TSMC, the world’s largest advanced chipmaker, has halted production in Taiwan after the earthquake there. The country was rocked by the strongest earthquake in 25 years.
TSMC is the most important chip manufacturer for Apple and Nvidia, among others. The company also evacuated all its employees from factories in the region. The consequences for production are being further investigated by TSMC, following the earthquake measuring 7.4 on the Richter scale. Smaller local rival United Microelectronics Corp. also shut down machinery in some factories and evacuated certain facilities.
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Taiwan is one of the world’s major production sites of chips and other semiconductors used in iPhones and cars. Precision is especially important for chips. A small vibration can destroy the entire production of chips.
‘TSMC’s safety systems are working normally. To ensure the safety of employees, some factories have been evacuated as per company procedure,” the company said in a statement. “We are currently confirming the details of the impact.”
Injury
It is striking that the damage in the country is still relatively minor after the strongest earthquake in years. Four people are said to have died and dozens of people were injured. With the exception of a few leaning buildings, material damage appears to be limited.
Tags: Main chipmaker halts production Taiwan earthquake
