(Nov 7): Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC) is considering broadening its business to include advanced memory chip manufacturing, The Information reported, a move that would give the world’s largest chipmaker an even bigger share of the artificial intelligence (AI) hardware supply chain.

The Taiwanese company recently began drafting plans to produce a particular type of advanced memory chips, known as 3D DRAM, at the request of Nvidia Corp, its biggest customer, The Information reported, citing two people familiar with the plans.

TSMC said in a statement that the company is focused “on our core business at all times”, adding that it’s dedicated to manufacturing chips designed by other companies. While TSMC didn’t address memory chips specifically, the firm said its mission is to be “the trusted technology and capacity provider” of logic chips, which process data as opposed to storing it.

Nvidia didn’t immediately respond to a request for comments. 

Memory chips have been in severe shortage due to a boom in demand for AI hardware, sending prices soaring and prompting chip designers like Nvidia and Apple Inc to seek additional sourcing. Apple raised the prices for some of its products earlier this year, citing rising memory costs. 

Uploaded by Tham Yek Lee