Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) decided on October 15, 2026, to add another 3nm fab in Tainan, Taiwan. The company scheduled volume production for the first half of 2028. Chairman and CEO C.C. Wei cited strong customer demand for the decision.
Two Tainan fabs, two production targets
The additional fab is separate from a Tainan Science Park fab that TSMC said was on track for volume production in the first half of 2027. The company’s two Tainan projects therefore have different schedules: the earlier facility targets the first half of 2027, while the newly announced fab targets the first half of 2028.
Here, 3nm is a process-node label for semiconductor manufacturing, not a direct measurement of a chip feature. TSMC also described a broader global capacity plan to add three fabs in support of a multiyear pipeline of demand for 3nm technologies.
Why TSMC is adding 3nm capacity
Wei said TSMC had historically not added capacity to a node after it reached its targeted capacity. He linked the additional Tainan fab to strong customer demand and a robust multiyear demand pipeline for 3nm. The decision departs from the capacity practice he described.
3nm’s share of TSMC wafer revenue
TSMC reported that 3nm technology accounted for 33% of its wafer revenue in the third quarter of 2026. The broader category of 7nm and below, which includes 3nm, accounted for 79%.
