and when employees change over from one location to another, they even do not need to move their homes thanks to Taiwan's bullet trains and highways and well-rounded transport and logistical support," said Chang.
Please go to Asia Times to read more.
________
A subject that this article did not discuss and that is when President Trump announced a "trade war" with China it benefitted Israel enormously. When China faced a chip shortage it turned to Israel for their microprocessors. The story here is Israel can sell chips to China while there is a "trade war" going on between the US and China that only compromised more US manufacturers?
Exclusive: Israel's chip sales to China jump as Intel expands
One of the likely reasons why China is pulling ahead on microprocessor engineering and manufacturing is because China has been bleeding off TSMC engineers from Taiwan to work at fabs in China. Taiwan is playing a very dangerous game here by allowing 3,000 chip engineers to head to China while at the same time accuses another tech firm based in China, Bitmain, of poaching their engineers. What doesn't make sense in the article above is TSMC's Morris Chang's concern about sending Taiwanese managers overseas yet is not concerned that 3,000 engineers from Taiwan landed in Chinese tech manufacturing plants?
Chinese semiconductor industry is speeding up advanced chip development
Taiwan loses 3,000 chip engineers to 'Made in China 2025'
What makes Taiwan's TSMC microprocessing manufacturer so power and potent is because TSMC uses laser machines manufactured in the Netherlands by the Dutch firm ASML. These are the critical machines that make the machines and ASML is blowing the records on revenue. They are so sensitive that there were reports of alleged Chinese hackers trying to break inside ASML to learn the secrets to the heart of these machines: the EUV (extreme ultra violet) lithography lasers manufactured by the German company Zeiss. President Trump while in office warned ASML about contracting with and selling these enormously expensive machines to China. Now that Trump is out of office it will be interesting to see if ASML continues to sell its equipment to China while the Dutch firm hires engineers from Taiwan. Without the Dutch firm ASML's machines Taiwan's TSMC goes nowhere in microprocessing manufacturing.
Then when it is considered that through private equity firms that are outsourcing tech jobs to Israel, is it any wonder why TSMC's Morris Chang "doubts American competence in chip-making?"
Not only American tech jobs being outsourced to Israel, but Israel being a continued tech beneficiary of any further confrontation between China and the US. All we can ask is, was it a wise decision for US foreign policy wonks to initiate this trade war with all this war rhetoric with China as it heats up while America loses its gip on this technology?
This is an interesting perspective considering Apple no longer uses Intel chips but chips manufactured by TSMC in Taiwan. At the same time Intel has moved its operations to Israel. Will Intel's current CEO reverse Israel's hopes for Intel in Israel? As this article indicates, Intel is losing out but will Intel come roaring back to dominate the chip industry only this time from Israel? All the news sources discussing this technology and microprocessor manufacturing all have different perspectives as to be expected.
The Smaller the Lines, the Bigger the Laser - The Machines That Build the Machines - Powering Up the Fourth Industrial Revolution - ASML's Relation With China - Lithography (EUV) Powered by Zeiss: Most Expensive Machines in the World - Covid-Induced World Trade Crumbles Except Technology
Israeli Semiconductors and the US-China Tech War
From Deng Xiaoping to 7nm Microprocessors and Hundreds of Chinese Companies Listed on US Stock Exchanges - Taiwan Is the "Tool Shed" of the 4th Industrial Revolution - Rumblings Inside the US Navy - Provocations In the South China Sea - Today's History Lesson: China Had Help "Transforming"
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