You have to wonder why the semi-equip sector is recovering so strongly. My bet is that it's just a trading rally, no more. Most of these stocks are not fundamentally oversold. Here is some more dismal news about the industry, in this case another 300mm push back:
Changes in I300I charter possible
A service of Semiconductor Business News, CMP Media Inc.
Story updated at 9:30 a.m. EDT/6:30 a.m. PDT, 6/16/98
By J. Robert Lineback
SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- Sematech's U.S. and
international member companies have asked the
consortium's International 300-mm Initiative (I300I) to
draft a 1999 operating plan and budget with the goal of
extending the project another year, according to Frank
Robertson, director of I300I. Austin, Tex.-based Sematech
is expected to set I300I's charter in July, said Robertson,
who was here this week to speak before the Third Annual
300-mm Symposium hosted by Semiconductor Equipment
and Materials International (SEMI).
It remains unclear whether I300I will continue dedicating
most of its efforts to evaluating new 300-mm production
equipment or if the project will be refocused on other
tasks, such as tool improvement, Robertson said.
Because of a lack of 300-mm prototype systems, I300I has
only evaluated half of the tool sets needed to fabricate
wafers, Robertson said. The lack of tools and new delays
in 300-mm pilot line projects appears to be stalling the
movement to 12-inch wafers (see June 15 story).
Sematech has defined 38 sets of tools needed to produce
wafers. Those systems are used to perform between 300
to 500 process steps in chip-processing plants.
Sematech's chip-making member companies have set a
goal of having a full set of 300-mm tools available by the
second quarter 1999, but equipment makers are now
pushing back their plans to make available prototypes to
I300I for evaluation, Robertson said. He warned tool
suppliers that I300I may not be able to complete
evaluations if systems are not delivered to the program
this year.
In Japan, I300I's counterpart, Selete, is also facing the
same experience in delays in prototype tool availability,
according to Robertson. |
