Insights from supply chain insiders disclose that the monthly wafer starts at TSMC's flagship 28nm manufacturing facility, Fab 15A, have witnessed a significant downturn, sliding from 200,000 units at the outset of the year to a current figure of 150,000 units. This translates to a substantial reduction exceeding 25%. In response, TSMC is strategically reallocating a greater portion of its 28nm production capacity towards intermediate layers, while concurrently winding down orders with slim profit margins. Looking ahead, projections indicate that by 2028, TSMC is set to curtail its 12-inch mature process production capacity at Fab 14 by a margin of 15% to 20%. This move is aimed at tackling the challenge of underutilization in traditional processes, thereby liberating resources to fuel the advancement of cutting-edge packaging technologies.
