JAPAN-TAIWAN-TECHNOLOGY-CHIP
TSMC is expanding its advanced process technology footprint at its Kumamoto plant in Japan, and the Japanese government has approved related 3-nanometer process plans, further deepening cooperation between the Taiwan and Japan's semiconductor industries.

The Japanese government has approved TSMC’s plan to produce semiconductors using an advanced 3nm process at its second wafer fab in Kumamoto Prefecture. If the project proceeds as planned, the facility will become Japan’s first plant to manufacture 3nm chips, underscoring Tokyo’s continued efforts to strengthen domestic semiconductor manufacturing through subsidies and industrial policy.

According to a Central News Agency report, Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry approved the plan on Oct. 16. TSMC had initially planned to produce chips using more mature processes at the second Kumamoto fab, but announced in February that it would switch to 3nm technology.

The second Kumamoto fab is still under construction near the first Kumamoto fab, which is already in operation. The change in process plans reflects Japan’s goal of expanding its domestic capacity to manufacture advanced chips while attracting more semiconductor supply-chain companies to the country.

The 3nm process can be used in high-performance computing, smartphones and other high-end electronic products. As AI computing demand increases, advanced process technology is becoming increasingly important, and major economies around the world view semiconductors as a key industry for economic security and technological competition.

TSMC’s expanded investment in Japan will help deepen industrial cooperation between Taiwan and Japan, but the new fab still faces challenges including construction progress, equipment installation, yield improvement and customer demand. Government approval does not mean the plant has begun mass production; the actual start date and production capacity will depend on subsequent announcements by the company.

The project will be closely watched by the semiconductor industry, particularly for whether Japan’s subsidy policies can spur the development of local suppliers and how TSMC allocates advanced process capacity among its facilities in Taiwan, Japan and other overseas locations.