The construction of a wafer fab in Japan to be run by a joint venture led by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) is to begin today.
Japan Advanced Semiconductor Manufacturing Inc (JASM), the joint venture, said that it signed an agreement with authorities in Kikuyo-machi in Japan’s Kumamoto Prefecture on Tuesday, with company president Yuichi Horita announcing the schedule for the new plant’s construction.
The plant is expected to begin shipping products in December 2024, Horita said.
Photo: Cheng I-Hwa, Bloomberg
In November last year, TSMC, the world’s largest contract chipmaker, said it would spend up to US$2.12 billion in equity investment on the wafer fab to establish a TSMC-majority-owned subsidiary to provide foundry services, with Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corp (SSS) taking a less than 20 percent stake in the new company.
In February, Japan’s Denso Corp said it would take an at least a 10 percent stake in the joint venture.
The plant would cover 72,000m2 and feature office buildings in addition to production lines, JASM said.
The company would move its headquarters from Kumamoto City to Kikuyo-machi once construction is completed, it said.
The plant would employ 1,700 people, including about 230 TSMC employees to be sent from Taiwan and about 200 from Sony Group Corp, which owns SSS, JASM said, adding that it would recruit about 1,200 workers.
TSMC dispatched the first group of 10 technology professionals from Taiwan last month, JASM said.
Semiconductor shares in China surged yesterday after Reuters reported the US had ordered chipmaking giant Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) to halt shipments of advanced chips to Chinese customers, which investors believe could accelerate Beijing’s self-reliance efforts. TSMC yesterday started to suspend shipments of certain sophisticated chips to some Chinese clients after receiving a letter from the US Department of Commerce imposing export restrictions on those products, Reuters reported on Sunday, citing an unnamed source. The US imposed export restrictions on TSMC’s 7-nanometer or more advanced designs, Reuters reported. Investors figured that would encourage authorities to support China’s industry and bought shares
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