HardwareTaiwanese chipmaking bounces back after last week’s 7.4 magnitude earthquakeWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
HardwareTaiwanese chipmaking bounces back after last week’s 7.4 magnitude earthquakeWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: Taiwanese Semiconductor Manufacturing Co.)
Thankfully, most of Taiwan’s population centers and semiconductor manufacturing facilities are not located in the mountainous eastern regions of Taiwan, where the earthquake’s epicenter was located. TSMC was quick to resume operations following an assessment of its critical tools. As much as 80% of its production capacity was back online within just 10 hours of the quake.
However, Micron’s Taoyaun facility reportedly had to scrap over 60% of its wafers in progress. These wafers are built with Micron’s most advanced manufacturing processes, so there could be some upwards price adjustment in the server markets, where high density chips and modules are destined to end up.
Your next upgrade(Image credit: Future)Best CPU for gaming: The top chips from Intel and AMD.Best gaming motherboard: The right boards.Best graphics card: Your perfect pixel-pusher awaits.Best SSD for gaming: Get into the game ahead of the rest.
Your next upgrade
(Image credit: Future)Best CPU for gaming: The top chips from Intel and AMD.Best gaming motherboard: The right boards.Best graphics card: Your perfect pixel-pusher awaits.Best SSD for gaming: Get into the game ahead of the rest.
(Image credit: Future)
Best CPU for gaming: The top chips from Intel and AMD.Best gaming motherboard: The right boards.Best graphics card: Your perfect pixel-pusher awaits.Best SSD for gaming: Get into the game ahead of the rest.
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Should a really big Taiwanese earthquake significantly disrupt chip supply, the downstream effects would be significant, and it could easily lead to a global recession.
Taiwan is tectonically active due to its location atop a convergent plate boundary. The island is effectively a series of smaller island arcs that have been squashed together. As a result, chip making facilities and building codes in general are designed with earthquakes in mind. Taiwan showed its ability to dodge a 1-in-25 year earthquake without catastrophic damage, but who knows? There’s always a possibility of ‘the big one’: Something Californians are all too aware of.
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