TSMC bounces back after Taiwan’s earthquake, resuming chip manufacturing operations

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), a global semiconductor giant, swiftly responded to Taiwan's recent 7.4 magnitude earthquake, ensuring minimal disruptions to its operations, as reported by the Fortune.

Although its workers were evacuated as a precautionary measure, TSMC reported that there were no weren’t any major damages to its chip foundries.

Within hours of the earthquake and aftershocks, operations resumed.

To safeguard its operations, TSMC had made attempts to swiftly to protect its facilities and equipment.

While some tools sustained minor damages, the company recovered, with 70 per cent of tools back online within 10 hours of the earthquake.

Notably, major tools essential for chip-making remained unaffected.

The report by Fortune cited Mark Williams, the chief Asia economist of Capital Economics, who said that that Taiwan's frequent earthquakes have pushed companies to adapt their operations according to the seismic challenges.

As for TSMC, the company learned a great deal from the aftermath of the 1999 earthquake, which caused extensive casualties and damages.

Subsequently, TSMC strengthened its infrastructure with seismic-resistant measures, including: seismic coefficient enhancements, additional anchors on equipment, and the implementation of dampers to mitigate seismic energy.

Additionally, incremental infrastructure improvements and the installation of an Earthquake Early Warning System has further enhanced TSMC's disaster preparedness.

TSMC's earthquake response comes along with other major initiatives in Taiwan to fortify infrastructure and disaster response capabilities.

While the earthquake disrupted power supply for over 300,000 households, swift restoration efforts saw recovery within hours.