Taipei, Nov. 15, 2012 (CENS)--Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co.’s (TSMC’s) board of directors recently approved capital appropriation totaling NT$95.5 billion (US$3.29 billion at US$1:NT$29) for several expansion plans.
Of the total capital, US$2.97 billion is allocated to the plan to expand advanced process capacity, construct 12-inch GigaFabs and install facility systems. Approximately US$209.5 million of the total sum is appropriated for its R&D projects and 2013 sustaining expenditure.
Some US$1.53 billion of the expansion capital will be acquired from issuances of the company’s unsecured corporate bonds in Taiwan.
Also, the board approved TSMC’s subscription of around US$42.28 million of new shares slated to be issued in 2013 by TSMC Solid State Lighting Ltd. and its subscription of around US$21.63 million of new shares set to be issued in 2013 by TSMC Solar Ltd. TSMC now holds a 95% ownership in TSMC Solid State Lighting and a 99% stake in TSMC Solar.
Industry executives noted that TSMC will make most of the allocation to enhance its 28nm process lead in silicon foundry segment and accelerate its 20nm and 16nm developments.
Goldman Sachs estimated capital expenditure for world’s No.1 silicon foundry for this year at US$9.5 billion, far exceeding TSMC’s planned US$8.5 billion. The financial institution even forecast TSMC’s annual expenditure from 2013 to 2015 to outstrip that of either Intel Corp. or Samsung Electronics.
Industry executives pointed out that TSMC is speeding up expansions of leading-edge process capacity to keep Samsung and Globalfoundires behind it in the competition for contracts from vendors of smartphone chips and tablet PC chips.
(by Ken Liu)
