Taiwan analog IC firms gearing up for switch to 8-inch wafers

Feb 3, 01:10

Taiwan-based fabless analog IC firms are all expected to carry out their transition to 8-inch wafers in 2012, according to industry sources. The move will help improve their cost...

UMC launches specialized 0.11-micron aluminum process

Jan 2, 10:38

United Microelectronics (UMC) has launched a specialized 0.11-micron aluminum process manufactured at its 8-inch fabs. The A+ platform consists of a blend of technology offerings,...

SMIC settles legal disputes with Elpida

Dec 9, 11:41

Semiconductor Manufacturing International (SMIC), China's largest contract chipmaker, announced on December 9 that it has reached a settlement with Japan's Elpida Memory.

Richtek, GMT to see drops in 4Q11 revenues

Nov 11, 15:40

Analog IC design firms Richtek Technology and Global Mixed-mode Technology (GMT) both expect to post sequential sales decreases in the fourth quarter of 2011, due to sluggish PC and...

IDT to sell Oregon fab for US$26 million

Aug 30, 13:56

Integrated Device Technology (IDT) has announced that it intends to sell its Hillsboro, Oregon wafer fabrication facility and related assets to Alpha and Omega Semiconductor (AOS),...

Formosa Sumco to hike 3Q11 wafer quotes by 10-20%

Jun 28, 10:43

Formosa Sumco Technology (FST), a major producer of 8- and 12-inch silicon wafers in Taiwan, has unveiled plans to raise quotes for the third quarter of 2011 by 10-20%. FST noted...

First stage annual capacity for second solar cell production facility to be 100MW, says Mosel

May 31, 15:01

Taiwan-based Mosel Vitelik initiated its second solar cell production facility in Hukou, Hsinchu, Taiwan on May 30. The facility broke ground in September 2010 and is set to include...

TI certifies 8-inch wafers from SAS, says paper

Newswatch - Apr 15, 11:36

Eight-inch epitaxy wafers by Taiwan-based Sino-American Silicon Products (SAS) has been certified by Texas Instruments (TI), according to a Chinese-language Commercial Times...

VIS looks to power management IC for growth

Feb 18, 12:22

Specialty IC foundry Vanguard International Semiconductor (VIS) expects power management chips (PWM IC) to account for 20% of the company's total revenues in 2011, compared to 17%...

SAS semiconductor wafer subsidiary opens new wafer fab in US

Dec 22, 01:05

Globitech, a US-based subsidiary of Sino-American Silicon Production (SAS), has announced the inauguration of its second wafer fab on December 21. SAS chairman MK Lu indicated that...

VIS forecasts drops in 4Q10 shipments, utilization rate

Nov 2, 16:30

Vanguard International Semiconductor (VIS) expects its fourth-quarter 2010 wafer shipments to decrease 30% from the third quarter. Meanwhile, the average utilization rate will slip...

TSMC to boost Shanghai 8-inch fab capacity

Jul 19, 14:38

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) has revealed plans to expand production capacity at its Songjiang 8-inch fab in Shanghai (Fab 10) by two-thirds, to cater to strong...

Singapore-based foundry SSMC announces US$30 million expansion project

Jul 15, 12:28

Singapore-based foundry Systems on Silicon Manufacturing Company (SSMC) - a joint venture of NXP Semiconductor and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) - has announced...

Silicon wafer prices could rise 15-30% in 3Q10

May 26, 11:09

Semiconductor silicon wafer prices could see another 15-30% hike in the third quarter, after already rising 5% and 10-20% in the first and second quarters, respectively, according...

TSMC board approves US$1.65 billion for capacity expansion

May 12, 11:47

The board of directors of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) has approved plans to allocate US$1.65 billion, including US$210 million for construction of a new chip...

Prices of 8- and 12-inch wafers to rise in 2Q10, says paper

Newswatch - Mar 2, 14:48

Major blank wafer suppliers including Shin-Etsu Handotai (SEH), Sumitomo Mitsubishi Silicon Corporation (Sumco) and MEMC Electronic Materials have all raised their quotes for the...

SAS sees tight supply of semiconductor wafers

Mar 2, 11:38

Sino-American Silicon Products (SAS) has seen supply of small- and medium-size semiconductor-use silicon wafers exceed demand by over 30%, according to the company. The silicon wafer...

Silicon wafer maker Wafer Works gears up for capacity expansions

Feb 26, 14:53

Taiwan-based Wafer Works, which makes small- to medium-sized semiconductor-grade wafers, plans to ramp its wafer-producing capacity in 2010 due to increasing orders. The company has...

ITRI sets up 8-inch MEMS Open Lab

Dec 30, 13:33

The Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) has set up Taiwan's first 8-inch MEMS Open Lab for assisting Taiwan MEMS design houses enter the mass production stage.

Macronix net profits more than double in 3Q09

Oct 30, 15:51

Mask ROM and NOR flash maker Macronix International Company (MXIC) saw its net profits increase 131% sequentially to NT$2.27 billion (US$69.63 million) in third-quarter 2009, according...

Limited demand for 8-inch solar wafers, say Taiwan makers

Oct 28, 15:41

Some solar wafer makers have begun offering 8-inch wafers, but are not seeing substantial demand yet because photovoltaic (PV) modules made of 8-inch solar cells, given the same installation...

Photomask supplier PSMC seeing growing demand from UMC

Aug 31, 11:42

Taiwan-based photomask supplier Photronics Semiconductor Mask Corporation (PSMC) has seen increased mask orders for mature processes from United Microelectronics Corporation (UMC),...

Samsung plans to add an 8-inch wafer plant to CIS production

Newswatch - Aug 11, 11:43

Samsung Electronics plans to allocate one more 8-inch fab (Line 8) for CMOS image sensor (CIS) production, as it expects CIS demand will grow significantly, according to market sou...

NAND flash ASPs up 20% in 2Q09, says DRAMeXchange

Jul 31, 14:33

Production cutbacks and demand for restocking inventory from emerging markets pushed up NAND flash ASPs by about 20% sequentially in the second quarter of 2009, according to DRAMeXchange...

Samsung to ramp up 8-inch wafers for CMOS image sensor production, say distributors

Jul 9, 15:45

Samsung Electronics has revealed plans to ramp up the output of 8-inch wafers by 3,000-5,000 a month from August through December in order to meet increasing demand for high-end CMOS...

IM Flash likely to beat Hynix in 2009 ranking, says DRAMeXchange

Apr 20, 16:00

IM Flash Technologies, a joint venture between Intel and Micron Technology, may overtake Hynix Semiconductor and become the third-largest NAND flash supplier worldwide in 2009, according...

Wafer supply tightening amid high utilization rates at pure-play foundries

Newswatch - Apr 16, 14:23

The supply of 8-inch wafers, particularly epi wafers, has become increasingly tight recently while utilization rates at the 8-inch fabs of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company...

Taiwan DRAM makers to completely phase out production at 8-inch fabs by 2009

Jul 22, 15:28

Most Taiwan DRAM makers are expected to completely phase out commodity DRAM production at 8-inch fabs by 2009. Among all major DRAM makers in Taiwan, only Nanya Technology is expected...