TSMC founder expected to attend inauguration ceremony for Kumamoto plant

TSMC founder expected to attend inauguration ceremony for Kumamoto plant

2024-02-05

TSMC will hold an inauguration ceremony for its plant in Japan’s Kumamoto prefecture on Feb. 24. The event will be attended by top company executives, founder Morris Chang, and Japan’s prime minister. Observers say that Chang’s visit to Japan could carry diplomatic undertones, with Chang potentially conducting negotiations for Taiwan’s government.

TSMC will hold an inauguration ceremony for its plant in Kumamoto on Feb. 24. The event will be attended by TSMC CEO C.C. Wei, as well as TSMC Chair Mark Liu, who is set to retire in June. The plant is hailed as a key component of Japan’s semiconductor ambitions. Japan Prime Minister Kishida Fumio will be present. TSMC founder Morris Chang and his wife Sophie Chang, who traditionally spend the Lunar New Year in Hawaii, are expected to head over to Kumamoto to witness the historic moment.

Nobunaga Chai
Semiconductor industry expert
Morris Chang and his wife will participate in the event, in a way similar to APEC. It’s possible he will go with instructions from Taiwanese government officials, that he’ll go to relay information or even to negotiate. We’ll have to wait and see.

Over the past three years, TSMC has pushed ahead with its global expansion. After announcing a fab in the U.S., in 2021, the chipmaker announced a Kumamoto venture with Sony and Denso, with an investment of 1.1 trillion yen. The fab will specialize in 12, 16, 22 and 28 nanometer processes, producing 55,000 wafers a month. Trial production will start in April, with mass production to kick off by year-end. TSMC has also announced a second plant that will specialize in 7 and 16 nanometer processes.

Nobunaga Chai
Semiconductor industry expert
Currently in Taiwan, the 7 nanometer process output is about 180,000 to 190,000 wafers. The capacity utilization rate is just 50% to 60%. AMD and Nvidia have an urgent need for 3 nanometer technology. TSMC’s main focus is still its plant in Arizona, so it’s not impossible that its main clients will turn to other suppliers like Intel or Samsung.

TSMC’s Kumamoto project was warmly received by the local government, which offered subsidies covering more than half the cost. But as TSMC expands abroad, maintaining high capacity utilization rates will remain its biggest challenge.

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台積電熊本廠2/24開幕! 創辦人張忠謀夫婦擬出席見證

2024-02-05

台積電熊本廠將在2/24開幕、年底量產，這是台積電3年前啟動全球布局後、最快量產的海外據點，更被視為日本重振半導體關鍵，因此日相岸田文雄會出席，原本不確定是否出席的創辦人張忠謀夫婦也會現身，專家認為，除了見證歷史性一刻，張忠謀此行可能還有類似APEC的外交任務。

台積電日本熊本廠2/24即將舉行開幕典禮。除了台積電總裁魏哲家、今年6月即將退休的董事長劉德音也會到，台積新廠落成，象徵日本重振半導體產業關鍵，因此日本首相岸田文雄也會親自出席；各界最關注的台積電創辦人張忠謀跟夫人張淑芬，往年農曆春節都會到夏威夷度假，今年預計也會到熊本見證歷史性一刻。

[[半導體產業分析師柴煥欣]]
“張忠謀還有夫人也會參與這次盛會，規格可以等同於APEC，背後會不會隱藏由我們政府所附帶的一些外交指令，來去跟日本進行溝通甚至協商，這部分還是有待觀察。”

3年多年前台積電展開全球佈局，繼美國廠之後、2021年就宣布要到熊本跟SONY、電裝合資1.1兆日圓設廠，一廠生產12、16、22、28奈米製程，月產能5.5萬片，4月試產、年底量產；二廠細節也將出爐，預計生產7奈米或16奈米製程。

[[半導體產業分析師柴煥欣]]
“目前7奈米製程台灣就有18到19萬片，產能利用率只有50%到60%。AMD跟NVIDIA對3奈米需求非常殷切。(台積電)主要考量還是亞利桑那州廠，不排除主要客戶會往其他的英特爾或三星進行投單。”

台積電赴日設廠受當地政府熱烈歡迎、補助超過一半，但進軍海外的同時、能不能維持過往"高產能利用率"，將會成為台積電眼前最大挑戰。

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