On February 24, the Taiwanese company TSMC inaugurated its new semiconductor manufacturing plant in Kyoto Prefecture, Japan.
This facility, known as Japan Advanced Semiconductor Manufacturing (JASM), represents a significant and important milestone for the semiconductor industry in Japan.
The JASM facility covers an area of approximately 52 hectares and is designed for manufacturing precision at 40 nanometers, 28 nanometers, 22 nanometers, 14 nanometers, and 12 nanometers in the first factory.
The first factory’s initial production capacity is around 40,000 chips per month with a diameter of 300 mm, and it can be increased to 50,000 chips per month in the near future.
However, it is planned for TSMC to expand the JASM facility to include a second factory that will produce chips with manufacturing precision of 7 nanometers and 6 nanometers. This factory is expected to begin production phase by the end of 2027.
It is expected that the Japanese government will provide financial support to expand the second factory worth 5 billion dollars. Once production starts in this factory, the JASM facility can produce approximately 100,000 chips monthly with a diameter of 300mm.
According to research group TrendForce, the JASM facility’s additional capacity provides a significant boost to TSMC amid a global shortage in chip production, while also enhancing local chip manufacturing capabilities in Japan; reducing reliance on imports and helping Japan strengthen its production of advanced chips for Japanese automotive and consumer electronics brands.
Dr. C.C. Wei, CEO of TSMC, stated that the JASM facility will represent a significant leap forward in the Japanese semiconductor industry over the next decade.