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Report: TSMC Weighs Entering Advanced Memory Chip Manufacturing, Potentially Building 3D DRAM for Nvidia
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- DeepHorus
On November 6, tech media outlet The Information reported, citing two people familiar with the matter, that TSMC is considering expanding its business footprint into advanced memory chip manufacturing. The report said the move is intended to allow TSMC to capture a larger share of the rapidly expanding AI hardware supply chain. TSMC has recently begun planning, at the request of its largest customer Nvidia, to produce an advanced memory chip called 3D DRAM.
3D DRAM increases capacity by vertically stacking memory cells and is regarded as one of the key directions for meeting AI computing's demand for high-bandwidth, high-density memory. TSMC has long focused on wafer foundry and logic chip manufacturing, while the memory chip market has long been dominated by Samsung Electronics, SK Hynix, and Micron. If TSMC enters this field, it would mean extending its business into the memory chip market.
The report indicates that TSMC has not yet determined a mass-production timeline, nor has it made a final decision on the source of production capacity. The company is evaluating two paths: one is to build a dedicated new plant, and the other is to acquire an existing wafer fab and convert it into a memory production facility. The related planning is still at an early stage, and the specific investment scale and site selection have not been disclosed.
For Nvidia, obtaining a closer supply of advanced memory would help ease supply pressure on the high-bandwidth memory required for AI accelerators. High-bandwidth memory supply is an important part of expanding AI accelerator production, and tight supply could affect delivery schedules. If TSMC moves into 3D DRAM manufacturing, it could also bring new changes to the division of labor in the AI hardware supply chain.
However, the news remains a market rumor. TSMC responded by saying it does not comment on market rumors or speculation, and stressed that the company has always focused on its core wafer foundry business. Nvidia did not respond to requests for comment, and neither company has officially confirmed any 3D DRAM plans.
The industry is watching whether TSMC will move from evaluation to actual investment. If the mass-production timeline, source of production capacity, and customer orders gradually become clear, advanced memory chip manufacturing could become an important direction for its next phase of business expansion. But before that, the related plans still carry uncertainty, and TSMC has not announced any timetable.
