Global Foundry leader TSMC of Taiwan is reportedly slowing down the import speed of manufacturing equipment at the factory it built in Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan.
According to the Nihon Keizai Shimbun (Nikkei) on the 30th, TSMC has decided that importing equipment necessary for producing 12 to 16 nanometer (nm; one billionth of a meter) semiconductors at the Kumamoto Plant 1 is not needed until 2026. Currently, this factory is producing 22 to 28 nanometer semiconductors.
Nikkei reported that "the background includes weak demand and concerns over U.S. tariff policies," adding that "U.S. Intel, which plans to expand manufacturing facilities in Malaysia, is also delaying orders."
TSMC is expected to begin construction of Plant 2 this year.
Meanwhile, Rapidus, launched under the leadership of the Japanese government aiming for domestic production of advanced semiconductors, will operate a 2-nanometer prototype line at its Chitose (千?) factory in Hokkaido starting April 1 as scheduled.
According to Jiji Press, President Atsuyoshi Koike said, "Mass production can start by 2027."
Rapidus is a company established in 2022 under the Japanese government's leadership with the goal of mass-producing cutting-edge 2-nanometer semiconductors. In December last year, it introduced extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography equipment.
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