TSMC denies exploring 3D DRAM production at Nvidia's request, says it remains a dedicated logic foundry

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. has denied that it is preparing to produce next-generation 3D DRAM memory chips at the request of its largest customer, Nvidia. Tom's Hardware reported on Saturday that a TSMC spokesperson said the company "focuses on our core business at all times, which is dedicated IC foundry," and that its mission is "to be the trusted technology and capacity provider of the global logic IC industry for years to come." Tom's Hardware read the response as essentially a denial of the report. (Photo: TSMC's research and development centre, file photo. Photo: Digitimes.)

Report and denial stand side by side

The Information reported on November 6, citing two people familiar with the matter, that TSMC had begun drafting plans to make 3D DRAM at Nvidia's request, with the effort led by Hsu Kuo-chin, TSMC's vice-president for advanced packaging, who previously ran Micron's Taiwan operations. Reuters carried the report, and TSMC shares rose about 6 percent on the news. But TSMC's public response mentioned neither 3D DRAM nor Nvidia by name, and did not directly address whether such plans exist; Nvidia has not commented publicly. The two accounts now conflict, with no resolution yet.

What 3D DRAM is

3D DRAM is a next-generation memory technology, distinct from the high-bandwidth memory (HBM) used in today's AI chips: it also uses stacked structures, but with a different architecture and manufacturing approach. Micron, Samsung and SK hynix are all pursuing their own 3D DRAM programmes, and public roadmaps place commercial production around 2030. Tom's Hardware noted that the technology remains years from market viability, and that TSMC has no experience in mass-producing DRAM — developing 3D DRAM without a competitive planar DRAM process would be extremely difficult.

The memory-shortage backdrop

The backdrop is a memory shortage driven by AI hardware demand: DRAM prices keep rising as AI chipmakers scramble to secure supply. Reuters separately reported on November 6 that Nvidia is providing billions of dollars in financing to help packaging firm SPIL expand advanced CoWoS packaging capacity. TSMC's own advanced packaging capacity is also in short supply, and market forecasts expect advanced-packaging revenue to overtake traditional packaging revenue in 2026.

(Sources: Tom's Hardware; The Information; Reuters, November 6-7, 2026.)