TSMC says Kumamoto Plant 1 returns to normal after July 28 earthquake

TSMC restored full output at its first Japan fab after inspections and equipment recalibration, with the company saying the site represents less than 3% of total capacity and no broader supply-chain disruption emerged.

Summary

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. said its Kumamoto Plant 1 in Kikuyo Town, Kumamoto Prefecture, has returned to normal production after inspections, calibration and equipment adjustments triggered by the July 28 earthquake. The chipmaker said structural checks found no major damage, employees were safe and manufacturing tools were recalibrated before full output resumed. TSMC said the Japan Advanced Semiconductor Manufacturing fab accounts for less than 3% of its total production capacity, limiting the financial impact of the disruption, and the broader semiconductor supply chain reported no major interruptions. The joint venture began commercial production at the end of 2024 and is producing about 55,000 12-inch wafers a month, backed by more than $20 billion in investment with support from the Japanese government and partners including Sony, DENSO and Toyota. A second fab is under construction nearby and is expected to begin operating by late 2027 after some work was briefly paused as a precaution following the quake.

Terms & Concepts
  • 12-inch wafers: Large silicon discs used as the base material for manufacturing semiconductor chips.
  • mature process nodes: Older, widely used chipmaking technologies often chosen for automotive, power-management and industrial applications.
  • high-performance computing: Computing workloads that require powerful processors and supporting chips, including those used in data centers.