What They Say
Reuters reported that severe droughts in Taiwan are causing more problems for the semiconductor supply chain. Water levels are at just 20% of capacity after a typhoon-free summer with little rain. TSMC is reported to be trucking water to some of its facilities although at the moment it said that production has not yet been affected.
What We Think
We tend not to think of high technology ventures such as semiconductors as being dependent on the weather, but as we have seen in Texas, they certainly are! Water supply has also been a factor in the location of display fabs. Support in making water available has been a way that governments have been able to help establish panel producers without directly funding them. So far, I have not seen reports of problems for panel suppliers, but they may be affected if the problem continues to get worse. (BR)
A typical semiconductor Ultra Pure Water System Configuration. Image:SEMI
