TSMC will start producing “Made in Japan” chips for Sony and others any day now

Of all the projects being implemented by TSMC outside Taiwan to build factories for the production of chips, it is the Japanese one that has the highest compliance with the original schedule. It may be due to geographic proximity and similar corporate cultures, but TSMC’s Japan facility will begin mass production of chips by the end of the year.

Image Source: TSMC

The Nikkei agency reported this at the end of last week, but representatives of the Taiwanese media only recently managed to find out the details. Let us remind you that the shareholders of the JASM joint venture are Sony and Denso, so they have the right to claim priority receipt of products produced by the first enterprise in Japan. Now it is already in the final stages of preparation for serial production of chips for Sony and Denso using a range of technological processes from 28 to 12 nm inclusive. As JASM representatives assure, Japanese-made products will be of the same level of quality as those produced at TSMC’s Taiwanese factories.

Construction of the second JASM plant will begin in Kumamoto Prefecture next year; by the end of 2027, it will be able to begin producing products at 7 and 6 nm technology standards. Once the second facility is operational, combined with the first, they will be able to produce 100,000 silicon wafers per month. In total, the two JASM facilities will employ more than 3,400 new employees. By the end of the decade, JASM hopes to source up to 60% of the materials and components needed to produce chips in Japan. Now this figure reaches 45%, and by 2026 it will increase to 50%. According to preliminary data, the third TSMC enterprise in Japan may appear after 2030.