张忠谋：在美兴建晶圆厂会陷入孤军奋战

晶圆代工龙头台积电(TSMC)创办人、董事长暨首席执行官张忠谋(Morris Chang)现身于美国加州圣荷西举行的年度技术研讨会；今年已高龄81岁的他在研讨会上发表专题演说，回顾了半导体产业过去一年的概况与该公司前景，并预测今年市场能有4%的成长。 在专题演说结束后，张忠谋回答了几个来自媒体记者与客户问题，然后赶赴下一个行程；以下是几个令人印象特别深刻的问题，以及他经过思考之后的简短回答： 问：传言台积电将在美国兴建新晶圆厂，是否属实？ 答：还没有任何决定；兴建新晶圆厂是重大决策，现在一座新厂的成本约为50亿美元。我们目前在台湾有20座晶圆厂，这是一个优势，因为当某座厂房的设备发生故障，我们可以马上从另一座厂房运送设备前往支持；这是当美国只有一座晶圆厂时无法做到的。 问：对于已开始为多家厂商生产芯片、成为台积电竞争者的英特尔(Intel) 您的看法如何？ 答：我们一直有竞争者来来去去；(身为微处理器供货商的)英特尔与他的客户也有潜在竞争关系。而三星(Samsung)在某些程度上更积极经营晶圆代工业务，GlobalFoundries也一样。 问：芯片价格压力是否在今年仍然是个棘手问题？ 答：我认为价格压力一直存在。 问：随着半导体制程节点越来越复杂、优势也逐渐削弱，您对摩尔定律(Moore’s Law)的前景看法如何？ 答：现在看来我们还领先了7~8年的时间──甚至更多──我们将看到半导体制程演进至10纳米、甚至7纳米节点。

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问：您认为人们需要了解台积电的哪些事情？ 答：我认为人们其实不太了解台积电，特别是美国的朋友，他们知道苹果(Apple)、英特尔与Google，但是对台积电了解不多。 本文授权编译自EE Times，版权所有，谢绝转载 编译：Judith Cheng 参考英文原文：5 questions with TSMC founder Morris Chang，by Rick Merritt

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{pagination} 5 questions with TSMC founder Morris Chang Rick Merritt SAN JOSE, Calif. – It’s a rare treat to get a chance to ask a few questions of Morris Chang, the man who invented the semiconductor foundry model when he helped found Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. back in 1987. The man referred to within TSMC simply as “chairman” typically travels to the U.S. just once a year. At age 81, he strode on to the stage at the San Jose Convention Center here and gave a keynote address at the annual TSMC Symposium. He used few slides and no notes, recounting the state of the industry in the past year, his forecast for the year to come (four percent growth) and the state and outlook of the world’s largest maker of logic wafers. Two reporters and a customer approached him afterwards with a handful of questions. He answered them thoughtfully before being whisked away to whatever was next on his itinerary. Q: Are reports TSMC will build a new fab in the U.S. true? Morris Chang: There has been no decision. Building a new fab is a big decision. A new fab now costs $5 billion. We have 20 fabs in Taiwan, and that’s an advantage because when a machine goes down in one plant we can ship one over from another. You can’t do that for a fab in the US. Q: What’s your view of Intel as a competitor now that it is making chips for a handful of companies? Chang: We have always had competitors. They come and go. [As a microprocessor maker] Intel potentially competes with its customers. Samsung is in some ways more aggressive in the foundry business as is GlobalFoundries. Q: Will price pressures continue to be so stiff this year? Chang: I’ve never seen an end to price pressure. Q: What’s the outlook for Moore’s Law now that process nodes seem to be getting more complex and offering diminishing benefits? Chang: It looks like we have another seven to eight years ahead in advances -- maybe more -- we can see in technology down to 10 and even 7 nm. Q: What do you think people need to know about TSMC Chang: I think people particularly in the US just don’t know us that well. They know about Apple and Intel and Google -- but not so much about TSMC.