ASML now expects lithography shipments to fall below 2000 levels
Semiconductor Business News
(03/16/01 06:08 a.m. PST)
VELDHOVEN, the Netherlands -- For more than two months ASM Lithography held firm in its upbeat outlook for tool shipments in 2001--predicting that demand for systems would equal or exceeded its installed production capacity--but now the Dutch company has reversed itself and downgraded its forecast.
Expecting lower shipments than last year, ASML said it has implemented a "substantial" hiring freeze, curbed capital spending, and cut discretionary spending in response to the growing semiconductor recession.
"The most recent forecasts of semiconductor capital equipment requirements for this year indicate a decline compared with last year in the range of 10% to 25%," said Doug Dunn, chief executive officer of ASML. "Our assessment based upon latest inputs received from our customers now confirms this range of decrease year-on-year.
"As previously announced, a slowdown in demand became apparent in January as customers began to adjust their capacity requirements. The second wave of reductions became clear very recently and is now upon us and no longer does demand exceed or even equal our capacity," he added.
According to ASML, requirements for leading-edge exposure tools--such as high numerical aperture (NA) 248-nm, 193-nm and dual-stage Twinscan platforms--have not been impacted by the downturn so far, with the exception of "minor adjustments" in demand for 300-mm wafer tools due to delays in new plants.
In January, ASML said its backlog for lithography tools was 255 systems on Dec. 31, 2000, with a bookings value of 1.75 billion euro ($1.65 billion). As recently as late February, the company had said it expected to ship between 400-to-450 systems in 2001, up from 368 in 2000 (see Feb. 28 story). But today, ASML announced that 2001 shipments will not exceed the number in 2000. |
