What Works in Taiwan Doesn’t Always in Arizona, a Chipmaking Giant Learns
What Works in Taiwan Doesn’t Always in Arizona, a Chipmaking Giant Learns
TSMC modeled its facility in Phoenix on one at home. But bringing the company’s complex manufacturing process to America has been a bigger challenge than it expected.
You're viewing a single thread.
Whatever challenges Taiwan may face during manufacturing, I imagine them being an island surrounded by water helps. Whereas Arizona is… a desert. Unless I’m behind Arizonian lore here, I don’t think a place that imports water by the truckload is the best place for a notoriously water intensive production.
Arizona was one of the stranger locations to pick to be sure. That said, Taiwan needs purified water that can't be directly sourced from the ocean, so chip making is also causing trouble there. For example, this kind of stuff happens there https://www.npr.org/2023/04/13/1169462995/taiwan-makes-tough-decisions-as-it-faces-its-worst-drought-in-nearly-a-century
Arizona was one of the stranger locations to pick to be sure.
Not as strange as you might think.
Intel fabs have been located in Arizona for decades. There are six fabs open currently: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Intel_manufacturing_sites#Current_fab_sites
About water. The Colorado River provides the largest source of fresh water (that can be purified further and easier) for the Greater Phoenix Valley. They are stored in reservoirs behind large dams. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salt_River_Project (sorry to use natopedia but these pages were short and to the point)
It's disgusting how many data centers are located in Phoenix. It's the (mostly) dry climate, and that allows better thermal and moisture control.
EDIT: Here are the locations of Data Center in the Phoenix area. 78 just in that area. https://www.datacentermap.com/usa/arizona/phoenix/
It's disgusting how many data centers are located in Phoenix. It's the (mostly) dry climate, and that allows better thermal and moisture control.
that says to me "american data centers have cheaped out on moisture control" and one good big wet storm over arizona is gonna fuck some shit up
Nah. They already know which areas get the heaviest rains during monsoon season and which areas are prone to flooding and build accordingly.
Haven't heard of one yet that went down due to rain. That might change in the future though.
The problem is that the Colorado River is drying up https://www.outsideonline.com/outdoor-adventure/environment/colorado-river-drying-up/
And the data centers and chip fabs are mostly the cause of the problem.
Right, that's why it seems like a bad idea to build more given the current state of things.
And yet they still do. Google was the most recent.
Phoenix Arizonans are gonna die before they revolt and take back the water.
Edited for grammar.
living in phoenix for almost decade has taught me that an overwhelming majority of phoenicians don't care; so most will never notice the lack of water and will never revolt even if they did.
same is true for austin.
That said, Taiwan needs purified water that can't be directly sourced from the ocean
why not, what's wrong with distilling water from ocean water
the only difference should be the energy input required
Permanently Deleted
Desalinating and purifying the water costs energy as well, and Taiwan imports over 90% of its energy. So, there's only so much clean water they can produce, meaning that they have to make choices regarding how it's allocated.
That said, most islands tend to get more rainfall than arizona
indeed
Permanently Deleted