PC-100 DRAMs holding steady while PC-66 keeps sliding, as per pricewatch.com. (in the last two weeks, PC-100 64M DIMMs went from $79 to $77; PC-66 32M DIMMs went from $32 to $29)
I think the days for PC-66 or 0.30um or greater DRAMs as prime products are just about numbered. Even in DRAMs one would need sub-0.25um to play, older technologies just can't produce the performance needed.
If Koreans don't get their $18B IMF bailout from Congress (oops, forgot, injecting politics into this thread will violate E's sensitivities), their glory days are over. This should even put a damper on the Taiwanese if they can't even sell 16M DRAMs on their 0.3um fabs.
By the way, UMC buying Nippon Steel's 6" and 0.4um 8" lines was for $11.2M!!! plus unknown conditions e.g. pledge to keep line running for certain times, taking products, updating line? Translated, that 8" line ain't worth much. If PC66 continues to drop, I believe capacity utilization will be reconcilled by a lot of those fabs closing.
patrick |
