TSMC recently uploaded a rare flight video showing the operation of the Fab 21 factory in Arizona, USA, giving the outside world a glimpse of the N4/N5 process. Hundreds of high-tech equipment can be seen manufacturing wafers, especially ASML extreme ultraviolet (EUV) exposure machines, which are responsible for the production of complex circuits such as NVIDIA (Nvidia) Blackwell B300 processors.
The "Silver Highway" is shown at the beginning of the video, which refers to TSMC's Automated Material Handling System (AMHS), which consists of suspended tracks that transport Front Opening Unified Pods (FOUP) containing 300mm (12-inch) wafers. These FOUPs flow through the factory to demonstrate the critical logistics required to maintain production cycles in high-volume manufacturing environments.
I like how $TSM posted a video about its new Arizona Fab, where they explain how chips are made using EUV equipment from $ASML, and they even include small clips provided by $ASML.
“to be able to do this is incredibly difficult. We are using extreme ultraviolet technologies… pic.twitter.com/0iUqR13Z8J
— Bourbon Capital (@BourbonCap) September 7, 2025
ASML EUV (Twinscan NXE:3600D) is described as "printing" patterns on the wafer. The light source is the plasma generated by the carbon dioxide laser excitation of the tin target, which produces 13.5nm wavelength light. It can achieve a half-pitch resolution of about 13nm in a single exposure, showing the advanced level of EUV.
The video highlights the challenges faced by EUV, including issues such as overlay accuracy within a few nanometers (1.1nm for NXE:3600D) and random effects. Although the wafer stage and photomask were not photographed, the key components are undoubtedly present in the EUV equipment at Fab 21.
The first phase of TSMC’s Fab 21 will produce chips for Apple, AMD, and NVIDIA, and it plans to build the second phase of Fab 21 to produce N3 and N2 series chips. TSMC CEO Wei Zhejia recently hinted that the upgrade plan will be accelerated to cope with the strong growth in customer AI demand.
TSMC gives an ultra-rare video look inside its fabs — ‘Silver Highway’ and fab tools revealed in flyby video of company’s US Arizona Fab 21 Further reading: Wei Zhejia is optimistic that the demand for AI will continue to be strong! TSMC’s global expansion progresses steadily as planned