A Taiwanese chipmaker, responsible for 90 percent of the world's most advanced computer processors, halted production Wednesday amid a historic earthquake.

Taiwan semiconductor manufacturing (TSMC) produces high-end microchips used in smartphones, cars, cloud server farms and AI-powered tech — and its factories need to continually operate to meet demand.

A spokesperson for TSMC told reporters that some of its equipment had been damaged and workers were evacuated from several of the firm's key sites while facilities were inspected for damages and future safety.

The 7.2-magnitude quake, which released the energy equivalent of an atomic bomb, has raised alarm about the Taiwan semiconductor sector's vulnerability as tensions over the island's sovereignty heat up between China and the United States.