TSMC's Kumamoto fab back to normal after earthquake

Taipei, Aug. 4 (CNA) The operations of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co.'s (TSMC's) fab in Kumamoto, Japan, have fully returned to normal after an earthquake hit the area, TSMC said while also pledging to donate 250 million Japanese yen in disaster relief.

In a statement, the world's largest contract chipmaker said the restoration of the facility's operations was due to the joint efforts of TSMC's employees in Kumamoto and TSMC suppliers.

The earthquake struck the Kumamoto area at 4:27 p.m. local time on July 28 and registered seismic intensities of up to 7, the highest reading on Japan's seismic intensity scale.

Soon after the earthquake hit, the fab, which is run by the TSMC-led joint venture Japan Advanced Semiconductor Manufacturing Inc. (JASM), evacuated its employees based on its evacuation criteria, according to TSMC.

TSMC said Kumamoto is one of the company's important production bases worldwide, and it thanked the Japanese government, prefecture authorities and its partners in the supply chain for their assistance.

Because Kumamoto still needs help in recovering from the disaster, TSMC said it would donate 250 million yen to relief efforts and that the TSMC Charity Foundation had launched a campaign to raise funds from TSMC employees to provide additional support.

TSMC's first fab in Kumamoto started commercial operations at the end of 2024, using specialty processes. Construction of a second fab began last year with mass production slated for 2028, using the advanced 3-nanometer process.

The second fab did not suffer any setbacks in the earthquake, according to TSMC.