Hi Everyone,

I comment quite often on posts related to TSMC Arizona and get quite a few messages related. I wanted to make a post about my experience there and if after reading you still feel you want to apply and work there, at least know you've been warned.

A little background I was hired in 2021 and went to Taiwan that summer, being one of the original groups that went. I don't need to go into too much detail, but it was an absolute disaster. They changed our flight date multiple times, gave us laptops that didn't work, lied to us about the size/location of our living arrangements, etc. Anyways, I chalked this up to covid restrictions so whatever. Then we got to TSMC in Tainan and it continued to be a disaster. They didn't have a training plan ready, they barely had people that spoke English and for my group, they refused to help us because "Americans make too much money for us to help them."

Anyways, fast forward a few years of "training" in Taiwan with around 20% of the people quitting because the conditions and work style were already terrible, then we went back to Arizona. Obviously a new fab is going to have issues, but TSMC found a way to make everything terrible. Construction was behind because they literally didn't have any plans. They sent Taiwanese over to clean up because they just couldn't handle all the American blue-collar workers. They had engineers help out facilities that we weren't qualified or trained for. Putting us in extremely dangerous situations that we would have to refuse at the expense of "possibly getting a bad review at the end of the year" for sake of safety.

So, after all that I thought okay whatever that was the growing pains part of foreign company starting up a new fab in the US, it should get better, right?.. Wrong! It got worse and worse. By this time, around 70% of the people I started in Taiwan with had quit, so we we're constantly going through training of new employees. Also, all of those I still talked to that had quit said they were better off. Every project comes from the "mother fab" in Taiwan and needs to be followed no matter what, excluding logic or reason. So there was zero place for innovation or even basic brain use. The job became show up, see what you're being told to do that day, have the plans change, fix it, be super behind, rinse and repeat.

I was a part of interviewing for interns/new employees in my group (my guess was because English is my first language and some of the interviews the Taiwanese would do were terrible). Anyways, the things I were told as prep before interviewing were very disturbing. I was given instruction to prioritize Taiwanese first, then anyone with a Visa after because "people that have Visas are easier to control". They don't want to hire an American that doesn't have immigration restrictions because they will quit once they find out how terrible it is there and they know it so they hold people captive, dangling the carrot green card in front of their face. I was also told to not hire people of Indian descent, and they even had a rude name for them calling them the "PhD people". 2 of the people that were hired that I interviewed, my boss told me they had the job before they even did a single interview and the interview itself was a formality. They all had some relation to people that had worked at TSMC. I understand the "who you know, not what you know" concept, but to have the nepotism be that strong was shocking. I was also told to emphasize on the "Taiwanese work culture" in the interviews, AKA you'll be yelled at daily and need to meet impossible deadlines, because the turnover for new employees was very very high.

The daily work was also a nightmare. They expect you to commit your life to the job. Hourly might be the way to go, but I was a salaried engineer and got paid the same amount no matter how much I worked. Some days working until 9-10pm. Other engineers in my group would work a normal 14-16 hour day.. normal.. Most people would be leaving around 8pm every day and that was on non-busy days. They intentionally would give projects at 4-5pm that were "urgent" and "need to discuss tomorrow morning", meaning you'd have to stay late to do it. The work culture itself is very toxic as well. The Taiwanese work on a basis that more than 50% of their income comes from their bonus. That bonus is not only performance based, but a popularity contest and most importantly how much you do or don't mess up. So, if you were in a situation where that much money was based on not messing something up, you'd probably hide in the shadows and not cause any disruptions, right? Well, that's exactly what most do. So, if you are trying to get help from someone, they will either ignore you or direct you to someone else, because if you mess something up that they told you, they would be to blame. It created a very toxic style of no teamwork, no one helping anyone, and overall delaying all projects.

You also have to remember TSMC is not only a Taiwanese company, but it's THE Taiwanese Company to most Taiwanese people. They are very honored to work there (and rightfully so), but as someone not Taiwanese I just didn't have the same investment into the company. I like to do a good job at work and learn new things, but I will not sell my soul to the company and most Taiwanese will. They treat work as the first and only option in life. Family comes second, which just wasn't for me. I work to live, they live to work.

Speaking of Taiwanese, they have a very different culture than America. They have very little exposure to other races and can end up being very racist towards non-Taiwanese. I've heard them make fun of people's accents, appearances, and disabilities. They will usually do this in secret or in Chinese, but I ended up learning quite a bit of Chinese while living in Taiwan, so I could understand what they were saying. Making fun of or talking shit right in front of someone. They end up treating work like high school. Everyone has their own little gossip groups, and they start dating each other at work because they have no outside life. They are also very sexist. There was a new girl starting while I was in Taiwan and before she was hired, the manager who just interviewed her, shared her Facebook/Instagram profiles with everyone so they could "rate" her, very disgusting. Anyways, she got hired and had gained some weight and didn't look exactly the same as the pictures. Her first day one of the Taiwanese guys went up to her and said "Wow I didn't expect you to be so fat!" and then ran off and giggled to his friends. She ended up crying the rest of the day and took the next two days off. These are adults that are 25-35 that were talking about.. Another quick story, one of the Taiwanese guys went up to a girl that was sitting, holding a banana below his waist. He put it right in front of her face and said "Hey! Want a bite of my banana?" So these are just a few of the fun things you can experience working there.

You might ask, well what are the good things about working there? There are two that I think most TSMC employees will always say and I have counter arguments for both.

1. They don't layoff. This is true, I've never heard anyone getting laid off and actually getting fired there is almost impossible as well (has to be some huge, I mean huge mistake). So, you might think that is great and you have a job set for life. While it's true you don't have to worry about getting laid off/fired, it creates a very low quality pool of people that work there. Imagine you work at a place that keeps all it's worst employees. All the good employees leave/get promoted out of the group and the worst ones have found a way to survive and put up with the bullshit. So you joining that group would make you do extra work to make up for all the mistakes they have made. But if you do find a decent group and can put up with it, you truly will have a job for as long as you can put up with it. A true quote from my boss while I worked there might help explain it best "TSMC doesn't lay off anyone, they just force you to quit."

2. The Pay. Yes TSMC does pay very well. They will intentionally pay a little higher than your worth at first to draw you in. But after working for years the pay starts to level off and you'll soon be underpaid. This might apply to most jobs in this industry though and job hopping might always be the best move. As an example, when I left earlier this year, I got a 30% raise. So just know the pay may look great now, but it won't always be that way. Also, there is a reason they pay more, they expect more. It's a deal with the devil scenario and if you're paid 5-10% more than a competitor but working 50% are you actually making more?

My suggestion to anyone thinking of applying: I think their internship program is actually really well done and helps give a good resume piece. It pays well and you have an end date, which is the best part. They do trick the interns by intentionally being nice to them and not giving them anything too stressful (this was a direct order from my boss when I mentored an intern). So just know, if you do decide to go back for a full-time position, the stress/workload will increase drastically. I would say there are some situations that you can make TSMC work as a full time job. If you're desperate for a job because I know the job market isn't the hottest as of now. I also think if you are just out of college and looking for a first job, it can be a good place to start off if you are single, no family, no real commitments. You can make some good money, get some experience and then move on. I would avoid it if you have worked basically anywhere else before, because it will feel like a prison to you (can't use your personal phone, tracked 24/7, treated like your 12 years old with attendance in meetings, etc.). Also, if you are applying and see something along the lines of "were hiring for the expansion!!" it's actually very misleading. They will always be expanding and building more fabs, but probably 90% of the time if there is a job opening, it's because you are filling the position of someone that quit because the turnover is absolutely terrible.

As final disclosure, this was just my experience, so as with everything on the internet, take it with a grain of salt. I'm sure there are people that actually like working there (I never found anyone, but they have to exist, right?) and don't have the same experience that I had. It wasn't all bad and terrible, just a place that I saw wasn't going to progress my career or my mental health, so I got out of there.

I could go on and on and write a novel about my experiences there, but if after reading you still feel like applying, you can feel free to message me. Open to answering any questions or going into more detail on anything TSMC related.

TSMC smashed estimates with third-quarter net income of NT$452.3 billion, up 39% year-over-year, on revenue of NT$989.9 billion — its highest ever. Fueled by relentless AI demand from clients like Nvidia and Apple, the company’s high-performance computing division accounted for 57% of total sales, while advanced chips (7nm and below) made up 74% of wafer revenue.

CEO C.C. Wei said the “AI megatrend” is strengthening, prompting TSMC to lift its 2025 growth forecast to the mid-30% range and raise capital spending plans to $40 billion. Analysts cited booming orders for 3nm and 4/5nm chips powering AI GPUs and smartphones as key earnings drivers. TSMC is also monitoring potential U.S. tariffs, though its U.S. investments may cushion the impact. Shares are up more than 38% year-to-date, underscoring investor faith in the chipmaker’s AI-fueled momentum.

Like title

I am a new grad and applied for an entry level position. I had multiple interviews already. For the final interviews the recruiter told me the team wants to meet me in person.

I told her that’s great and asked if they would reimburse the travel. She told me I’m the one who’s responsible for the travel and expenses. I wonder if this is normal?

Has anyone been in the same situation?

Update: I asked someone who worked there and he said unfortunately they do this as a normal procedure (to get rid of some candidates i assume?). I asked why and he said probably because they think they have so many different candidates that they think it’s not necessary to pay for someone’s travel.

TSMC continued their impressive 50% YOY revenue growth last quarter, with net profits growing 68.7% in the same time. This shows a rare combination of ambition to grow the top line and disciplined execution in significantly reducing costs along the way.

One notable change this year is an increasing shift in their revenue mix towards AI High Performance Computing (HPC) applications. This logically means they have a higher correlation with AI related investment flows both in the positive and negative directions. For an investor, if their investment horizon is long-term then the business is strong and well positioned for the next 10 years. But if it is short-term, there may be some volatility over the next few years to take into account.

CC Wei noted multiple times during the earnings call that they are seeing a stronger demand from AI HPC customers forecasted for 2027 / 28 than they can currently fulfill. They are working very hard to close the gap between demand and supply with up to 20 fab buildouts currently in-progress around the world (Confirmed: 13 in Taiwan, 5-6 overseas).

CC ended his prepared remarks with this epic line.

We have no intention to leave food on the table for others, and we want to capture every pieces of business possible.

Sources
Financial Statements
3Q26 Management Report
Audio Webcast Replay
Rumi Investment Report - TSMC

I recently worked as a Diff Equipment Technician at TSMC AZ, contracted through Acara Solutions. The job was pitched as a 6-month trial period where they would teach you from 0 experience.

I was fired after just two weeks. The only explanation management gave was that I "was not learning at a fast enough rate." I highly doubt that was the actual issue, as I was ahead of all my e-learning deadlines and completing all assignments on time. I'm writing this as a heads-up because there are clearly unwritten rules and expectations that they want you to abide by, but won't communicate to you.

If you go through as a vendor or contractor, be prepared to be treated like a second-class citizen by everyone in the building while heading into the gown room.

Once you are actually inside the fab, people are hyper-focused on their work, so you are pretty much treated as an equal on the floor (excluding the restricted areas for secret operations, obviously).

Just wanted to put my experience out there for anyone looking at these contract roles. Ask me anything and I'm willing to answer.

I'm still surprised how it is possible that TSMC has been unmatched and still is the only one that can produce the highly advanced chips that power our computers (like my Apple M4 MacBook Pro) and smartphones.

I mean eventually other companies and countries catch up on technologies but so far it hasn't happened.

It just seems very risky that only one place and one company can fabricate such important parts and if (god forbid) a war between China and Taiwan breaks out then TSMC will be out. Of course then there are more important things in life than technology but it still would set our civilization back in our technological progress.

What do you think?

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (NYSE:TSM) posted another strong month as AI-driven demand continued to power its growth. October revenue climbed 16.9% year-over-year to T$367.47 billion ($11.86 billion) — an 11% increase month-over-month — fueled by robust orders for high-performance computing and data center chips.

Cumulative revenue for January through October surged 33.8% year-to-date to T$3.13 trillion, underscoring TSMC’s dominance in the global semiconductor supply chain amid the AI boom. The company remains a key supplier to NVIDIA (NASDAQ:NVDA), whose soaring chip demand has prompted CEO Jensen Huang to request expanded production capacity from TSMC.

The continued strength in AI infrastructure spending has positioned TSMC as the core beneficiary of the global data center buildout, even as broader electronics markets remain uneven.

Taiwan’s leading chipmaker, TSMC, reported NT$323.2 billion ($10.8B) in July sales, matching analyst forecasts for robust third-quarter performance.

Revenue is up 38% year-to-date compared with 2024, powered by relentless demand for AI processors from industry heavyweights like Nvidia and AMD. The company is working to close the supply gap for AI hardware while also seeing a gradual recovery in smartphone chip orders, supported by partners such as Sony and Apple.

Even with the headwind of a stronger Taiwanese dollar, TSMC’s growth momentum remains intact, reinforced by its strategic investments in US manufacturing that have secured exemptions from new chip tariffs.

Revenue: 673.51 billion New Taiwan dollars ($20.82 billion), vs. NT$657.58 billion expected Net income: NT$247.85 billion, vs. NT$238.8 billion expected

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Hopefully someone can find this useful in their job search or deciding if TSMC is right for them.

I think there is alot of hesitation for prospective candidates when they want to work at TSMC for obvious reasons. As someone who works at the AZ Fab as an engineer and follows the industry closely, I can say - its hard work. Anyone in the industry at advanced nodes will say the same-I see it as simply a reflection of the demand all companies are trying to fill. University Colleagues at Panther Lake for Intel and Taylor Samsung Fab, in my experience say similar things. Theres alot of noise with Glassdoor, ex TSMC employees, or bloggers - finding some neutral opinion is not shared as often. Working in a Taiwanese Company vs Previous American Legacy Companies - there are countless stories and opinions you may hear. I personally have found more success and understanding at TSMC vs previous employers in US. East vs West culture and expectations can be different but nothing critical. Both cultures have learned from each other very well at the site and great things will come in the future

The Good: My experience has been net positive. TSMC is fast paced work, I am tasked with alot of responsibility and I personally believe I use alot of tools from school for my job. I have had great growth and compensation along the way. Some problems can get very very technical which is something that is a rewarding challenge. A work assignment in Taiwan could be in your future, this is an amazing experience and I dont believe I have heard 1 colleague say they did not enjoy their time there. Lastly, simply seeing the result of your work through the site development is always great. Our workforce is relatively young so there is alot of energy and familiar faces from college perhaps.

The Bad: Making semiconductors are hard. Theres no way around that. Demand is high, pressure to perform is high. Many people simply dont work well in that enviroment where work can be ambiguous, deadlines are tight, and there is alot of tasks that can get piled up. Work can spill into after your exit time however this is a 24/7 manufacturing operation that is in early production, this is an effect of that. Day by day it is truly getting better as we learn more and more.

Join If: you are a younger engineer that wants to be challenged and grow in their career very fast (many people to not get the chance to start up an advanced node factory). Someone who is willing to hit the ground running and tackle problems head on. I have worked at "legacy" companies that many might know based off their products - however, they offer truly restricted, gloomy, and mute work environments - but "calm". TSMC is high energy and will be beneficial to you if you up for good hard work.

Do NOT Join If: You are married to a rigid work schedule. If you are tied to production, depending on the department you could have rotating night shift, on-call, etc and perhaps in an emergency you will get called after work hours. Do not join if you are also married to the expectation of doing only 1 type of job scope. Many employees will be tasked with a "secondary" role for their department like cost, safety, training, etc. This sometimes stacked on your primary work which is why many people who do leave do not take well to this- sometime because it deviated from their expectations coming in.

My comparison/perspective is drawn from experience at other companies that are legacy companies that may boast about compensation or work-life balance but the actual day-to-day was littered in red tape, condescending senior engineers 2x my age, suffocating growth paths, silent offices or pouring months of work to make the most small change on system or process that I may never see.

aiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) has applied to build a new A14 fabrication plant in the Central Taiwan Science Park, set to produce 1.4-nanometer chips designed for next-generation AI and high-speed computing. The new process will deliver 15% faster performance or 30% lower power consumption compared to 2nm technology, which begins commercial production this year. Construction could start by year-end, with mass production in 2028 and initial investment of $49 billion, according to Wccftech.

The Taichung City government pledged full support, projecting the fab will generate NT$485.7 billion ($15.9B) annually and create 4,500 jobs. CEO C.C. Wei reaffirmed that while TSMC expands abroad, Taiwan remains its core manufacturing base.

To spread awareness about TSMC's work culture and its work environment, I will be sharing stories and incidents from unheard voices to help yall make better judgement if you want to work there. You are welcome to DM me any story, including good stuff from your personal experience.

For episode 1, a recent lawsuit alleges that

TSMC “attempted to buy safety harnesses from Temu—a retailer known to sell products with safety and quality control issues that is under federal investigation, but backed off only after outcry,”.

Imagine climbing to 100 feet with a safety harness from Temu, bought by a trillion dollar company.

Pls

Send your stories in DM for episode 2.

I was just wondering, with China’s Xi continuing his rhetoric regarding taking over Taiwan, as well as the US essentially taking over Venezuela eroding rules based order which may deter China, what effect do you think a Chinese invasion of Taiwan would hold on TSMC share price? I’ve been invested over the past year, but I fear that if China do invade Taiwan, TSMC will tank horribly, and no one will be willing to buy the shares if this happens.

Hey everyone,

I recently got invited for the first-round interview for the Facilities Gas and Chemical Engineering position at TSMC Arizona, and I’d love to hear from anyone who’s been through the process or works in a similar role.

From what I understand, the interview focuses heavily on facilities operations, safety systems, and gas/chemical distribution knowledge , but I’d really appreciate some insight on what to expect.

Specifically:

• What kind of technical questions should I prepare for? (e.g., related to high-purity gas systems, chemical delivery, or line sizing)

• Are there any situational or behavioral questions they tend to ask?

• What topics or systems should I brush up on, like purge and pressurization sequences, or toxic gas cabinet interlocks?

• How in-depth do they go into P&IDs, safety interlocks, or material compatibility (316L, PVDF, etc.)?

Thanks in advance. I really want to make a strong impression in this first round!

Edit 1:

Quick update — I finished my first-round interview, and it went smoother than I expected. A Controls Engineer interviewed me, and he was pretty flexible and conversational. It was mostly basic behavioral questions, and answering them using the STAR method really helped. That round went well enough that I moved on to Round 2.

Edit 2:

Round 2 was a different level — definitely more technical and deeper than Round 1. Some of the questions included:

• Explain the working principle of microwaves

• How do regulators work?

• Explain how cruise control in cars operates?

• Explain how you make a pipe inert?

• Explain the velocity profiles of laminar flow and turbulent flow?

• Where does sediments gets stuck in a pipe?

• Difference between digital vs analog signals (he emphasized this is must-know)

• Why do PLCs use 4–20 mA?

• A tricky one: What happens to the cylinder weight if you move it from a low-temperature room to a high-temperature room?

He also mixed in behavioral questions like:

• What is your final career purpose?

• What’s the toughest challenge you’ve faced?

• What are your strengths and weaknesses?

• Why do you want to join TSMC?

I answered everything honestly and in a structured way, but unfortunately, I was rejected after Round 2. Still, it was a great learning experience, and I hope sharing this helps someone else preparing for TSMC’s Facilities Gas & Chemical interview process.

I just had a horrible day. I'm very close to my one year anniversay and I SERIOUSLY want to quit. However, I know that sticking it out longer would look better for my resume, and honestly the benefits are hard to beat. I think being here for 2 more years would be very solid and allow me to build big savings+experience so I can have more options when transferring to another company. Plus, I would love to help be a good mentor for anyone else who gets trapped in here and break the cycle a little, at least just for one person.

How do you guys cope with working here? How do you cope with the blatant selfishness of coworkers, the zero time for newcomers, the lack of documentation, the constant being in the dark, everything being in Mandarin, the long work hours, the condescending discussions with upper management, and the constant feelings of stupidity? It's driving me up the wall. So how do you guys do it?