Focus Taiwan
Date: 2019/02/23
By: Chang Chien-chung, Jeffrey Wu and Frances Huang

Taipei, Feb. 23 (CNA) Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC), the world’s largest contract chipmaker, said Friday it incurred a loss of more than NT$6 billion (US$198 million) from a production disruption caused by substandard chemicals.

Based on a preliminary estimate, TSMC said the loss was about NT$6.1 billion and would be booked in the first quarter.

The incident was the second major operating incident for TSMC in a matter of months. It suffered NT$2.6 billion in losses after its computer system was infected with a virus in August 2018.

The production problem, which was identified on Jan. 19 and later found to be caused by problematic raw materials, resulted in low yields on wafers produced with the 12 nanometer and 16nm processes at TSMC’s Fab 14B, a 12-inch wafer foundry in Tainan.    [FULL  STORY]