Source from Korean Media
AI6칩 생산 시점은 2027년, 생산량은 월 1만장 규모
dealsite.co.kr
Google translate:
"Recently, Samsung Electronics has taken advantage of TSMC's lack of capacity (CAPA, production capacity) to secure a small amount of orders for the 3nm and below advanced processes. If 95% is entrusted to TSMC, the remaining 5% is to be entrusted to Samsung Electronics. However, it has been reported that
even this 5% is likely to be transferred back to TSMC due to yield issues."
Is it possible that Elon Musk wants to get into semi business since Tesla business is NOT booming? "If tiny island Taiwanese can do it, why can't I, with money and man power?" Maybe he will buy out Samsung USA, xx cent on the dollar, if Samsung does not meet the contract terms.
Samsung, between the rock and hard place, is so desperate to drink the poison to quench the thirst.
It's also interesting to know what kind of people in charge and sent to Samsung, H1B workers from China? Both Elon Musk & current Korean administration are Pro-China? "明修棧道,暗渡陳倉"?
The following is an interesting Q&A conversation during recent TSMC Q2 2025 earnings call. I believe the particular TSMC customer mentioned is Tesla.
"Brad Lin - Bank of America - Analyst
I have two questions. My first one is on the humanoid robot. So we have learned that humanoid robot started to contribute to TSMC, and it is gaining momentum as the next frontier of the AI hardware. How does TSMC evaluate the market size of humanoid robot in the semiconductor and in terms of the potential market TAM, compute, and also sensor requirements? And do you think that might be another driver potentially for mature nodes, too?
Jeff Su - Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Ltd - Director of Investor Relations
Okay. Thank you, Brad. So Brad's first question is around humanoid robots. We're starting to see some contribution. He wants to understand how do we evaluate the market size. What is the addressable opportunities for TSMC in the long term at the leading edge and also on the mature nodes with certain type of specialty?
C.C. Wei - Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Ltd - Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
Brad, it's too early. Actually, it's too early to say the humanoid robot will play a role in this year. Next year, probably it's still too early because it's so
complicated. You know that the humanoid robot, well, most of the time will be used -- I think the first one will be used in medical industry to take care of the people getting old like me. And probably someday, I need some humanoid robot to help me.
But it's very complicated because we are talking about the brain only, actually, you're talking about a lot of sensor technology, that's the image sensor, the pressure sensor, the temperature sensor, and all the feedback to the CPU. And so it's very complicated.
And since it's dealing with human being directly, it has to be very, very careful. But then once they start to fly, it was a big, big plus. I talked to one of my customers, and he said that the EV car is nothing, his robot will be 10 times of that. I'm waiting for that. Okay.
Did that answer your question?
Brad Lin - Bank of America - Analyst
Yes, yes. I believe the client definitely owns EV cars and robots, too, so he knows it well.
So my second question will be on the potential pulling ahead of the so-called reflecting the value into 2026. So we know, well, normally, we continue to reflect the value into our pricing. So given the potentially higher pricing into 2026, are you observing any signs of demand pulling from the customers in the second half of the year?
And potentially, well, given the tight pipeline of N3 and N5, will we see a continued strength into 4Q, even though we already guided potential
decline, but yeah, any pulling in potentially?
Jeff Su - Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Ltd - Director of Investor Relations
Okay. Brad, second question, very specifically, he's asking as C.C. talked about that we will continue to earn our value, do we see any customers trying to pull in their demand ahead of 2026 into the second half of this year? And do we have any additional comments to offer on the fourth quarter besides what we have already shared?
C.C. Wei - Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Ltd - Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
Well, the answer is no. We do not see any different customers or behavior so far, okay? But let me share with you and add more color. If you are talking about the 3-nanometer's demand, for example, the cycle time itself will take about four months. So there's no way you can pull in anything. I mean that's -- yeah, and we have -- as I said, our capacity is very, very tight. So we already have all the schedules. And so very little room for pull-in, let me say that, even they want it. But, No. The answer is no. So 2026 is 2026, we will share with you."