According to insiders, TSMC is considering building a third chip factory in Japan to produce advanced 3-nanometer chips, which could make Japan a major global chip manufacturing center.
Insiders said that the construction plan of this chip foundry has been informed to supply chain partners that they are considering building a third factory in Kumamoto Prefecture, southern Japan, under the project code TSMC Fab-23 Phase III.
It is reported that TSMC is currently building its first factory in Japan to produce chips with lower performance. The second factory is also planned, and it is currently unclear when the company will start building a third factory. The 3nm process is currently the most advanced chip manufacturing technology on the market, but some analysts point out that by the time the new factory mass produces, 3nm may have fallen behind the latest technology by 1-2 generations.
Japan has benefited greatly
However, once the plan is implemented, it will be a major victory for Japan. Ryosuke Katsura, an analyst at SMBC Nikko Securities, predicts that by 2035, the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of Kumamoto's Kyushu region will increase from the current 50 trillion yen to 75 trillion yen.
The government of Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has been providing trillions of yen in subsidies to attract investment from domestic and foreign semiconductor companies. In addition to TSMC, Japan has also successfully obtained investments from Micron Technology, Samsung Electronics, and Powerchip. Japanese officials also helped domestic startup Rapidus establish a production line for cutting-edge 2nm chips in Hokkaido.
Japan is moving faster than the United States in establishing a domestic semiconductor ecosystem. For economic and national security reasons, the United States is also striving to build domestic capacity. The Japanese government has already provided subsidies to companies, while the Biden government has not yet disbursed a penny to any company from the Chip and Science Act, which has allocated over $50 billion to the semiconductor industry.
It is understood that the cost of a 3-nanometer wafer factory may be as high as $20 billion, including the machines used for production, although the specific cost will depend on when the factory is built and how to obtain land and other materials. It is currently unclear how much TSMC expects to invest in the third wafer factory. Japan usually bears about 50% of the cost of such facilities.
Multiple factories are planning
TSMC is currently constructing a factory in Kumamoto Prefecture, invested by Sony Group Corp. and Denso Corp., and is expected to begin producing chips up to 12 nanometers in advanced technology by the end of 2024. According to some insiders, TSMC will also build a second wafer factory near Kumamoto's first factory, and is expected to start producing 5nm chips in 2025.
According to insiders, when TSMC initially planned to establish a manufacturing business in Japan, its blueprint included multiple factories so that it could best utilize the auxiliary facilities for the Kumamoto Park construction. They said that TSMC may even build a fourth factory, but due to land shortages, the factory may be located in a county north of Kumamoto.
TSMC is making necessary investments to support customer needs, "the company said in an email statement." In Japan, we are currently focused on evaluating the possibility of establishing a second wafer factory, and we do not have further information to share
Joanne Chiao, an analyst at Taipei research firm TrendForce, said that Japan's expertise in chip materials and machinery makes the country an attractive location for TSMC's expansion.
Japan's key role in semiconductors and raw materials, coupled with its collaboration with Sony, provides a compelling advantage for TSMC, as TSMC's investment in Japan is expected to help it acquire advanced materials and professional image sensor technology, "she said.