Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., the world's biggest contract chipmaker, will spend a record $20 billion to build an advanced 3-nanometer chip facility in Taiwan in 2020.

The plan, which was initially announced last September, was confirmed today by Mark Liu, the chipmaker's co-chief executive, during a company supplier forum on Thursday.

Liu said in late 2016 that his company had assigned hundreds of engineers to develop 3-nanometer technology and research 2-nanometer technology.

TSMC is also looking to produce 7-nanometer chips beginning next year, as the company is trying to stay ahead of competitors including Samsung Electronics and Intel.

TSMC is also accelerating the production schedule of its first advanced chip facility in China, located in the southern Chinese city of Nanjing, to the first half of 2018.

In 2016, TSMC's sales from Chinese customers grew to 9% from 8% in 2015. Chinese customers include Huawei Technology's chip division Hisilicon Technologies, fingerprint chip provider Goodix, Tsinghua Unigroup's Spreadtrum Communications, as well as some emerging chip startups such as Beijing Bitmain and state-backed Cambricon Technologies.

however, the company still relies on U.S.-based clients such as Apple, Qualcomm, Nvidia and others.