… Water isn't the only concern for Taiwan's industrial production; another emerging threat comes from supply chain disruptions from the Middle East conflict . …
… Related Story PS6 Launch Timing Remains Undecided as Memory Shortages Persist; Sony Also Books $800M Bungie Impairment Loss Etron's Chairman claims that one of the reasons the DRAM supply chain has seen massive disruptions is that a few years ago, manufacturers weren't focusing on increasing produc… …
… The usual countermeasures expected from the likes of TSMC, Samsung, and SK hynix include optimizing production processes, limiting output, or raising prices to account for higher shipping costs. …
… It won't be wrong to say that a disruption in TSMC's production lines could affect the supply chain in a much broader way, which is why many of us are closely watching what TSMC has to say about the situation at its next earnings call. …
…Talking about quarterly earnings, SMIC's co-CEO, Zhao Haijun, says that the ongoing memory supercycle has disrupted the supply chain, creating significant impacts on customers, particularly mobile and PC manufacturers. Related…
… More importantly, TSMC accounts for more than 10% of Taiwan's total electricity output, meaning any disruptions could have a profound effect on TSMC's semiconductor production lines. …
… Mainstream firms responsible for DRAM production, such as Samsung, SK hynix, and Micron, have shifted their focus towards HBM by converting existing production lines and scaling up process technology, which is currently at a 1c node. …
… But, before we dive into this, let's take a look at how TSMC plans to address the concerns around supply disruptions. First, the Taiwan chip giant is heavily expanding American production, shifting cutting-edge processes like 2nm way ahead of the original timeline. …
… The M15X fab, dedicated to HBM production, is set to begin full-scale mass production next year. …
… Judging by the reports in the past few months, 2026 could be one of the more 'troublesome' years to buy new PC components, and it could even surpass the COVID-19 and crypto-mining era troubles, in terms of the intensity of supply chain disruptions. …