Tiger RE: SVGI and Intel
"Do you believe semi makers would continue to avoid SVGI(or by default choose ASMLF) when their production capabilities exceed INTC's needs?"
Definitely. If you were a large semi corporation and you had, say,
3 fabs on the drawing board and you need 10-20 DUV steppers per fab,
that is an awful big risk to take on a company like SVGI. Small or
medium size companies or large companies with lesser plans may think
differently. I personally would not buy one of their systems because of the shadow cast by Intel over everything. That's just my opinion.
Also, their lead time seems to be about 6months longer than the other
companies. However, if you are a company that absolutely MUST have a
reliable step-and-scan system, SVGI may be the best choice. The others, Nikon, ASML, Canon, are all still working the bugs out of their scanners.
It's really too bad that the deal between Canon and SVGI a few years
ago fell through. It could have helped both companies out of their
respective problems.
" Are there other examples in the semi eqpt area where customer concentration limits a company's potential client base?"
There probably are very few, or none at all.
On a side note, Intel's size also can have another effect on the semi
equip industry. I had a conversation with a rep from another stepper
manufacturer recently. He told me that his company doesn't even bother pursuing Intel vigorously as a customer because, basically, Intel expects most of it's suppiers to treat it as "Numero Uno". The
stepper company in question already has one or two "Numero Uno"-type
accounts and could not "afford" another.
James Word |
