Taiwan Joins Semiconductor Talent Race: Tesla Recruiting Engineers with Over 10 Years of Experience

Musk Launches Terafab Project
Concerns Rise Over Semiconductor Talent Outflow From TSMC
Barriers Remain for New Entrants Due to Patents and Other Hurdles

Tesla has begun recruiting semiconductor talent in Taiwan to push forward its "Terafab Project" for in-house production of artificial intelligence (AI) chips. Analysts are suggesting that the risk of key personnel leaving TSMC, the world's largest foundry (semiconductor contract manufacturing) company, is increasing.

Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, is attending the World Economic Forum (WEF) on January 22. Photo by Reuters Yonhap News

According to Taiwan's United Daily News and other sources on the 24th, Tesla recently posted an announcement on its official website that it is seeking semiconductor professionals in Taiwan. The target candidates are reported to be advanced process engineers holding at least a bachelor's degree and with more than 10 years of experience at leading semiconductor companies.

In particular, candidates are required to have hands-on experience with FinFET transistor technology, Gate-All-Around (GAA) nanosheet transistor technology, Backside Power Delivery Network (BSPDN) technology, as well as mass production and yield improvement at advanced process nodes, advanced packaging, and collaboration with external supply chain partners.

On the 21st, CEO Elon Musk held a press conference at Tesla's manufacturing plant in Austin, Texas, where he announced plans to launch the Terafab Project for in-house AI chip production. The goal is to manufacture 2nm (nanometer, one billionth of a meter) wafers. He described this by saying, "The Terafab we are planning to build will be the largest chip production project in history," adding, "We aim to elevate the scale of civilization's energy and computing by several levels." This marks a shift away from relying on Taiwan's TSMC, which has been a major foundry partner for U.S. big tech companies, in favor of building Tesla's own supply chain.

Other sources have expressed concerns regarding Musk's plans, pointing out that, unlike its comparative advantages in electric vehicles and AI, the operation of a semiconductor fab and the structure of the semiconductor industry are much more complex. They also noted that even if Tesla pursues talent acquisition or strategic partnerships, many semiconductor-related technologies are locked behind patents, making it difficult for latecomers to overcome these barriers in a short period. In addition, they explained that Tesla's lack of experience in fabless operations and the uncertainty of achieving economies of scale could pose significant future challenges.

United Daily News reported that CEO Musk's actions are being interpreted as a signal that could shake up the existing semiconductor industry structure. The outlet pointed out, "This is seen as a strategic move not only to compete on performance but also to reduce geopolitical risks," and added, "Given the possibility that semiconductor supply chains could be disrupted by political or logistical variables, Tesla is seeking to secure 'certainty' by moving its production base to the United States."

Previously, in January, CEO Musk also cited geopolitical risk as a critical variable. At that time, during a Tesla earnings conference call, he mentioned geopolitical risks and emphasized the need to build an in-house semiconductor manufacturing facility in the United States. In particular, he argued for the necessity of constructing a Terafab that would encompass both memory and packaging, warning that due to geopolitical instability, there is a risk that the anticipated AI chips may not arrive on time, which could potentially halt the Optimus robot business altogether.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.