TSMC has said all its sites in Taiwan are operational following a 6.4 magnitude earthquake on the south of the island.

The earthquake occurred just after midnight local time on January 21.

TSMC
– Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd

According to Taiwan’s fire department, 26 people had sought medical treatment as a result of the quake, with severe damage done to buildings in Xixing Village of Chiayi County's Dapu District, the epicenter of the earthquake.

In the immediate aftermath of the earthquake, local media reported that TSMC had evacuated staff at its factories in Taichung and Tainan. Staff are thought to have returned to work at fabs around 9 am local time.

In a statement to DCD, TSMC said that as a result of the earthquake, its fabs in Taiwan’s Southern Science Park recorded a maximum seismic intensity of level 5, while fabs in Central Science Park recorded a maximum intensity of level 4 and Hsinchu Science Park fabs (including Longtan and Zhunan) recorded a maximum intensity of level 3.

“To ensure personnel safety, each site promptly initiated relevant safety precautions in accordance with internal procedures. Some facilities in Central and Southern Science Parks immediately evacuated personnel as a precaution. By approximately 1 am, a complete headcount was conducted, confirming that all personnel were safe. Post-earthquake structural inspections have been completed, confirming that the structures are safe and operations are gradually resuming. TSMC’s construction sites were unaffected and they have continued regular operations following environmental safety checks.

“Currently, the water supply, power, and workplace safety systems are functioning normally and all TSMC’s sites are operating. Detailed inspections and impact assessments are ongoing.”

TSMC is the world's largest contract manufacturer of semiconductors, producing chips for Nvidia, AMD, Apple, Qualcomm, and Broadcom, amongst others. Headquartered at the Hsinchu Science Park in Hsinchu, Taiwan, the company has 12 fabs on the island, all of which are located on the West Coast.

In April 2024, the company was forced to evacuate its chip fabs and suspend construction at a number of its sites after a 7.2 magnitude earthquake hit the island. In October of the same year, the company said it had activated typhoon alert preparation procedures at all its Taiwan fabs and construction sites, in the wake of Typhoon Krathon hitting the region.