I think you are mistaken. I believe "photography and imaging chips" refer to the sensor chips that record images in digital cameras, cell phones with digital cameras, scanners, and copiers.
I wasn't sure but NAND flash was one of the segments that experienced serious inventory build up and hence I would be surprised that inventory analysis does not include NAND flash.
Global chip plant Q1 usage rate falls to 89.5 pct
Tue May 23, 2006 10:19 PM ET
TOKYO, May 24 (Reuters) - The utilisation rate of the world's microchip factories fell to 89.5 percent in January-March from 91.8 percent in the previous quarter, a global semiconductor industry association said on Wednesday.
The utilisation rate was down for the first time in four quarters.
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The data was published by the Semiconductor International Capacity Statistics (SICAS) group, which comprises about 40 major chip makers, including Intel Corp. (INTC.O: Quote, Profile, Research), Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. (005930.KS: Quote, Profile, Research) and Texas Instruments Inc. (TXN.N: Quote, Profile, Research).
Utilisation rates above 90 percent can encourage chip makers to build new factories, a positive development for suppliers of tools used to make microchips such as Applied Materials Inc. (AMAT.O: Quote, Profile, Research) and Tokyo Electron Ltd. (8035.T: Quote, Profile, Research). |
