Taiwan approves TSMC plan to make 3nm chips at second Kumamoto fab

Taiwan's Ministry of Economic Affairs approved TSMC's plan on March 31, 2026 to make 3nm chips at its second Kumamoto, Japan fab. The fab is set to begin equipment installation and come online in 2028, with monthly capacity of 15,000 12-inch wafers. The approval moves the February evaluation to a government-cleared plan, but the output is still about two years away.

• Approval by Taiwan's Ministry of Economic Affairs on March 31, 2026
• Node changes from planned 6-12nm to 3nm
• Fab to come online in 2028
• Planned capacity 15,000 12-inch wafers per month