7.1-Magnitude Earthquake in Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan; TSMC Evacuates Employees

A 7.1-magnitude earthquake struck Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan, on Tuesday (July 28), and TSMC, which has a factory there, said it evacuated employees for this reason.

According to Taiwan's United Daily News, the earthquake occurred in Kumamoto at around 4 p.m.

Japan time (around 3 p.m.

Singapore time).

TSMC's JASM (Japan Advanced Semiconductor Manufacturing) plant area in Kumamoto, Japan, met the evacuation standard.

With personnel safety as the top priority, indoor and outdoor evacuation and headcount checks are being carried out in accordance with emergency response procedures.

A TSMC public relations official also told Japan's Kyodo News that the company is confirming the situation at its Kumamoto Prefecture factory.

JASM's first fab has already entered mass production, mainly producing 12nm to 28nm process chips for automotive, consumer electronics, and industrial customers.

The second fab is under construction on adjacent land, with plans to introduce more advanced processes in the future.