
Zhang Zhongmou (Morris Chang), the founder of TSMC, had previously prophesied that "the manufacturing cost is too high and there is a lack of relevant talents" to set up a factory in the United States. Figure / photo of this newspaper
Affected by the lack of installed professionals, TSMC recently admitted that the mass production of the U.S. plant will be delayed by one year to 2025. At the same time, the US Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) also warned that the US semiconductor industry will be short of 67,000 workers in 2030, which will impact the US' efforts to revitalize the chip industry. The above news confirms TSMC founder Zhang Zhongmou's previous prophecy that "the manufacturing cost is too high and there is a lack of relevant talents" to set up a factory in the United States.
According to a study by SIA and Oxford Economics in the United States, based on the current student graduation rate, by 2030, there will be a talent gap of about 67,000 in the US semiconductor industry, among which computer scientists, engineers and technicians will have the most severe talent shortage. , the overall U.S. economy-related talent gap is as high as 1.4 million people. About half of the jobs in the future chip industry will be engineers.
SIA CEO John Neuffer said that semiconductor talents have always been the driving force of growth and innovation in the chip industry and the US economy. He believes that the short-term solution is to adjust immigration policies to retain and attract more talented people from all over the world.
In fact, chip companies have been struggling to find suitable employees in the United States. TSMC stated at the conference last week that the Arizona plant in the United States is currently facing some challenges. Due to the shortage of skilled installed personnel, the time for mass production of the 4nm process will be postponed from the end of 2024 to 2025.
Zhang Zhongmou has repeatedly warned that setting up factories in the United States lacks talents and the cost is too high. The Brookings Institution, an important think tank in the United States, interviewed Zhang Zhongmou on the Podcast program in mid-April last year to share the history of establishing the world's largest wafer foundry. He mentioned that the United States has the world's best talents in chip design, but faces a serious shortage of talents in chip manufacturing. In addition, the cost of manufacturing chips in the United States is 50% more expensive than that in Taiwan. It is difficult to compete with the world. It is expensive and futile. lift.
Zhang Zhongmou also cited TSMC's 25 years of manufacturing experience in the Oregon factory in the United States as an example. The cost of developing wafer manufacturing in the United States is too high and too wasteful. In the past, TSMC has arranged American and foreign personnel for the Oregon factory many times, but There is no way to reduce the cost too much. Although the Oregon plant can make a profit, it has almost given up the expansion plan.

張忠謀神預言 美晶片業自爆2030驚人慘況 - 工商時報
受到裝機專業人才不足的影響,台積電日前坦承美國廠量產延後一年至2025年。與此同時,美國半導體產業協會(SIA)也警告,2030年美國半體業將缺工6.7萬人,衝擊美國振興晶片業的努力。上述消息,在在印證台積電創辦人張忠謀此前神預言,赴美設廠「製造成本太高、缺乏相關人才」。