TSMC’s building a $7 billion fab in Japan with Sony

TSMC's building a $7 billion fab in Japan with Sony

TSMC’s building a $7 billion fab in Japan with Sony

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) has confirmed that they will be making a new $7 billion chipmaking facility in Japan’s Kumamoto Prefecture, partnering with the Sony Group and other companies to do so. 

This new facility will not be focused on leading-edge semiconductor technologies, as it will instead focus on 20nm range products. This node selection makes TSMC’s new Japanese facility valuable to many Japanese manufacturers, as these node sizes are often used to create imaging sensors, vehicles, and other electronics. TSMC’s new facility will help combat the impact of the global chip shortage in many of Japan’s industries. 

TSMC’s Japanese facility will help decrease Japan’s reliance on chips produced in foreign nations. Beyond that, it will help to support Japan’s semiconductor manufacturing base and stimulate Japan’s domestic semiconductor industries. This change will put to rest fears of Japan’s device and semiconductor material makers moving their manufacturing facilities abroad.   

  
TSMC's building a $7 billion fab in Japan with Sony

Sadly, this fab will not help alleviate shortages of high-end semiconductors, as TSMC’s Japanese facility will not create products based on TSMC’s 7nm, 5nm and future 3nm process technologies. Even so, this facility will help fulfil the world’s need for chips made with older, cheaper manufacturing technologies. While Sony Group is a partner in this venture, this facility will not boost PlayStation 5 production. That said, this new fab will take a while to build. 

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