TSMC's 28nm yield is now over 80%,according to Taiwan's Chinese language newspaper the Commercial Times.
The Commercial Times quoted sources from TSMC's equipment suppliers for the information.
According to another Taiwan newspaper,the Taiwan Economic News,TSMC's 28nm capacity is now running at 100,000 wafers a month,up from the 25,000 wafers a month capacity in Q2.
TSMC's fab 15,in the Central Taiwan Science Park,is said to be ending Q3 with 69,000 28nm wafer per month capacity and will expand that to 135,000 wpm in Q4.
TSMC spent$3.6m,mostly on 28nm capacity,in the first half,and has budgeted a capex of$8-8.5bn for the year.So there's$5bn still be to be spent.
The news makes it more likely that TSMC is going to fulfill its aspiration of getting 28nm supply and demand into balance during Q4.
Although Nvidia is the only one of TSMC's customers to specifically complain about poor yields,other customers like Qualcomm and Altera,have complained that constrained supplies of 28nm parts have affected their sales figures.
That has led Qualcomm to look for other sources of foundry such as UMC and GloFo.However Taiwan industry sources say that customers which had been looking for alternative foundry suppliers have returned to TSMC following its yield improvements and capacity extensions.
