TSMC's Fab18 plant has produced 1 quintillion transistors for Apple, with an average starting salary of $5400 a month for engineers.

CTOnews.com March 24 news, "Wired" columnist Virginia Heffernan recently visited TSMC Fab 18 factory and shared some interesting information.

TSMC still operates 13 contract factories, of which Fab 18 produced 1 quintillion (billion, 10 to the 18th power) transistors for Apple's carves and etching.

CTOnews.com learned from the report that TSMC currently has more than 20, 000 technical personnel, accounting for 1/3 of the total number of employees. An engineer's starting salary is $5400 per month (CTOnews.com Note: currently about 36882 yuan), and the rent for an one-bedroom in the area is about $450,450 (CTOnews.com Note: currently about 3074 yuan).

Heffernan points out that TSMC engineers regard American engineers as "babies" who are mentally incapable of running state-of-the-art fabs.

For detailed reports, please visit: I Saw the Face of God in a Semiconductor Factory