TSMC's 3nm process capacity accelerating to 180,000 monthly wafer starts by early Q4 2026, two–three months ahead of prior forecast, driven by sustained AI chip demand.

TSMC's advanced-node capacity expansion is accelerating. According to Economic Daily News, strong orders from major customers including NVIDIA, AMD, and Broadcom are enabling TSMC to reach 180,000 3nm wafers per month by early 4Q26—two to three months ahead of market expectations.

Current production reflects this momentum. The company increased 3nm monthly wafer starts to nearly 150,000 in the first half of 2026. For 2nm, monthly wafer starts reached approximately 50,000 to 60,000 during the same period and could exceed 80,000 wafers per month by early 4Q26. Combined, 2nm and 3nm monthly wafer starts could exceed 260,000 by early 4Q26, supporting continued revenue growth.

To meet this demand, TSMC is expanding its footprint across multiple regions. The company has announced three additional 3nm fabs in Taiwan, Arizona, and Japan, while also converting 5nm production equipment in Taiwan to support additional 3nm capacity.

For its 2nm roadmap, TSMC disclosed at its North America Technology Symposium that five 2nm fabs—two in Hsinchu and three in Kaohsiung—will ramp in 2026. The company is targeting first-year 2nm wafer output to be 45% higher than the first-year output of its 3nm node in 2023, with 2nm capacity projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 70% from 2026 to 2028.

According to Commercial Times, construction of TSMC's 1.4nm fab at the Central Taiwan Science Park is ahead of schedule, with the first fab building expected to be completed before April 2027. Supply chain sources indicate that pilot production could begin as early as 3Q27, with mass production expected in 2H28.