TSMC Opens Its First Chip Manufacturing Plant in Japan

Japan Advanced Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (JASM), the manufacturing subsidiary of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), held an opening ceremony for its first Kumamoto factory under construction on February 24, 2024.  

JASM Kumamoto Factory No. 1 covers an area of 213,000 square meters, with a total construction area of 226,000 square meters. The total project investment is US$8.6 billion, of which the Japanese government contributes 476 billion yen. The factory will produce TSMC’s product lineup of 22/28 nm generation products and 12/16 nm products are planned to start mass production in 2024. 

With the rapid development of artificial intelligence, there is a surge in demand for chip production capacity. Zhang Zhongmou stated that AI chip manufacturers not only need tens of thousands of wafers but also require multiple new factories with strong chip manufacturing capabilities. 

The new factory will focus on producing chips using more advanced process nodes, which can be used in AI applications and autonomous driving vehicles. This is crucial for Japan to maintain a reliable semiconductor supply chain, produce chips for automobiles and other industries domestically, and become a global leader in chip production.