Japan suffered a series of strong earthquakes with magnitudes 7.3 and 5.2, which will make the semiconductor supply chain even worse

According to CCTV News, at 16:31 local time on the 14th, a magnitude 5.2 earthquake occurred in the sea near Fukushima Prefecture, Japan, and the real-time footage at the scene was shaking violently.

This is the second aftershock of a magnitude 7.3 earthquake that occurred in the eastern waters of Fukushima, Japan at 23:07 yesterday. Officials said that the 7.3 magnitude earthquake in Japan may be an aftershock of the 2011 March 11 earthquake, and that strong earthquakes may occur in the next two or three days or even in the next week, and reminded residents to pay attention to safety.

Cooling water leak at Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant

The highly-watched Fukushima nuclear power plant had a minor cooling water leak during this earthquake. According to NHK TV, the cooling water used to store nuclear fuel in Unit 1 of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant leaked slightly, but the radiation level was said to be very low. Fortunately, since the last "3.11" earthquake, nuclear power plants in the Fukushima area have been shut down. So far, the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant has not reported any changes in radiation monitoring data; similarly, the Onagawa Nuclear Power Plant in Miyagi Prefecture, the Tokai Daini Nuclear Power Plant in Ibaraki Prefecture, and the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Nuclear Power Plant in Niigata Prefecture have not reported any abnormalities.

The earthquake caused hundreds of injuries and widespread power outages and water shortages

The latest reports show that the earthquake has had a serious impact on local production and life. According to the latest statistics, the earthquake has injured at least 102 people in Fukushima Prefecture, Miyagi Prefecture and other places. The earthquake caused large-scale power outages and water shortages in many parts of Japan, and at least 10 thermal power generating units in the northeast region stopped generating electricity. A geological disaster warning was issued in the area where the epicenter was located, and a landslide has occurred in Fukushima Prefecture. Some sections of the Tohoku, Joetsu, Hokuriku, and Tokaido Shinkansen in Japan were temporarily suspended due to power outages. The pipes of the JR station in Fukushima City, Fukushima Prefecture were damaged and leaked a lot of water.

Semiconductor supply chain may be affected

According to Jiwei.com's previous report, due to the earthquake, the Ibaraki factory of chip manufacturer Renesas Electronics Co., Ltd. located in southern Fukushima has suspended operations to inspect its clean room.

In addition, according to Japanese media reports, the intensity of the earthquake at the factory of Japanese silicon wafer manufacturer SUMCO within the radiation range of this earthquake has exceeded 4 degrees, so the factory has been shut down for inspection in accordance with standard procedures.

The earthquake affected a number of semiconductor companies, including Toshiba, Sony, NEC and other well-known semiconductor companies, all of which have factories in the area. The impact of the earthquake on these semiconductor manufacturers is still unknown, but considering the impact of water and power outages in some areas, post-disaster repairs, and unknown aftershocks, coupled with the recent general production capacity shortage in the entire industry, the Fukushima earthquake in Japan may make the semiconductor supply chain even worse.