PHOENIX — Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Ltd. (TSMC) has announced plans to build a third semiconductor plant on its TSMC Arizona campus in North Phoenix. In connection with the announcement, the U.S. Department of Commerce has entered into a preliminary memorandum of terms (PMT) with the Taiwanese company to provide $6.6 billion in direct funding through the CHIPS and Science Act. The PMT also allows for the federal government to provide TSMC with up to $5 billion in loans. The company plans to apply for U.S. Treasury Department Investment Tax Credits of up to 25 percent of the qualified capital expenditure at TSMC Arizona. Additionally, $50 million of the CHIPS funding at TSMC Arizona will be used in the training and development of the local workforce, according to a statement issued by President Joe Biden. The third factory will increase TSMC’s investment at the Arizona manufacturing site to more than $65 billion. TSMC is making the site the largest foreign direct investment in Arizona history and the largest foreign direct investments in a greenfield project in U.S. history. The company estimates that the three facilities will employ roughly 6,000 direct high-tech jobs, 20,000 construction jobs and tens of thousands of …
