Tech

TSMC halts some chipmaking, evacuates plants after major quake

The company is the main contract chipmaker to Apple and Nvidia

Taiwanese firms TSMC makes and assembles the majority of semiconductors that go into devices from iPhones to cars from factories vulnerable to even the slightest tremors. Picture: CFOTO

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing, the world’s largest maker of advanced chips, halted some chipmaking machinery and evacuated staff after the biggest earthquake to hit its home island in 25 years.

TSMC, the main contract chipmaker to Apple and Nvidia, moved staff out of certain areas and said it’s assessing the impact of a temblor measuring 7.4 in magnitude off the east coast.

Smaller local rival United Microelectronics also halted machinery at some plants and evacuated certain ...