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TSMC to make advanced AI semiconductors in Japan in boost for its chipmaking ambitions
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Japan's Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi speaks during a meeting with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company's Chairman C.C. Wei at the prime minister's office in Tokyo, Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026. - photo by Kazuhiro Nogi/Pool Photo via AP
TOKYO (AP) — Taiwan’s chipmaker TSMC said Thursday it will be manufacturing some of the world's most cutting-edge semiconductors in Japan to meet booming artificial intelligence-related demand, in a boost for the country's chipmaking ambitions. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Corp., a major chip supplier to companies such as Nvidia and Apple, said Thursday it plans to make 3-nanometer semiconductors — advanced chips that are used in areas such as AI products and smartphones — at its second factory in Japan’s Kumamoto Prefecture, which is under construction. The decision by TSMC, the world’s largest contract chip maker, was a coup for Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi ahead of a general election on Sunday, where she hopes to secure the public’s mandate for her policies riding on high approval ratings.