Last Tuesday in the south of Taiwan, an earthquake of magnitude of 6.4 points occurred, which influenced mainly on the activities of TSMC enterprises located in the secretary. The largest of them are FAB 18 and FAB 14, and to a greater extent suffered that which specializes in less advanced processes.
Image Source: TSMC
As Liberty Times explains, the local FAB 18 plant produces 5-nm and 3-nm chips, its structural elements were erected later and initially designed for higher seismic activity. As a result of the earthquake, work from 30 to 40 % of the equipment on FAB 18 could be affected, from 25 to 30 thousand silicon plates can be rejected. By January 23, FAB 18 completely restored the work.
The situation at nearby Fab 14 was less favorable. This facility is an older facility and is focused on using more mature technology; approximately half of the equipment on site may have been affected by the aftershocks. It’s not a fact that it will eventually require replacement or repair, but it will take some time to reconfigure. It is not specified when Fab 14 will be fully resumed. In addition, more than 30 thousand silicon wafers at this site may be irreparably damaged.
According to some estimates, the utilization rate of TSMC’s plants in Tainan, which specialize in mature lithography, does not exceed 70-80%, and this is due to a seasonal decrease in demand. From an earthquake response perspective, this gives TSMC plenty of flexibility to serve customers. Since during this period the company worked using mature technical processes in the region mainly “to the warehouse”, it will be able to quickly make up for the loss of products that it suffered as a result of the earthquake.