SEOUL, August 04 (AJP) - Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) has restored normal operations at its first semiconductor plant in Japan's Kumamoto Prefecture after a powerful earthquake temporarily halted production last week, easing concerns over potential supply disruptions in one of Japan's key chipmaking hubs.
TSMC said its Kumamoto Fab 1 resumed full production on Sunday after suspending manufacturing on July 28 to inspect and recalibrate equipment following a magnitude-7.1 earthquake. Structural inspections confirmed the building's safety, although additional checks on production equipment required several days to complete.
Immediately after the quake, TSMC said in a statement that "post-earthquake structural inspections have been completed, confirming that the structures are safe and operations are gradually resuming," while noting that detailed equipment inspections and impact assessments were continuing.
Construction of the company's second Kumamoto fab has also resumed after being temporarily paused as a precaution against aftershocks, according to the company.
TSMC separately said it would donate 250 million yen ($1.6 million) to support earthquake relief efforts in Kumamoto.
The recovery has proceeded considerably faster than after the devastating 2016 Kumamoto earthquakes, when semiconductor production in the region took months to fully recover. Japanese media attributed the quicker restart to stronger earthquake-resistant facilities and improved business continuity planning adopted by chipmakers following the 2016 disaster.
Other semiconductor manufacturers are also restoring operations. Tokyo Electron resumed production at two factories in Kumamoto on Aug. 3, while Sony Semiconductor Manufacturing began a phased restart of its Kumamoto Technology Center on Monday with plans to return to normal operations by mid-August. Renesas Electronics is also expected to resume operations at its Kumamoto plant on Tuesday.
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