There is strong demand for refurbished equipment - eventually they will run out of it...
is it possible they eventually manufacture it - I mean not just refurbish old stuff?
TSMC receives more requests to produce analog chips using 12-inch, advanced processes
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Cage Chao, Taipei; Jessie Shen, DIGITIMES [Friday 13 May 2011]
A number of international analog IC companies have been in talks with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) for allocation of 12-inch wafer production capacity to put them in a better position to compete with Texas Instruments (TI), according to industry sources.
With plans to upgrade to 12-inch, 90nm and even 65nm processes, the vendors are negotiating capacity support from TSMC in order to narrow the gap in production scale with TI, the sources pointed out.
In theory a larger wafer means more chips per wafer, allowing companies to improve their economies of scale to compete. TI ramped up analog chips at its 12-inch RFAB around the end of 2010, followed by another aggressive approach, a proposed buyout of National Semiconductor. The moves are to further expand its leadership in the global market for analog ICs, the sources claimed.
For Taiwan-based players, which are more focused on lower-end segments, they have only recently looked to transition to 8-inch, 0.35-micron production, the sources said. |
