China News Service, November 10, according to Kyodo News, Taiwanese foundry company Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) and Sony Group subsidiary "Sony Semiconductor Solutions" announced on the 9th that they will set up semiconductors in Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan The foundry subsidiary will start construction of a new factory in 2022, and strive to start production before the end of 2024.
It is estimated that the initial equipment investment is about 7 billion U.S. dollars, and Sony has invested about 500 million U.S. dollars to obtain less than 20% of the shares.
The new plant will be built in Kikuyo Town, Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan, and will create approximately 1,500 jobs for cutting-edge technical personnel.
This is the first time that TSMC has set up a production base in Japan.
The subsidiary company is named "JASM".
The new plant will start production of semiconductors with a process of 22 nanometers (1 nanometer is 1 billionth of a meter) and 28 nanometers.
Sony said that the cooperative relationship with TSMC will contribute to the stable procurement of semiconductors, which is of "great significance."
The Japanese government regards ensuring semiconductors as an important issue of economic security and actively attracts investment and intends to assist about half of the cost.
TSMC and Sony stated that "discussions are under way on the premise of receiving strong assistance from the Japanese government."
According to the report, TSMC is based in Taiwan and has world-class technical strength in semiconductor manufacturing. It has also achieved mass production of high-performance 5-nanometer products for use in smart phones.
TSMC is also building a semiconductor manufacturing plant in Arizona in the western United States. From the first quarter of 2024, it will produce 20,000 5-nanometer semiconductors per month.