TSMC plans to enter advanced memory chip manufacturing, laying out 3D DRAM at NVIDIA's request.

TSMC is weighing an expansion into advanced memory chip manufacturing with plans to produce 3D DRAM, a move made at the request of its largest customer Nvidia. Unlike conventional single-layer DRAM, 3D DRAM stacks memory cells vertically to boost capacity, and the segment is currently dominated by Samsung, SK Hynix and Micron, which are also developing the technology. The shift would give TSMC a larger share of the AI hardware supply chain and marks a departure from its traditional logic-chip focus. The move comes as an AI-driven memory shortage has sent prices soaring, prompting chip designers including Nvidia and Apple to seek additional supply sources; Apple raised device prices earlier this year on higher memory costs. Watch whether TSMC commits capital and a timeline to 3D DRAM production, and how Samsung, SK Hynix and Micron respond in the next-generation memory race.