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Broadcom and MediaTek increase 2026 wafer-starts as custom ASIC demand grows
Sunday, December 28, 2025 at 07:45 AM
Broadcom and MediaTek are reportedly increasing wafer-start orders for 2026. MediaTek is establishing a 1,000-person team dedicated to 3nm custom ASIC development, with rumors suggesting Meta as a client for a 2nm inference chip named Arke. Additionally, Broadcom has designed Google’s TPU v8AX for TSMC N3P mass production in Q3 2026, while a Google-MediaTek collaboration will follow with TPU v8x and v8e production through 2027.
Context
Broadcom and MediaTek are aggressively ramping their 2026 wafer-starts at TSMC to meet surging demand for custom AI ASICs from hyperscale clients. MediaTek is reportedly building a 1,000-strong engineering team dedicated to 3nm designs, a move that positions the firm as a formidable rival in the high-end accelerator market. This shift reflects a broader trend among cloud giants like Google and Meta to reduce reliance on off-the-shelf hardware in favor of specialized, cost-effective silicon.
Broadcom is slated to begin mass production of Google’s TPU v8AX on TSMC’s N3P process in Q3 2026, while a MediaTek co-designed TPU v8x is expected to follow in Q4 2026. Looking further ahead, MediaTek has reportedly secured Meta as a flagship client for Arke, a next-generation 2nm inference chip scheduled for production in 2027. These multi-year commitments lock in critical advanced node capacity, reinforcing TSMC’s dominance as the primary provider for the industry's most complex AI infrastructure.
Sources (1)
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