TSMC Reports 60,000 Wafer Loss After Taiwan Earthquake

In the early hours of January 21, a magnitude 6.4 shallow earthquake struck Taiwan's Chiayi Dapu region, temporarily halting operations and prompting evacuations at several semiconductor and panel manufacturing facilities in the Central and Southern Taiwan Science Parks. Operations are now gradually resuming.

According to reports from Taiwan media, the earthquake caused significant disruptions at TSMC's Fab 18A/18B and Fab 14A/14B wafer fabs, resulting in an estimated loss of 60,000 wafers. TSMC immediately implemented safety protocols, including evacuating personnel across affected facilities. By 1:00 a.m., all employees were accounted for, with no injuries reported. Post-quake structural inspections confirmed that buildings were safe, allowing operations to gradually resume. Construction sites remained unaffected, and work resumed following environmental safety inspections. Currently, all facilities report normal water, power, and safety system operations, though detailed impact assessments are ongoing.

Additional reports from local media suggest that the earthquake could result in a low single-digit percentage impact on TSMC's first-quarter revenue. At the Southern Taiwan Science Park, Fab 14 and Fab 18 suffered wafer damage, with losses estimated between 25,000 to 30,000 wafers. Advanced nodes produced at Fab 18, such as 3nm and 5nm, were particularly affected due to equipment displacements, despite the factory's higher seismic resilience.

Fab 14 also faced significant disruptions, with approximately half of its equipment impacted. The combined wafer scrap from Fab 14A and Fab 14B exceeded 30,000 units. Initial estimates place total damages from the earthquake at over NT$3 billion (approximately USD 91.5 million), exceeding losses from the April 3, 2024 earthquake.

While TSMC has not officially commented on the reported financial impact.