TSMC plans 3-nanometre chip production launch in Japan in 2028

By Wen-Yee Lee

TAIPEI, April 1 (Reuters) – TSMC, the world’s largest contract chipmaker, is expected to launch equipment installation and mass production of 3-nanometre wafers in 2028 at its second factory in Japan, according to a Taiwanese government filing late on Tuesday.

In February, TSMC CEO CC Wei said the company plans to mass-produce advanced 3-nanometre chips at its second fabrication plant in Japan, during a meeting with Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi. 

* Under the revised plan, its second chip-making plant inJapan will have a monthly production capacity of 15,000 12-inchwafers through advanced 3-nanometre process technology, thefiling said on Tuesday. * TSMC’s previous plans for Japan focused on theless-advanced technologies. In 2024, the company said that totalinvestment in the first and second fabs would exceed $20billion, with combined monthly production capacity of 100,00012-inch wafers using less-advanced 40, 22/28, 12/16 and6/7-nanometre process technologies. * Japanese newspaper Yomiuri reported in February thatinvestment for the second fab plant will roughly touch $17billion, but TSMC has not disclosed the figure yet and alsodeclined to comment on the reported investment figure. * The company’s first fab plant in Japan started volumeproduction in late 2024. * TSMC established its Japan unit, Japan AdvancedSemiconductor Manufacturing, in 2021 with support from SonySemiconductor Solutions Corporation. Japan’s DENSO Corporationand Toyota Motor Corporation later joined as minority investors.

(Reporting by Wen-Yee Lee; Editing by Sherry Jacob-Phillips)