TSMC plans to build third wafer fab in Kumamoto, Japan

It is reported that after TSMC built two 12-inch wafer fabs in Kumamoto, Japan, Kumamoto Governor Kei Kimura visited TSMC's headquarters in Hsinchu Science Park on the 26th to discuss the establishment of a third wafer fab in Japan. TSMC said they hope to complete the existing two factories in Kumamoto before considering future expansion. TSMC's factory in Kumamoto is its fastest-built overseas factory and is expected to start mass production at the end of 2024. TSMC also plans to build a second Kumamoto factory with partners such as Sony Semiconductor Solutions, Denso Corporation, and Toyota Motor, which is expected to start construction at the end of 2024 and start operations at the end of 2027. TSMC plans that the total monthly production capacity of the two wafer fabs in Kumamoto will exceed 100,000 wafers, mainly serving automotive, industrial, consumer and high-performance computing (HPC) related applications.