GoKawiilTSMC asks suppliers for chip equipment free of Chinese rare-earth magnets
TSMC has reportedly begun asking its equipment suppliers whether they can build factory automation machinery using motors that avoid rare-earth materials, according to a Reuters report citing people familiar with the matter. The move targets electric motors in TSMC's fabrication plants that typically rely on permanent magnets made from elements like neodymium, dysprosium and terbium.