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NEWS & VIEWS |
Taipei,
Friday, July 10, 2009
09:09 (GMT+8)
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Subject: Bits + chips > IC manufacturing |
Chip fab spending to grow 61% in 2010, says SEMI Jul 9, 16:20 Total fab spending worldwide is poised to grow 61.5% in 2010, following a 50.7% drop in 2009, according to SEMI. The association previously predicted the overall fab spending would increase as much as 90% in 2010, following an about 51% drop this year. Read more |
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IC testing houses KYEC and Ardentec 2Q09 sales jump sequentially Jul 9, 16:06 King Yuan Electronics (KYEC) and Ardentec both saw unaudited second-quarter sales rise about 91% and 108%, respectively, on quarter, despite double-digit declines on year, according to data released by the IC testing firms. Meanwhile, Sigurd Microelectronics enjoyed a revenue growth of 40.5% sequentially (on a consolidated basis) in April-June, with a narrower on-year drop of 5.5%. Read more |
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UMC revenues up in June Jul 9, 15:59 United Microelectronics Corporation (UMC) has announced that revenues for June 2009 grew 1.62% to about NT$8.24 billion (US$249.67 million), seeing an end to its run of on-year drops. Read more |
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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 image sensors (CIS) from the handset sector, according to Samsung's Taiwan distributors. Read more |
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LCD, photomask and semiconductor equipment markets all down in 2009, says The Information Network Jul 9, 11:38 For the first time since 2001, no high-tech equipment market will be immune to the great recession, according to several reports recently published by The Information Network, a US-based market research company. Read more |
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Chip forecast for 2009 trimmed, says iSuppli Jul 9, 09:59 Market research firm iSuppli has lowered its forecasts for global semiconductor and electronic equipment revenues in 2009, due to lingering economic woes and continuing poor visibility into future demand trends. Read more |
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MEMS to debut as a theme at SEMICON Taiwan 2009 Jul 8, 16:37 There will be a MEMS pavilion at SEMICON Taiwan 2009 scheduled for September 30-October 2, according to SEMI Taiwan. The government-sponsored Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) will showcase its R&D on MEMS technologies and applications at the exhibition. Read more |
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Youngtek to expand LED sorting capacity by 40% Jul 8, 16:18 Taiwan LED sorting and semiconductor testing company Youngtek Electronics (YTEC) will expand its monthly LED sorting capacity by 40% to 2.1 billion LED chips in September from current 1.5 billion units, according to the company. Read more |
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Lite-On Semi sees large growth in IC foundry, analog IC revenues Jul 8, 16:10 Taiwan IDM Lite-On Semiconductor saw consolidated revenues of NT$149 million (US$4.5 million) from its 6-inch IC foundry service and analog IC manufacturing in June 2009, a rise of 32% on month and accounting for 20% of its total revenues of NT$745 million. Read more |
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SPIL 2Q09 sales up more than 50% Jul 8, 15:53 Siliconware Precision Industries (SPIL) has announced unaudited revenues for second-quarter 2009 grew 53.6% sequentially to NT$14.14 billion (US$431.24 million), beating market watchers' previous estimates of 30-40% growth. The IC packaging and testing house is likely to enjoy a revenue increase of 10-15% sequentially in the third quarter, the watchers have estimated. Read more |
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Taiwan sees exports recover in June Jul 8, 12:42 Taiwan's exports in June grew 4.8% sequentially to an eight-month high of US$16.95 billion, although the figures still represented a decline of 30.4% from a year earlier, according to data released by the accounting department of Taiwan's Ministry of Finance (MOF). Read more |
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Samsung said to be cutting back on CMOS image sensor production Jul 7, 17:09 Samsung Electronics, in view of improved prospects for DRAM and NAND flash production in the third quarter, has shifted capacity from making CMOS image sensors (CIS) to making memory products and thus will temporarily suspend supply of CIS to users outside the Samsung Group in the third quarter of 2009, according to industry sources in Taiwan. However, Samsung's Taiwan distributors responded by saying a supply suspension is unlikely. Read more |
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Open MEMS market gain in 2008, says Yole Developpement Jul 7, 16:48 Despite a downturn in several markets, major open MEMS foundries increased their sales by 7% in 2008 from the year before, and most are now profitable, according to Yole Developpement. Micralyne is today the top foundry in the open market with 22% revenue growth last year. Micralyne gained market share thanks to significant innovations in production of optical switch components for IT applications, and also microfluidic devices and implantable drug delivery systems for analysis and life science applications. Read more |
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UMC denies yield problems with its 65nm process Jul 7, 13:57 United Microelectronics Corporation (UMC) has responded to recent speculation indicating its 65nm yield problems have affected shipments to Xilinx. UMC asserted that there are no concerns over its 65nm yields. However, shipments have fallen behind schedule due to overloaded capacity at its 12-inch fabs. Read more |
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SAS subsidiary seeing increased demand for wafers in China Jul 7, 12:24 Sino Silicon Technology, a China subsidiary of Taiwan-based wafer supplier Sino-American Silicon Products (SAS), is expected to have a utilization rate of 80% in the third quarter of 2009, according to company general manager Allen Chin. Read more |
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TSMC joins CEA-Leti program on multiple e-beam lithography Jul 6, 17:03 Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) has announced it will join a three-year program led by the CEA-Leti research institute on electron-beam (e-beam) maskless lithography for IC manufacturing. The industrial program allows companies to assess a maskless lithography infrastructure for IC manufacturing and use Mapper Technology as a solution towards high throughput. Read more |
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PTI sales recovery continues in June, upbeat about 3Q09 Jul 6, 14:37 Memory packaging and testing specialist Powertech Technology (PTI) has posted a sequential revenue growth of 4.4% in June with a narrower on-year drop. Sales for the second quarter rose 18% sequentially to total NT$7.11 billion (US$215.88 million), beating the company's guidance. Read more |
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IC tester Ardentec increases 2009 capex Jul 6, 14:14 Wafer testing house Ardentec recently adjusted upward its capex budget for 2009. Read more |
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Xilinx Virtex-5 supply issue caused by 65nm yield problems at UMC, say sources Jul 6, 11:29 United Microelectronics Corporation (UMC) is seeing yield problems with its 65nm process, which are disrupting supply to major FPGA customer Xilinx, according to industry sources. The tight supply may not be eased until September 2009. Read more |
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May chip sales continue sequential growth, says SIA Jul 6, 10:13 Worldwide sales of semiconductors rose to US$16.5 billion in May 2009, an increase of 5.4% from April when sales were US$15.6 billion, according to the Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA). However, sales were 23.2% lower than May 2008 when sales were US$21.5 billion. Read more |
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Two equipment makers report huge growth in June Jul 3, 16:38 Taiwan-based equipment makers All Ring Tech and Test Research (TRI) have reported respective revenue growths of 72% and 137% for June, as customers from the panel, semiconductor, LED and backend segments all expanded capacity to meet the recovering market demand. Both companies said order visibility has extended to the fourth quarter. Read more |
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Intel to use IP from TSMC to make Langwell chipset, says paper Newswatch - Jul 3, 16:09 Intel will adopt silicon IP from Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) to manufacture a customized version of its Langwell chipset (the chipset component of its next-generation Moorestown platform) based on client demand. The chipset will be manufactured under TSMC's 65nm process beginning in the third quarter of 2009, according to a Chinese-language Commercial Times report. Read more |
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InvenSense aims to work with Taiwan foundries to satisfy Nintendo gyroscope demand Newswatch - Jul 3, 14:41 MEMS firm InvenSense is seeking partnerships with Taiwan-based foundries including Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), United Microelectronics Corporation (UMC), Touch Micro-system Technology (TMT) and Asia Pacific Microsystems (APM) for extra capacity in order to meet strong gyroscope demand for Nintendo's Wii Motion Plus, according to market sources. Read more |
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Short supply of notebook HDDs may continue in 3Q09 Jul 3, 14:38 The tight supply of notebook hard drives is expected to continue throughout the third quarter, according to IC distributor GMI Technology and Weikeng Industrial, sales agents for Toshiba, Hitachi and Western Digital (WD). Read more |
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TSMC unveils commercial 65nm multi-time programmable NVM Jul 3, 09:54 Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) has announced what it claims to be the foundry segment's first functional 65nm multi-time programmable (MTP) non-volatile memory (NVM) process technology. The technology incorporates process-qualified MTP IP blocks jointly developed with Virage Logic, and is the first 2.5-volt MTP process breaking the 3.3-volt baseline barrier, according to the company. Read more |
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Chip recovery subject to debate over coming quarters, says IC Insights Jul 2, 16:11 The bottom of the current cycle in the worldwide economy and semiconductor industry was reached in the first quarter of 2009, but the "velocity" of the chip industry recovery is subject to debate, according to IC Insights. The discussion over the next few quarters will be about how much sequential growth can be expected, instead of how far the markets are going to fall. Read more |
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TSMC processes over five million 12-inch wafers based on sub 0.13-micron nodes Jul 2, 14:21 Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) has cumulatively shipped over five million 12-inch equivalent wafers of chips processed with sub 0.13-micron processes, according to company sources. The pure-play foundry is gearing up for volume production on the generic 32nm node in the fourth quarter of 2009, and on track to deliver its 28nm process technology by 2010, the sources said. Read more |
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IC testing house KYEC ups capex for 2009 Jul 2, 12:16 King Yuan Electronics Company (KYEC) has adjusted upward its capex budget for 2009 by 50% to NT$3 billion (US$91.66 million), which will be utilized for purchases of new test equipment and clean rooms to meet the need for growing 12-inch wafers, according to the company. Read more |
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TSMC in partnership talks with LED chipmaker Epistar, says paper Newswatch - Jul 1, 17:01 Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), seeking a new engine of growth for its sustainable business, is reportedly in talks to forge a partnership with LED chipmaker Epistar, according to a Chinese-language Economic Daily News (EDN) report. TSMC's speculated move to invest in Epistar would come as a challenge to rival United Microelectronics Corporation (UMC), which is one of the LED chipmaker's major shareholders. Read more |
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Taiwan lists manufacturing industries eligible for China-based investment Jul 1, 13:59 Taiwan's Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) on June 30 announced regulations on China-based companies investing in Taiwan, along with a list of manufacturing industries eligible for investment. Read more |
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TSMC, UMC expected to see narrower on-year revenue drops in June Jul 1, 12:08 Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) and United Microelectronics Corporation (UMC) will continue to see narrower on-year revenue drops for June, showing signs of gradual chip recovery, according to market watchers. Read more |
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IST supplying RFID for education device Jul 1, 10:50 Driver IC backend supplier International Semiconductor Technology (IST) has extended its radio frequency ID (RFID) sales to supporting education devices for pre-school children in the Taiwan and China markets, with shipments having already begun in second-quarter 2009, according to the company. Read more |
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SMIC claims silicon success with generic 45nm Jul 1, 10:07 Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation (SMIC) has announced the successful completion of its first 45nm GP (generic process) yield lot. The China-based foundry signed an agreement with IBM to license its low-power and high-performance bulk CMOS technologies in December 2007 and completed the GP technology transfer in March 2009. Read more |
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ASE secures NT$12 billion syndicated loan Jul 1, 09:59 Advanced Semiconductor Engineering (ASE) has recently signed a NT$12 billion (US$366.34 million) five-year syndicated loan agreement with 17 banks. The loan will be used to repay loans due before June 2010 and for working capital, the packaging and testing house said in a statement. Read more |
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Chipbond gearing up 12-inch wafer bumping output: Q&A with chairman Fei-Jain Wu Jun 30, 17:03 Gold bumping service provider, Chipbond Technology, which also offers COF/COG (chip-on-film/chip-on glass) turnkey services, has identified outsourcing of LCD driver-IC bumping and packaging for 12-inch wafers from Japan-based IDMs as a contributing factor to its future growth. In addition, more South Korea-based driver IC design houses are likely to seek OEM partners due to insufficient backend capacity. Read more |
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TSMC announces 0.13-micron slim platform for analog and power management SoCs Jun 30, 11:36 Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) has announced that it has released an enhanced version of its 0.13-micron process to enable the integration of power management functions. The 0.13-micron/0.11-micron family now includes a slim standard cell, SRAM and I/O with substantial area reduction and the 0.13-micron process also adopts LD-MOS (5V~20V) on RF platforms to enable analog and power management applications. The slim platform is available in the third quarter this year while the LD-MOS on RF platforms will be available in the fourth quarter 2009. Read more |
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SMIC raises 2Q09 guidance on China demand Jun 30, 10:17 Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation (SMIC) has announced an upward revision of its revenue guidance for the second quarter of 2009 thanks to robust demand in the China market. Read more |
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Taiwan government launches program to strengthen MEMS supply chain Jun 29, 16:52 Taiwan's Science Park Administration has proposed a program, the SoC Innovative Product Partnership (SIPP), inviting players from the local CMOS and MEMS sectors to team up with the government-sponsored Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) and National Chip Implementation Center (CIC) to boost Taiwan's MEMS industry. Read more |
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UMC invests in lithium cell supplier via subsidiary Jun 29, 12:19 United Microelectronics Corporation (UMC) has announced its investment in E-One Moli Energy, a Taiwan-based lithium battery maker, through private placement. Read more |
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MEMS markets on the rebound, says The Information Network Jun 29, 11:26 The MEMS device market is faring much better than the overall semiconductor industry, but the MEMS processing equipment market is suffering the same fate as the semiconductor equipment market, according to The Information Network. Read more |
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Chip equipment market bogged down by used equipment, says The Information Network Jun 26, 16:15 Rises in the book-to-bill ratio for the North America and Japan semiconductor equipment sectors is giving optimism the industry downturn has bottomed out, but The Information Network has warned actual billing numbers are always less than the preliminary figures. In addition, the research firm also raised concerns about used equipment from financially-troubled memory makers entering the market. Read more |
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Semiconductor makers and system vendors to have tough 3Q09 due to component shortages Jun 26, 15:41 Both upstream semiconductor makers and downstream system vendors are estimated to see limited sales growth during the peak season due to tight supply of key components, according to industry sources. Read more |
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SPIL to merge with wholly-owned investment subsidiary Newswatch - Jun 26, 14:38 Siliconware Precision Industries (SPIL) plans to merge with its 100%-owned subsidiary, Siliconware Investment Company, in order to simplify the group's structure and reduce its management costs, the IC packaging and testing firm's board of directors decided on June 25. The merger will take effect on August 31, 2009. Read more |
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ASE seeing almost full utilization, 2Q09 sales to beat guidance Jun 26, 14:13 Advanced Semiconductor Engineering (ASE) has seen almost full utilization rates at its Kaohsiung and Shanghai plants amid demand for leadframe packaging from emerging markets, according to company COO Tien Wu. The IC backend service provider plans to utilize most of its 2009 capex in the third quarter, and expects revenues for the quarter to grow by double-digits sequentially, said Wu. Read more |
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SMIC strengthens deployment in MEMS segment Jun 25, 16:01 China-based Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation (SMIC) has upgraded its MEMS department to an independent business unit. The company stated that it will begin volume production for three MEMS products before the end of 2009. Read more |
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Driver IC backend supplier IST aims to turn profitable in 2H09 Jun 25, 12:24 Taiwan-based International Semiconductor Technology (IST) aims to swing back to profitability in the second half of 2009, as the driver IC backend supplier has enjoyed increased demand from the flat panel segment since the second quarter of the year, according to company general manager Chih-Wen Ho. Read more |
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SMIC and Synopsys deliver reference design flow 4.0 for 65nm Jun 25, 11:12 China-based foundry Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation (SMIC) and Synopsys, a specialist in semiconductor design software, have announced their joint development of reference design flow 4.0. The reference flow addresses critical low power challenges of 65nm designs with Synopsys' Eclypse low-power solution and IC Compiler Zroute technology. Read more |
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TSMC adopts SpringSoft Laker for 65nm CMOS node Jun 25, 10:30 SpringSoft has announced a multi-year technology agreement with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) to jointly develop and validate process design kits (PDKs) for chip manufacturing technologies, with the first deliverable being SpringSoft's Laker 65nm CMOS PDK for digital, mixed-signal and RF processes. Read more |
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Intel to produce on 65nm in China Jun 24, 12:20 Intel's upcoming 12-inch fab in China will initially focus on 65nm production, according to Kirby Jefferson, general manager of the new fab (Fab 68). Intel is scheduled to commence operations at the China fab in 2010. Read more |
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VPEC cuts into Apple supply chain Jun 24, 11:53 Visual Photonics Epitaxy (VPEC) will benefit from the popularity of Apple's iPhone 3GS as it is a major GaAs wafer supplier for TriQuint Semiconductor, which supplies WCDMA power amplifiers (PAs) for the new Apple device, according to industry sources. Read more |
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Notes and corrections |
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A July 8 article regarding the CMMB market has been updated with comments from mobile TV solution provider Siano. Siano has pointed out that a recent licensing dispute referenced in the article between it and TiMi was a temporary mistake, which was quickly resolved. Siano also expressed its view that the CMMB market is seeing an increase, not a decline as claimed by the sources in the article. |
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