Taiwanese company TSMC has launched production of chips for AMD Ryzen 9000 processors for personal computers in Arizona at its Fab 21 plant, as well as the production of some components of the Apple S9 motherboard for smartwatches. The chips are manufactured using TSMC N4 4nm technology and an improved version of the 5nm N4P process.
Particular attention was drawn to the mention of an AMD processor codenamed Grand Rapids, which had not previously been reported. Presumably, this could be a new development from AMD, created specifically for testing production in Arizona. However, there is a possibility that this is just a mistake in the name, and in fact we are talking about the Granite Ridge series, which is already known. Regardless of this, the launch of AMD production in the USA is a significant event for TSMC, as it indicates the successful implementation of the company’s plans on schedule.
It is worth mentioning another problem for TSMC related to the lack of personnel in production in the USA. According to sources, the company has opened several hundred vacancies for its employees from Taiwan, as, despite the desire to attract local workers, the recruitment of qualified personnel has not been going smoothly.