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Major Chip Foundries in Taiwan Remains Unaffected Despite Strong Earthquakes
Published: 10.3.2022
Reuters: Earthquake Central Emergency Operations Centre
On September 18, the US Geological Survey reported a 6.8 magnitude earthquake and aftershocks hit the Southeastern part of Taiwan suspending daily operations due to the calamity that left the affected region.
Taiwan lies near the junction of two tectonic plates and is prone to earthquakes.
However, major chip manufacturing hubs in Taiwan report no major damage from the said earthquake. In an interview with Yicai Global, a spokesperson from Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, the world’s largest contract chipmaker and Apple’s major supplier, said initial assessments resulted in no significant impact.
Taiwan is the home of major tech firms including United Microelectronics, AU Optronics, and Innolux Corporation. According to UDN, a local media outlet, they also received little to no impact and continue their usual operation.
As mentioned in a press conference on September 19, Nanya Technology performed a first shutdown check and gradually resumed its activities. Micron also recalled their engineers to check the machinery and has confirmed no losses. These two businesses’ capacity utilization rates and supply remain unaffected.
Taiwanese companies Yageo and Walsin Technology have campuses that are dedicated to manufacturing passive component MLCC. According to the investigation report released by TrendForce, the utilization rate of production capacity has been maintained at 70% due to a decrease in market demand since July. The electricity grid in the Kaohsiung area was unaffected by the earthquake, and the sintering furnaces on the production lines are still running normally.
