TSMC to expand 2013 capex to $10 billion

LONDON – Foundry chip maker Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. is planning to set capital expenditure for 2013 at $10 billion, up from about $8.25 billion in 2012, according to reports that reference the Chinese-language Economic Daily News. Reports also reckon TSMC will be making processors for Apple in 2013.

A Taiwan Economic News report said that TSMC has overcome technical problems with a 20-nm process technology that future Apple processors have been designed to use and has informed semiconductor equipment suppliers of its decision to raise capital expenditure to $10 billion.

Pilot production of Apple processors is expected to start in the first half of 2013 with volume production following in the second half, the report said.

The money will be mainly spent on advanced lithography tools to expand production of 28-nm and 20-nm manufacturing capacity and for the development of 16-nm process technology, the report said.


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