Lam Research's Bagley on Chip Prices, Tool Supply: Comment
By Cesca Antonelli
New York, March 23 (Bloomberg) -- Jim Bagley, chief executive
of Lam Research Corp., talks about prices for computer-memory
chips and the potential that shortages of key tools might derail
the chip-equipment industry's current recovery.
Lam, based in Fremont, California, makes machines used to
build circuits on semiconductors. Bagley made his remarks at
Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International SEMInvest
conference in New York.
On prices for dynamic random access memories, the most common
memory chip in personal computers:
``If the substantial year-over-year (PC) growth continues for
the rest of the year, along with other products where there's
continued growth, I don't think there's any question. There's
going to be a shortage of DRAM. Now, I don't think anyone who
desperately wants DRAM will go without them. It's the prices that
will be difficult.
``The depression of prices (this year) has been greater than
anticipated because you couldn't get microprocessors (for PCs) to
ship DRAM for, so that built inventories. By the end of the year,
DRAM is going to be in short supply.'
On whether there will be a shortage of lithography equipment used
to transfer chip designs onto wafers:
``A lithography shortage would absolutely affect our demand.
They're struggling under the same ramp we are, but lithography
will be available. Maybe not exactly when the customers would like
it to be, which is typically a while before they actually need
it.' |
