Taiwan's accumulated circuit manufacturing company (referred to as "TSMC") is turning Japanese agricultural town Kikoyangcho into a key node for chip supply chain in Asia.
TSMC dominates the global semiconductor industry.In Taiwan, its headquarters, TSMC is in the core position in a network of criss -horizontal cross -crossed by factories, suppliers and engineering companies.Now, with the support of billions of dollars in the Japanese government, TSMC is built the same infrastructure in the pastoral bull farm and vegetable fields in Kikucho in southwestern Japan, about 1,200 kilometers.
In February this year, a chip factory, which was built on the ridge overlooking Juyang Town, was put into operation.This is the first wafer factory built by the company since 2018.
TSMC employees and suppliers are busy in the area around the wafer plant.Chemical companies and equipment manufacturers are competing for business in the semiconductor economy.Japanese electronics giants Sony, Electric Electricity and Toyota, and the main buyers of TSMC semiconductor are investing huge amounts of funds at TSMC's Japanese subsidiaries.
The roadside, shopping malls and hotels here have made traditional characters, providing new comers with various real estate agents, lawyers and restaurants.The foreign population in the town doubled last year.
The high -tech factory town under construction is the example of drama in the semiconductor industry.Over the years, the supply chain of micro chips used in smartphones, cars and fighters mainly depends on several factories in Taiwan. China claims that Taiwan is part of its territory.The popularity of new crown viruses, coupled with the increasingly hostile posture of the Chinese government to Taiwan, and global chip shortages, exposed the risk of concentrated production.
To deal with this issue, governments of many countries have promised to invest billions of dollars to transfer chip manufacturing to their country.In the past four years, TSMC has promised to build wafers in the United States, Japan and Germany.
U.S. Federal officials said that the US Department of Commerce announced on Monday that it would provide a maximum of $ 6.6 billion in funding to TSMC. The company will use this fund to build the third factory in Phoenix.Essence
The construction of TSMC's US factory has been extended many times.Although the construction of the first factory only started after a whole year, the Japanese wafer factories have been put into operation and will be fully put into operation by the end of this year.
Japan used to be a power manufacturing country. In order to revive the industry, it has invested in funds equivalent to $ 26 billion, focusing on the chip for cars.About one -third of these funds are provided to TSMC's operations.The plan to enhance the chip industry and supply chain in Japan also requires tens of billions of dollars in public and private investment.Enterprises will need a large number of workers with appropriate skills, and these workers will need housing.
"Everyone can see the government's support for the entire ecosystem, especially the supply chain, including factories, buildings, transportation and airports," said Yang Ruilin, a research director of the Industrial Technology Research Institute funded by the Taiwan government.Support for the early development of technology companies, including TSMC in that year.This top -down promotion is indispensable for the efficient establishment of the entire supply chain, Yang Ruilin said.
During a peak time of get off work last month, the platform of the quiet raw water railway station of Juyang Town was crowded with workers who worked for TSMC suppliers such as application materials companies and Tokyo Electronics.Some people carry the helmet in the transparent plastic backpack, they are waiting for the train to the nearest big city Kumamoto.
Yamamoto Yamamoto (Yamamoto) was sent to Taiwan for six months of training last year. Now TSMC work in Kikoyangcho, each working time for 12 hours."At the beginning, I found that it was difficult to adapt to such a long working time," he said."But speed is the key to the semiconductor industry."
In recent months, thousands of workers have worked in Jiyang Town day and night to build a TSMC wafer fab to prepare for the machines and materials of the chip.
On the day when the wafer factory was put into operation in February this year, the government stated that it would reinvest $ 4.85 billion for the construction of the second plant.
Koshimoto Koshimoto, Kosho Town, said that Sony helped local officials to attract TSMC. Sony has been producing semiconductors in Juyang Town for more than 20 years.
TSMC brought up to 400 workers from Taiwan to here. The company paid the salary of about 30%higher than the salary of other manufacturing positions in the region, resulting in increasing wages of other enterprises.There are dozens of recruitment advertisements to find someone to find someone to go to the semiconductor factory or their suppliers.
In 37 years, TSMC has built 15 wafer fabs in Taiwan, where the company has a stable network of dependent suppliers, construction companies and technical workers.Small and faster -operated chips build a new wafer plant.
Analysts said that TSMC's experience in Japan shows that the company can reproduce this speed in regions outside Taiwan, although it has been in difficulty in the construction of factories in Arizona.
TSMC was built in Phoenix Factory in Phoenix City in April 2021, and the construction has not been completed.The company said in the second year that it will also build another factory to raise the promised investment to $ 40 billion.The first wafer fab is expected to start mass production next year, and the second will begin mass production in 2027 or 2028.
"Although we encountered some challenges in the construction of the first wafers in Arizona, we are still the fastest builders from the construction of the soil to the installation of equipment," said Liu Deyin, chairman of TSMC in the statement."We believe that the construction of the second wafers will be more smooth."
TSMC said that one of the challenges it faces is the lack of skilled workers.The trade union's opposition to TSMC with foreign workers came to the local area to engage in the work union's work that local people's ability to do, which triggered several months of negotiations.
Many companies that have provided chemicals and materials for TSMC for many years are in Taiwan.Several plans to open a branch in Arizona have been postponed.
"Because the construction of a wafer plant has been postponed, the suppliers are not sure how long TSMC takes to reach the due speed," said Lita Sean Roy, chief executive officer of chip material consulting company TechCet.
Regardless of the results of the overseas projects, the company will leave the most advanced products to the local area. Liu Deyin said in an interview last year.
It is also a concern for TSMC in Japan.In order to let the factory run, some Japanese engineers in Sony were temporarily transferred to TSMC and went to Taiwan for training.The local technical college of Kumamoto has strengthened electrical engineering courses. TSMC has already been17 graduates from college are hired.
The last night, in a banquet hall covered with tatami, a tatami of Kumamoto, 16 kilometers away from TSMC, exchanged gifts with the host (a local chamber of commerce).The dining conveys the bottle of Kirin Beer, Cup sake, T -shirt and key chain, and each person has a plate of sushi in front of each."Toast for the money we will make" is the last sentence of the toast.
All these investments have caused local real estate heat.House prices have risen, causing anxiety among some local residents.Some investors agree to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to buy farmland through video calls.
"There are no other places in Japan that have growth like here," Okuda Okuda, a agent of real estate developer Qilu, said that he grew up in the local area.
TSMC workers who work in Juyang Town are located near Hsinchu and Tainan in TSMC production bases in Taiwan. The housing prices of these cities are the highest in Taiwan.
Many newcomers call Taiwanese real estate agent Ka Ke Liao (sound), and let her help find a house that can stay in and equipped with furniture immediately. This kind of house is common in Taiwan.The countryside is not easy to find.
"They said,‘ Quickly go to Kumamoto area to find a residence, ’” Ms. Liao stood at the table of a model room."This is the next Hsinchu."
