6.4 Magnitude Earthquake Hits Southern Taiwan, TSMC Evacuates Factories
Early on Tuesday, a substantial 6.4 magnitude earthquake struck southern Taiwan, prompting concerns about the potential impact on the prominent semiconductor foundry company TSMC. Reports from Commercial Times, the Economic Daily News, and Reuters highlighted that TSMC took swift action to evacuate its workforce from its central and southern Taiwan factories to ensure the safety of all employees.
The reports further stressed that the full extent of the earthquake’s impact on TSMC’s operations is currently being assessed. Of particular concern is TSMC’s fab 18 in the Southern Taiwan Science Park, a crucial production site known for its advanced nodes, including the cutting-edge 3nm technology.
The earthquake, felt even in Taipei, led to buildings shaking in the midnight hours. With a depth of 9.4 km, the epicenter was located in Dapu Township, Chiayi, in Southern Taiwan. Nearby semiconductor fabs, including TSMC’s Fab8, Fab14, Fab18, UMC’s Fab12A in Tainan, and TSMC Fab15 in Taichung were also affected by the tremors.
TSMC reported that its fabs in the Southern and Central Taiwan Science Parks experienced varying levels of tremors during the earthquake. The Southern Taiwan Science Park recorded the highest tremor level at 5, while the Central Taiwan Science Park registered a level 4 tremor. Fabs in the Hsinchu Science Park, including those in Longtan and Zhunan, felt a level 3 tremor.
As a precautionary measure, TSMC activated emergency protocols due to the evacuation thresholds being met in its Central and Southern Taiwan facilities. Personnel were safely evacuated indoors and outdoors, while safety checks are currently underway to assess any potential damages, according to a Technews report.
Despite the earthquake possibly causing prolonged shaking, industry insiders indicated that TSMC’s equipment, designed with anti-vibration features, is not likely to face significant damage. However, concerns exist regarding potential equipment misalignment from the tremors, necessitating shutdowns for realignment and recalibration before resuming operations.
In response to the earthquake, TSMC’s supply chain partners and engineers across Taiwan have mobilized to the company’s facilities in the Central and Southern Taiwan Science Parks to assist in the recovery efforts. The collective goal is to restore production levels as quickly as possible post-earthquake, ensuring minimal disruption to the semiconductor manufacturing processes.
