Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) has outlined its investment schedule for 5nm and more advanced node manufacturing, including plans to build a new manufacturing site with investment totaling NT$500 billion (US$15.6 billion), according to Yang Hung-duen, Taiwan's minister of science and technology.

TSMC new manufacturing site will be engaged in the manufacture of 5nm and 3nm chips, and the ministry will be evaluating the feasibility of setting up the site at the Kaohsiung Science Park in southern Taiwan, Yang indicated.

TSMC is looking to break ground for 5nm lines at the new site in 2017 followed by volume production in 2020, Yang disclosed. As for 3nm, TSMC expects to kick off construction of production lines for the more-advanced node in 2020 followed by volume production in 2022, Yang said.

TSMC has expressed its goal of ultimately moving 5nm and 3nm process technologies to commercial production by 2022, Yang noted.

Yang added the ministry and other government bodies will be helping TSMC carry out the foundry's investment plan for 5nm and beyond.

TSMC has not officially responded to Yang's remarks.

TSMC co-CEO Mark Liu was quoted in previous reports as saying the company expects to ramp its 5nm process, which will target mobile products and high-performance computing applications, in 2019. Besides, a team of the foundry's 300-400 engineers has already been involved in R&D for 3nm process, Liu indicated.