Another opp for AMAT to garner market share in one of their weak segments:
KLA-Tencor says software integration delays 300-mm tools
By Mark LaPedus
Semiconductor Business News
(02/06/01 14:15 p.m. PST)
SAN FRANCISCO -- An executive from KLA-Tencor Corp. today disclosed that the company was experiencing some problems in developing 300-mm wafer tools amid a slowdown in the semiconductor equipment business.
The San Jose-based metrology giant is in the process of porting common application interfaces and other software from 8-inch wafer systems to new 300-mm tools. The software integration is taking much longer than the company anticipated, said John Kispert, chief financial officer for KLA-Tencor.
"The software has been a disappointment," said the CFO during a presentation at the Banc of America Securities technology conference in San Francisco.
Last month, KLA-Tencor beat earnings estimates by posting record results in its second fiscal quarter, ended Dec. 31 (see Jan. 17 story), but the current slowdown in semiconductor capital equipment markets has clouded the outlook.
"It's bad," Kispert said. "No one is adding capacity."
"We have three months of market visibility right now," he told the conference. "Three months of market visibility is not good. Usually, we have six to nine months of visibility out there."
On a positive note, Kispert said the San Jose company was seeing new orders coming from major European customers.
"In Europe, there are two companies that are going gung ho," he said, while not identifying those chip makers. "Where are they going gung ho? In 300-mm and copper," added the chief financial officer.
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