Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSM) stock climbed on Wednesday after confirming what the semiconductor industry has been eagerly waiting for: the company has officially started cranking out its 2-nanometer chips at scale.
The world's largest contract chipmaker flipped the switch on mass production during the fourth quarter of 2025 at its Fab 22 facility in Kaohsiung, according to a recent company website update. This isn't just an incremental improvement. These chips represent a meaningful leap forward in both performance and power efficiency, thanks to the company's first-generation nanosheet transistor architecture.
Think of smaller process nodes like squeezing more computing power into the same physical space while using less electricity. That matters enormously as AI workloads continue expanding and data centers hunt for every efficiency gain they can find.
A $28 Billion Bet on AI's Future
Taiwan Semiconductor isn't just celebrating this milestone. The company is already looking several moves ahead. Development work on the N2P process, an enhanced version of the 2nm technology, is already underway with mass production targeted for the second half of 2026.
But here's where things get really interesting. Back in November, reports emerged that Taiwan Semiconductor is dramatically expanding its 2nm ambitions, increasing planned facilities from seven to ten fabs. The company informed Taiwanese government agencies about plans to add three new 2nm fabs in Tainan's Southern Science Park, complementing existing facilities in Hsinchu and Kaohsiung.
The price tag? Around 900 billion Taiwan dollars, or roughly $28 billion. Construction could break ground as early as next year, with the new fabs expected to enter mass production by 2026. Once fully operational, combined monthly output should exceed 100,000 wafers.
That's not just expansion. That's a massive bet that AI demand isn't a passing fad.
The Usual Suspects Are Lining Up
Of course, Taiwan Semiconductor's most advanced capacity doesn't stay available for long. Apple Inc. (AAPL) and Nvidia Corp. (NVDA) are already fighting over the company's cutting-edge production lines.
Apple has reportedly secured more than half of Taiwan Semiconductor's 2nm production capacity for 2026, according to Taiwan-based reports. That's a strategic move that ensures Apple's next-generation devices will pack the most advanced silicon available, giving the iPhone maker a competitive edge in both performance and battery life.
Nvidia is pushing hard for its share too, which makes sense given the chip designer's dominant position in AI accelerators. When you're selling GPUs that power the AI revolution, you want access to the most efficient manufacturing process available.
Taiwan Semiconductor shares were up 1.89% at $305.23 at the time of publication on Wednesday, reflecting investor confidence that the company's aggressive expansion strategy aligns with where the market is heading. The stock's positive reaction suggests Wall Street believes the enormous capital investments will pay off as AI infrastructure build-out continues accelerating through 2026 and beyond.