TSMC's subsidiary in Japan, Japan Advanced Semiconductor Manufacturing (JASM), has indicated that it aims to procure 60% of equipment and materials from Japanese suppliers for its 12-inch (300mm) fab currently under construction in Kumamoto Prefecture by 2030.
According to a report by Nikkei, Yuichi Horita, the president of TSMC's subsidiary JASM, mentioned during a speech at Semicon Japan 2023 that the current proportion of equipment and materials sourced from Japan for the wafer plant in Kumamoto is approximately 25%.
JASM's objective is to increase this ratio to 50% by 2026 and reach 60% by 2030. Despite various semiconductor equipment and material suppliers from Japan investing in Taiwan to serve major clients like TSMC, Horita stated that the Japanese semiconductor supply chain is still essential within Japan. He expressed hope that Japanese industry players could assist JASM in manufacturing products domestically.
As a result of several Japanese companies producing advanced semiconductor materials in Taiwan instead of Japan, the progress in refining semiconductor processes in Japan has somewhat stagnated, according to Horita. He anticipates a swift transfer of technology from sister facilities in Taiwan to the Kumamoto plant to expedite the advancement of chip manufacturing capabilities in Japan.
Additionally, he emphasized that the construction of the wafer plant in Kumamoto has progressed smoothly and is approaching completion. Equipment installation began in October 2023, and the plant is expected to begin shipments by the end of 2024, following the planned schedule.
The workforce at the Kumamoto wafer plant includes a total of 1,400 employees, consisting of 600 individuals transitioning from TSMC and Sony, and an additional 800 personnel. In the spring of 2024, as forecasted by JASM, new graduates are expected to join, with 56% of these recruits hailing from schools in Kyushu.
