Current chip factories are facing many issues in multiple fronts at the same time, such as:
- Delayed sea deliveries
- Shortage of silicon substrates
- Deficit in machines to build chips
This makes the issue snowball. The simplest solution would be to create more factories in different countries so that they would have better access to raw materials and fewer delivery delays. The issue is that they need chips to build the machines that make the chips, so it snowballs the problem.
Image source: https://focustaiwan.tw/business/202110140018
TSMC is planning to build a wafer fab in Japan, they are currently already trying to expand their chip factories capabilities, but without wafers, they can't produce more chips, as it is the core material.
Starting in 2022, the most optimistic analysts say that the factories will already have increased capabilities, but I am not optimistic. The wakest link in the chain will keep bottlenecking the production.
I have been waiting to get a new laptop, since my old one is broken, but looks like it will not be a good idea to do it anytime soon since the prices are inflated because of the global chip shortage.