TSMC is rumored to be considering a purchase of two older-generation AUO display plants near its operations in the Central Taiwan Science Park, according to a report cited by ChainCatcher from Commercial Times. The reported deal value is more than NT$30 billion, and the facilities — AUO’s L7 and L5C plants — would be kept as space for large-format packaging development tied to CoPoS and FOPLP. People familiar with the matter, as cited in the report, said TSMC has already completed on-site due diligence. AUO is said to be planning to prioritize the disposal of the two factory sites, with a board submission target in October and a goal of finishing production-line relocation and clearing the facilities by the end of the first quarter next year. Neither TSMC nor AUO has confirmed the transaction. The report also described a broader buildout in central Taiwan. Industry sources said TSMC is extending its footprint from A14 process technology and advanced packaging to the COUPE silicon photonics platform, while existing and planned sites in the park include Fab 15A, Fab 25 and the AP5 advanced packaging and testing facility. On the optics side, Largan has recently acquired land and factory properties in Taichung, with the market reading those moves as preparation for CPO-related volume production.

Powertech Technology, Taiwan’s second-largest chip packaging and testing company, has approved a $400 million investment to form a joint venture with Broadcom in Singapore, according to ABMedia. The project targets fan-out panel-level packaging, or FOPLP, a packaging approach seen as increasingly important for AI accelerators and high-performance computing chips. The report says the deal is Powertech’s largest single overseas investment to date. Chairman Tsai Du-Kung said the company has spent more than a decade developing FOPLP and built Taiwan’s first dedicated FOPLP production line in 2018. Powertech said the Singapore operation will focus on additive fine-line redistribution layer technology for advanced packaging substrates aimed at high-end AI chips and large-format packaging. Powertech also said its core technology and intellectual property will remain in Taiwan, and described the Singapore facility as an extension of manufacturing capacity built to serve international customers locally rather than a transfer of technology. The transaction still requires approval from Taiwan’s Investment Commission and other regulators. On July 17, Powertech’s shares briefly rose to NT$325 before reversing and closing at NT$288, down 9%, the report said.