The company also announced that its Fab 10, located in Shanghai, is prepared to manufacture automotive grade ICs. The automotive process qualification specification was first proposed at the Automotive Electronic Council's (AEC) annual Reliability Workshop in June 2008.

Semiconductor devices in automobiles wear out quickly due to the stringent operating environment, and it is critical that the inherent manufacturing process can support semiconductor devices that will last far beyond the vehicle's lifetime.

The Automotive Service Package will complement customers' test coverage and test methodology to reduce the field failure rate. It incorporates tightened process control, device level screen limit, and wafer sorting scrap criteria, additional SPC monitoring, preferred tools, and other elements. It is aimed at significantly reducing process variation.

TSMC Fab 10 in Shanghai, along with multiple fabs in Taiwan, has successfully established the capability of supporting the automotive service package. The automotive process route in Fab 10 is available for global auto supply chain companies, including those in China.

More information on the company's website