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Technology Stocks : Align-Rite Int'l (MASK) Undervalued compared to PLAB DPMI
PLAB 21.71-4.3%Nov 7 9:30 AM EST
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To: Johnnie W. who wrote (146)11/15/1997 3:43:00 AM
From: Luke Lang  Read Replies (1) of 388
 
To anyone that can help:

I would appreciate some insight into the photomask business. How correlated is it to the semiconductor business? For example, if the semi business is good and the chip makers are ramping up production, do they order more masks? How long do these masks last? Do they wear out? If the semi business slows, does the mask business also slow? Another way to ask this question is to assume that it takes X numbers of masks to produce Y units of chips per month. If production is raised to 2Y units per month, does it take 2X number of masks? If production is cut to Y/2 units per month, does it only take X/2 number of masks? If the masks wear out, then in the X/2 case, the other half of the masks can be used when the first half wears out.

In chip development, the first-pass design may not work and more masks are ordered for redesign work. Does anyone have any rough idea what the break down is between development and production mask? This is kind of related to the questions above. If the chip is successfully designed using 3 passes, then 3 sets of masks are required. Is the third set of mask used for production? Will more masks be ordered to handle the production volume?

I would appreciate any info.

Luke Lang
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