Towards the end of September 2025, TSMC's Fab 21 wafer fabrication plant located in Arizona, USA, encountered a production stoppage that lasted for several hours. Additionally, some wafers had to be scrapped. This occurred because the Linde Group, a supplier, experienced an abrupt power outage, which disrupted the supply of crucial gases. TSMC has officially acknowledged the incident but refrained from revealing the exact extent of the losses incurred.

This mishap brought to light the potential hazards associated with TSMC's heavy reliance on external services for its operations in the United States, especially the outsourcing approach employed for vital components like gas supply. In contrast to the direct infrastructure management seen in Taiwan, the outsourcing model adopted at the U.S. plant renders it more susceptible to breakdowns in external connections.

To bolster the resilience of its supply chain and enhance its risk mitigation capabilities, TSMC intends to take a proactive stance in refining its response strategies during the upcoming second and third phases of Fab 21's construction. This incident has not only had repercussions on TSMC's financial standing but has also drawn attention to the fragility inherent in the global semiconductor supply chain.