Overview
- Taiwan’s Central Weather Administration reported a magnitude 7.0 quake at 11:05 p.m. on Dec. 27 east of Yilan at a depth of 72.8 kilometers, calling it only the third quake of 7.0 or higher in 26 years.
- TSMC said personnel are safe, safety systems functioned as intended, and brief evacuations at some Hsinchu Science Park fabs concluded after checks with staff returning to work.
- Sensitive equipment, including EUV lithography tools, shut down automatically as designed, and local media reports say wafers in process may require scrapping or re‑inspection, with limited impact reported at the Tainan site.
- Local reports cited by Wccftech say affected facilities were restored within about ten hours and plants were operating at full capacity, reflecting company statements to media.
- A visiting professor estimated potential losses could reach NT$100 million, and Taiwan Semiconductor shares edged down about 0.6% premarket, with prior quakes having produced wafer‑related losses reported at $92.4 million in 2024 and $162 million in Q1 2025.