Taiwan Chipmakers: No Harm From Quake
By ExtremeTech Staff on April 1, 2002 at 3:14 pm
Taiwan chipmakers reported little damage from a deadly earthquake that struck over then weekend.
The magnitude 6.8 quake killed five and injured hundreds more, and was centered in Hualien, 108 miles east of Taipei, the island's capital. Most of the island's semiconductor manufacturing facilities are in the Hsinchu Science Park near Taipei.
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. suffered the most severe losses, about half a day's worth of wafers, according to the company. Chipset maker Silicon Integrated Systems Inc. said there was only a "minimal" impact to its operations.
Although earthquakes are common both in Taiwan, Silcion Valley, and other areas around the "Ring of Fire" that surrounds the perimeter of the Pacific Ocean, earthquakes in Taiwan have special significance because of the close concentration of manufacturing sites and the island's critical presence in the PC industry's supply chain.
In September 1999, a magnitude 7.3 quake killed more than 2,000 when it struck the island, halting chip production for about a week when the island lost power. The result was a ripple through the PC supply chain, as some U.S. and other PC OEM firms were forced to place their PC manufacturing on hold while they waitied for parts.