
TAIPEI/TOKYO -- Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) has begun operating a research and development facility in Tsukuba, Ibaraki Prefecture, much of which was paid for by the Japanese taxpayer.
The facility, which opened on June 24, was built with Japanese government subsidies of 19 billion yen ($140.52 million). It is meant to help the world's leading contract chipmaker develop next-generation semiconductor technology.