TSMC wafer found in a dumpster - is this the ultimate case of chip binning?

Reddit user found TSMC test wafer in a dumpster near its Nanjing fab.

: A Reddit user, AVX512-VNNI, found a 12nm TSMC wafer in a dumpster near the Fab 16 factory in Nanjing, China. This sparked jokes and discussions about chip binning and the complexities of chip manufacturing. It was a test wafer used for machine calibration, dispelling concerns over lost IP. Commenters humorously suggested innovative uses for the wafer.

A Reddit user, AVX512-VNNI, posted about discovering a 12nm TSMC wafer discarded in a dumpster near the Fab 16 factory in Nanjing, China. This sparked discussions and jokes online, highlighting both chip manufacturing's complexities and the idea of 'chip binning.'

While initially concerning, it turned out the wafer was merely a 'test wafer' used for calibrating lithography machines, and not containing any customer designs like Nvidia's RTX 50 series. The event highlighted how valuable these wafers are and reassured the community about the security of cutting-edge tech.

Redditors humorously pondered the possibility of salvaging the wafer, with some suggesting techniques like wafer-scale computing. The incident also led to humorous jabs at Nvidia, referencing the company's previous issues with missing render output units.

TSMC waferdumpsterchip manufacturing