Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) has confirmed plans to develop its 1.4-nanometer process, designated A14, at facilities in Taiwan. The company will use complex multi-patterning techniques for production, foregoing ASML’s High-NA EUV machinery for this specific node.
While TSMC is on schedule to commence 2nm wafer production by the end of 2025, it is simultaneously advancing its manufacturing roadmap. According to a report by Commercial Times, the company plans to break ground on its 1.4nm fabrication plant in Taichung by the end of this year. The established manufacturing timeline targets the second half of 2028 for the start of mass production. The A14 process is expected to provide a reduction in power consumption of up to 30 percent compared to previous nodes.
The project’s operational and developmental activities will be distributed across multiple sites. The core research and development for the 1.4nm process will be conducted at TSMC’s plant in Hsinchu. In parallel, the company has already started recruitment for its new Taichung facility, for which construction permits for three buildings were officially issued in August. This strategic division allows for specialized focus on both the R&D and future production phases.
To support this initiative, TSMC’s initial investment is projected to reach NT$1.5 trillion, which is equivalent to approximately $49 billion. A significant portion of this capital expenditure is reportedly earmarked for the acquisition of 30 standard extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography machines, with the procurement planned for 2027. This investment underscores the scale of the infrastructure required for the advanced manufacturing process.
The decision not to acquire ASML’s High-NA EUV equipment was noted by analyst Dan Nystedt, who attributed the choice to the high cost of the machinery, which is priced at around $400 million per unit. TSMC has previously indicated that its existing hardware is capable of mass-producing 1.4nm wafers. The company will instead rely on its current generation of EUV tools combined with advanced patterning methods to achieve the desired feature sizes.
TSMC will break ground on its first 1.4nm (14 Angstrom) fab in Taichung, Taiwan by end-2025, with mass production in the 2nd half-2028, media report, noting the A14 process will be developed at TSMC’s R&D fab in Hsinchu (BaoShan) Fab 20. The Taichung fab, Fab 25, has already…
— Dan Nystedt (@dnystedt) October 14, 2025
The alternative multi-patterning approach, similar to a technique employed by SMIC for its 5nm process, presents distinct challenges. This method is known to be more time-consuming and costly than single-patterning EUV. It is also anticipated to result in lower initial yields, necessitating a trial-and-error cycle to gradually improve the process and increase output efficiency over time.
A key distinction between TSMC and SMIC in this context is that TSMC already possesses the specialized EUV equipment necessary to execute this complex technique effectively. Since the mass production timeline is still several years away, the company has a substantial period to refine and perfect the 1.4nm node before it enters high-volume manufacturing.
