TSMC is widely considered as one of the most successful semiconductors and chip maker in the world, with the company already set to enter into mass production for its 2nm process. Because the EUV technology to fabricate said process is a tightly guarded secret and the company not ruling out a military invasion from China, it has reportedly fitted said EUV machines with killswitches that would cause them to self-destruct, if it comes down to it.
The remote killswitches were made by another semiconductor maker, the Dutch ASML and are understandably there for TSMC’s security. It’s a part of the foundry’s scorched earth policy: it’s a military doctrine that is aimed at denying and depriving invading forces any and all resources, reducing their ability to sustain a war.
At this point, both TSMC and ASML are the only company that have the tools to make the cutting edge 2nm chip. Apple itself is rumoured to have met up with the Taiwanese chipmaker in secret recently, in order to secure the first round of chips, presumably for its upcoming next-generation iPhones and Macbooks.
(Source: Tom’s Hardware)
