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NEWS & VIEWS |
Taipei,
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
12:04 (GMT+8)
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Subject: Bits + chips > Memory |
SDRAM specialist Etron posts losses for first 3 quarters Newswatch - Dec 1, 11:09 Impacted by the economic downturn, SDRAM specialist Etron Technology has posted after-tax losses of NT$322 million (US$9.65 million) for the first three quarters of 2008, with a negative earnings per share (EPS) of NT$0.75. Read more |
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Micron likely to increase orders for ChipMOS, SPIL and FATC Nov 28, 15:30 ChipMOS Technologies, Siliconware Precision Industries (SPIL) and Formosa Advanced Technologies Company (FATC) are expected to benefit from Micron Technology after it completes the acquisition of Qimonda's stake in Inotera Memories, according to market sources. Read more |
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Toshiba delivers positive outlook for SSD market over next two years Nov 28, 10:56 Toshiba has recently expressed its optimism about wider NAND flash deployment in solid-state drive (SSD) applications over the next two years. Market watchers believe the positive outlook delivered by the world's second-largest NAND flash memory maker would certainly boost the position of its strategic partner flash controller company Phison Electronics and major memory module makers A-Data Technology, Kingston Technology, Power Quotient International (PQI) and Transcend Information amid the fragile condition of the NAND flash market. Read more |
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Qimonda completes sale of Inotera shares Nov 28, 10:25 Qimonda has announced the completion of the sale of its Inotera stake to Micron and the receipt of the second tranche of US$200 million in cash. Read more |
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Elpida to increase stake in Rexchip to 52% Nov 28, 01:00 Elpida Memory's board of directors has decided to increase its holdings in Rexchip Electronics, its Taiwan-based joint venture founded along with strategic partner Powerchip Semiconductor Corporation (PSC). Read more |
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eMemory enters volume production for 0.13-micron OTP memory Nov 27, 14:12 Intellectual property (IP) solutions provider eMemory Technology has announced that the company's Neobit one-time-programmable (OTP) memory, co-developed with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) on 0.13-micron high-voltage production process, has entered mass production. The company's 0.13-micron OTP memory is already under validation with customers in China, Europe and the US for their consumer electronics applications including small-size LCD panels, digital TVs, set-top boxes (STBs), GPS devices and PC cameras. Read more |
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Elpida goes green with development of 50nm process DDR3 SDRAM Nov 27, 12:26 Elpida Memory has announced the completed development of a 50nm process DDR3 SDRAM. The company claims the new DRAM product features the lowest power consumption in the industry, 2.5Gbps ultra high speed and a 1.2V low voltage operation based on the industry's smallest chip size. Read more |
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DRAM and NAND flash pricing drop to new lows Nov 27, 01:05 DRAM and NAND flash chip prices both recently dropped to new lows with 1Gb DDR2 chips at around US$0.70 and NAND flash chips falling around 20% over the past two weeks, according to sources at memory makers. Read more |
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Transcend chairman urges truce among DRAM makers Nov 26, 14:02 Peter Su, chairman of memory module maker Transcend Information, has urged Taiwan's DRAM makers to reach a truce. Not only should the goverment take measures to bail out the local DRAM industry, but its players should also need to help themselves by further cutting production, and investing more resources in R&D enhancement and cost-effective solutions for the sake of long-term development, Su commented. Read more |
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Nan Ya and Inotera lend Micron US$285 million for Qimonda deal Nov 26, 01:15 Nan Ya Plastics and Inotera Memories will lend Micron Technology a total of US$285 million to facilitate Micron's acquisition of Qimonda's stake in Inotera, according to the companies. Read more |
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Transcend strategic products bringing in solid revenues contributions Nov 25, 15:33 Memory-module maker Transcend Information expects the sales ratio of its profitable product segment to increase to 15% in the fourth quarter of 2008, up from 6% earlier this year, according to company chairman Peter Su. Transcend's strategic products, which bring in gross margins as high as 25%, include digital photo frames, portable hard drives and digital music players, said Su. Read more |
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PSC exits from solar-cell maker board, to focus on DRAM Nov 25, 15:05 Wafer Works announced on November 24 that stake-holder Powerchip Semiconductor Corporation (PSC) has resigned from its board of directors. Wafer Works specializes in semiconductor-grade and solar-grade silicon wafers. PSC currently holds 13.9 million shares of the solar-wafer supplier and takes one director and one supervising director seat on the company's board. Read more |
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Micron executives come on board at Inotera Stockwatch - Nov 25, 11:15 Inotera Memories, a joint venture between Qimonda and Nanya Technology, today posted filings with the Taiwan Stock Exchange (TSE) announcing a management reshuffle, a short-term loan agreement with Micron Technology, and Qimonda's exit from shareholding. The adjustments in Inotera's operations and personnel are meant to stabilize the company's business operations and advance its future development, the company said. Read more |
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IM Flash starts 34nm NAND flash production Nov 25, 09:51 Intel and Micron Technology has announced mass production of their jointly-developed 34nm, 32 gigabit multi-level cell (MLC) NAND flash memory device. Developed and manufactured by the companies' NAND flash joint venture, IM Flash Technologies, the process technology is available on the market and enables the industry's 32Gb NAND chip that fits into a standard 48-lead thin small-outline package (TSOP). Read more |
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Time for Taiwan DRAM makers to move forward, says Kingston Nov 24, 15:26 David Sun, co-founder of Kingston Technology, recently stated that Taiwan's DRAM makers should be aware that now is the best time for Taiwan's DRAM industry to implement consolidation or vertical integration strategies. The later a response to the industry downturn is carried out, the harder is will be for DRAM makers to recover, Sun commented. Read more |
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Chartered seeks wafer testing suppliers in Taiwan Nov 24, 14:29 Instead of drafting merger talks, Chartered Semiconductor Manufacturing is actually looking to outsource its wafer-testing orders to IC packaging and testing companies in Taiwan, according to industry sources. Ardentec, Advanced Semiconductor Engineering (ASE), King Yuan Electronics (KYEC), Powertech Technology (PTI) and STATS ChipPAC Taiwan Semiconductor (formerly Winstek Semiconductor) are being identified as beneficiaries. Read more |
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Taiwan government urged to help local DRAM makers forge closer ties with Elpida Nov 24, 12:09 Speculation has emerged concerning enhanced relationship between DRAM makers in Taiwan and Japan since Elpida Memory expressed its interest in the company's closer tie with its Taiwan counterparts. Market watchers have also urged the Taiwan government to play a major role in bringing about the cross-border collaboration. Read more |
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Hynix introduces GDDR5 memory at 7Gbps Nov 24, 09:54 Hynix Semiconductor has announced its GDDR5 (series five, graphics double-data-rate memory) graphics memory which is able to transfer data at 7Gbps. Read more |
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DRAM contract quotes drop 10% again in 2H November Nov 21, 01:15 DRAM chip contract quotes dropped 10% again in the second half of November. 1GB DDR2 modules also fell to there lowest point at less than US$10. DRAM prices will not rebound until the end of this year even the first quarter of 2009, according to forecasts by industry players. Read more |
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Taiwan IC production value down 6.5% in 2008, research suggests Nov 20, 15:58 The Taiwan semiconductor industry will see its IC design, packaging and testing sectors all slide in production value in 2008, with the packaging and testing segments experiencing double-digit declines, according to the Industrial Economics and Knowledge Center (IEK) of the Taiwan government-sponsored Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI). The production value of Taiwan's IC industry is estimated to fall 6.5% to NT$688.7 billion (US$20.6 billion) in 2008, said IEK. Read more |
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SIA forecasts 5.5% decline for global semiconductor sales in 2009 Nov 20, 12:28 The Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) released its annual forecast of global semiconductor sales, projecting the first decline in sales since 2001. The forecast projects 2008 sales of US$261.2 billion, a 2.2% increase from 2007 sales of US$255.6 billion. Sales in the current quarter, historically a strong quarter for the microelectronics industry, are forecasted to decline by 5.9% from the prior quarter. SIA projects that 2009 sales will decline by 5.6% to US$246.7 billion before resuming growth in 2010. Sales will grow by 7.4% in 2010 to US$264.9 billion and by 7.5% in 2011 to US$284.7 billion. Read more |
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Chip market enters into its 11th industry recession, says Future Horizons Nov 20, 11:56 Despite the fact the first half of 2008 was stronger than many predicted, the relentless deterioration in the global financial markets has finally tipped the global economy into recession. Not surprisingly, it has taken the chip market with it says Malcolm Penn, CEO and chairman of industry analyst house Future Horizons. Read more |
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VLSI Research expects IC market to decline in 2008 and 2009 Nov 20, 11:24 In light of the recent economic deterioration, VLSI Research has revised its 2008 and 2009 forecasts for both integrated circuits (ICs) and semiconductor equipment. IC sales are now expected to decline by 1.7% in 2008 to US$214.1 billion, and 2009 will be even worse with a 6.9% drop. VLSI Research cites a slowing electronics demand and an inventory correction that needs to take place to get supply back in balance with demand as the primary reasons for the revision. Read more |
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PTI acquires land for expansion despite global economic woes Newswatch - Nov 20, 10:37 Packaging and testing house Powertech Technology (PTI) has injected NT$327 million (US$9.79 million) to acquire land, according to a company filing with the Taiwan Stock Exchange (TSE). PTI chairman DK Tsai remarked that acquiring the 19,680-square meter land near the company's existing fabs in Hsinchu is needed for the company's possible capacity growth in 2009. Read more |
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Elpida rumored to be looking to merge as CEO visits Taiwan Nov 20, 01:15 A scheduled visit by Yukio Sakamoto, president and CEO of Elpida Memory with officials from Taiwan's Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) this Friday (Nov 21) has sparked market rumors that the company is looking to merge with one of Taiwan's DRAM players, according to industry sources. Read more |
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Global semiconductor market to contract in 2008, iSuppli predicts Nov 19, 16:42 Amid rapidly deteriorating conditions in the global economy and electronics value chain, iSuppli now is predicting worldwide semiconductor revenues will decline in 2008 compared to 2007. Read more |
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TICP sees memory card packaging orders pick up Nov 19, 15:27 Taiwan IC Packaging (TICP) has remarked that its overall performance in the fourth quarter of 2008 will be hit by the ongoing economic downturn. But orders for memory card packaging orders have been increasing steadily since the third quarter amid slumping NAND flash prices, according to the company. Read more |
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Micron extends mobile MCP line to new applications Nov 19, 12:26 Micron Technology has announced the availability of its multi-chip package (MCP) solutions optimized to work seamlessly with Texas Instruments Incorporated's (TI) OMAP35x applications processors. Micron's broad portfolio of MCP solutions feature low-power Mobile DRAM and NAND technology that allow customers to mix and match memory densities, configurations and package options that best meets their design requirements. As part of its relationship with TI, Micron has committed to actively support new markets interested in this technology that go beyond mobile, providing proven MCP solutions to new applications in the automotive, consumer, embedded and medical markets. Read more |
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WSTS forecasts semiconductor market growth for 2008, contraction in 2009 Nov 19, 01:15 The global semiconductor market is expected to grow 2.5% on an annualized basis to US$261.9 billion in 2008, according to the autumn 2008 forecast of the World Semiconductor Trade Statistics (WSTS). Read more |
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ProMOS chairman urges Taiwan government to bail out DRAM industry Nov 19, 01:00 ProMOS Technology chairman ML Chen has urged the Taiwan government to throw a lifeline to the DRAM industry to helping it undergo fundamental changes during the current difficulties. Read more |
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Spansion sues Samsung over flash patents Nov 18, 11:21 Spansion has announced that it is filing two separate patent infringement complaints against Samsung Electronics with the International Trade Commission (ITC) and in the US District Court in Delaware. The complaint in the US District Court in Delaware also seeks an injunction and treble damages for patent violations relating to Samsung flash memory, that Spansion estimates has accounted for more than US$30 billion in Samsung's global revenues since 2003. Read more |
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China semiconductor industry sees weak growth in 3Q08 Nov 18, 10:44 A recent survey by the China Semiconductor Industry Association (CSIA) pointed out that China's semiconductor industry only saw 1.1% growth in the third quarter of 2008, the slowest rate on record. According to CSIA, China's IC industry maintained double-digit growth at 12.5% in the first quarter of 2008. However, the growth slowed down to 8.3% in the second quarter and further down in the third quarter, CSIA noted. Read more |
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ITC ends probe into A-Data's alleged infringement on SanDisk patents Nov 17, 17:17 The US International Trade Commission (ITC) has issued a consent order ending an investigation into Taiwan-based memory module maker A-Data Technology's alleged infringement of SanDisk's patents, according to A-Data. Read more |
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Nanya DDR2 800MHz ready for AMD 45nm CPUs Nov 17, 11:50 Nanya Technology has announced that shipments of the company's 800MHz DDR2 registered dual in-line memory module (RDIMM) designed specifically for the new quad-core AMD Opteron processors have begun. Read more |
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Notebook makers keep low component inventories at 3-4 weeks Nov 17, 10:38 Notebook makers are cautiously monitoring their component inventories, keeping the levels at as low as three to four weeks, according to industry sources. The makers' cautious monitoring of their inventories is creating heavy price pressure on suppliers of such components as panels, DRAM and NAND flash. Read more |
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Taiwan government bailout program may be of little help to DRAM makers Nov 14, 17:16 The Taiwan government has announced a loan program of NT$600 billion (US$18.15 billion) for local medium- to large-size enterprises suffering from the ongoing global financial crisis. The program, approved on November 13, allows banks to provide each applicant a loan of up to NT$60 million, according to the announcement. Read more |
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Silicon wafer shipments contract by almost 3% in 3Q08, says SEMI Nov 14, 15:59 Worldwide silicon wafer area shipments contracted almost 3% during the third quarter of 2008 compared to the second quarter, according to the SEMI Silicon Manufacturers Group (SMG) in its quarterly analysis of the silicon wafer industry. Read more |
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Kingston claims almost half of China DRAM module market Nov 14, 12:33 Kingston Technology has expanded its presence in the DRAM module and NAND flash applications market in China. The memory-module maker has seen its market share in China rise to almost 50% in the DRAM segment, and over 40% in the NAND flash segment, according recent data compiled by China's Zhongguancun (Haidian) Science Park. Read more |
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Kingston to build new plant in Taiwan in 2009 Nov 14, 01:05 Memory module maker Kingston Technology plans to expand production capacity in Taiwan next year to support growing shipments, the company has revealed. Read more |
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DRAM output to shrink further in 1Q09 Nov 13, 16:07 DRAM makers have been cutting back their production since September 2008, and a new round of major reduction in their output is expected to kick off at the beginning of next year, according to industry sources. Read more |
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Taiwan semiconductor industry to decline 3.9% in 2008, says IMF Nov 12, 16:22 The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has forecast the global semiconductor industry will see a 1.3% on-year growth in sales, but Taiwan will see a 3.9% decline in 2008. Industrial Technology Intelligence Services (ITIS) said the decline of Taiwan is due to crashing DRAM prices. Read more |
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Taiwan DRAM makers may have net profit margin of -72% in 2008 Nov 12, 14:19 Taiwan's major DRAM makers may see their overall net profit margin fall to -72% in 2008, with combined losses of NT$112.5 billion (US$3.42 billion), according to the Industrial Economics and Knowledge Center (IEK) of the Taiwan government-backed Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI). Domestic players' less price competitiveness and shrinking consumer demand worldwide have resulted in the worst downturn in Taiwan's DRAM industry. Read more |
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Commentary: Can a government bailout assure smooth sailing for Taiwan's DRAM industry? Nov 11, 15:37 Taiwan's lawmakers, economic officials and state planners held a meeting on November 10 with the purpose of developing a strategy to save the island's loss-making DRAM industry. However, the meeting has itself provoked another question: Could a government-backed bailout plan assure smooth sailing for the industry hereafter? Read more |
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Qimonda stock price falls below NYSE minimum, company has six months to restore compliance or delisting awaits Nov 11, 12:17 DRAM maker Qimonda has announced that on November 7, 2008 it was notified by the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) that it is not in compliance with one of the NYSE's continued listing standards. Qimonda is considered "below compliance" because the average closing price of its American Depositary Shares (ADSs) has fallen below US$1.00 over a consecutive thirty trading day period. As of October 31, 2008, the 30 trading day average closing price of Qimonda's ADSs was US$0.90. Read more |
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Transcend enjoys strong shipments in October, buoyed by profitable product line Nov 10, 16:27 Memory-module maker Transcend Information recorded overall shipments of almost 9.2 million units in October, up 87.23% on year. Contributions by the company's high-margin own-brand and specialty products exceeded 10% of monthly shipments for the first time. Read more |
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Thailin Semiconductor to expand logic IC testing business Nov 10, 13:58 IC testing company Thailin Semiconductor has said that it will continue to expand its logic IC testing business with prospects adding one or two new clients in the first quarter of 2009, according to company general manager Cho Lien-fa. Read more |
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DRAM contract quotes drop another 10% for 1H November Nov 10, 12:23 Contract quotes of DRAM chips tumbled another 10% in the first half of November, dragged down by declining chip prices on the spot market and dumping of DRAM modules by branded chip vendors, according to industry sources in Taiwan. Read more |
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DRAM maker PSC sees sharp revenues decline in October Nov 10, 09:53 Powerchip Semiconductor Corporation (PSC) has announced unaudited net sales of NT$2.6 billion (US$79.39 million) for October 2008, a sharp decline of 31.9% sequentially and 45.4% from the same month of last year. For the first 10 months of this year, revenues reached NT$49.85 billion, down 27.6% on year. Read more |
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Taiwan DRAM makers PSC and ProMOS get financial support from Elpida and Kingston Nov 7, 01:10 Taiwan DRAM makers are looking for foreign support due to insufficient funds. Elpida Memory has decided to invest NT$3-4 billion (US$9.15-12.2 million), an about 5% stake in Powerchip Semiconductor Corporation (PSC) and will increase its stake in Rexchip Electronics, the joint venture between PSC and Elpida, to become the biggest shareholder of Rexchip. Meanwhile, ProMOS Technologies received two cash injections from Kingston Technology worth a total of NT$3 billion, according to market sources. Read more |
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DRAM industry needs overhaul or will face difficulty raising funds for 18-inch wafer manufacturing, says Inotera executive Nov 6, 15:29 Taiwan has to overhaul its development of the DRAM industry otherwise the industry may encounter difficulties when trying to raise funds to move manufacturing to 18-inch wafers, according to Charles Kao, president of Inotera Memories. Read more |
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