TSMC is reportedly negotiating with NVIDIA to manufacture advanced "Blackwell" GPUs in its Arizona facility. First reported by Reuters, this partnership could mark another major shift in AI chip production toward US soil. The discussion centers around TSMC's Fab 21 in Phoenix, Arizona, specializing in 4 nm and 5 nm chip production. NVIDIA's Blackwell GPUs utilize TSMC's 4NP process technology, making the Arizona facility a technically viable production site. However, the proposed arrangement faces several logistical challenges. A key issue is the absence of advanced packaging facilities in the United States. There is Amkor that planned to do advanced packaging, but it's only scheduled to begin packaging in 2027. TSMC's sophisticated CoWoS packaging technology is currently available only in Taiwan. This means that chips manufactured in Arizona would need to be shipped back to Taiwan for final assembly, potentially increasing production costs.

While alternative solutions exist, such as redesigning the chips to use Intel's packaging technology or focusing on gaming GPU production in Arizona, these options present their own complications. Intel's packaging methods would likely increase costs, and the current absence of graphics card manufacturing infrastructure in the US makes domestic gaming GPU production less practical. Both TSMC and NVIDIA have declined to comment on the ongoing negotiations, as this is confidential information unknown to the public. Interestingly, TSMC's Arizona facility has already attracted a few more US firms for domestic manufacturing, like Apple, rumored to manufacture its A16 Bionic chip and AMD with high-performance designs, likely either EPYC or Instinct MI chips.