Chip company TSMC will start building its new semiconductor fab in Japan next year and begin mass producing in 2024, CEO CC Wei confirmed, the South China Morning Post reported. The CEO said the fab will use mature 22-nanometre and 28-nanometre technologies and that the company has strong commitments from both customers and the Japanese government. The planned factory, which will mainly target the automotive sector for its chips, is still awaiting TSMC board approval. Wei did not mention any possible partners in the venture.
Neither did the company mention a recent US request for it to disclose key business information. TSMC has reassured investors it will not share critical client and inventory information with the US government.
The US Commerce Department issued a “request for information” late last month, in which it asked chip makers including TSMC, Samsung, and Intel to “voluntarily” provide information about their sales, inventory and client details to quantify semiconductor supply chain risks. The move was met with reluctance and authorities in Taiwan and South Korea both expressed concerns about the US request.
