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Technology Stocks : Amkor Technology Inc (AMKR) -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Jim Oravetz who wrote (592)	3/8/2000 8:48:00 PM
From: tech101	Respond to of 1056

Asia, Europe boost chip sales at start of 2000, says SIA Semiconductor Business News (03/08/00, 09:30:13 AM EDT) SAN JOSE -- Worldwide semiconductor sales reached $14.77 billion in January, a 32.9% increase from $11.11 billion in January 1999, said the Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) here today. Compared to December's sales figure, January semiconductor revenues were up 0.4%, based on the SIA's three-month rolling average. "The chip industry is off to a strong start for year 2000," declared George Scalise, president of the SIA. "January sales were stronger than traditional seasonal patterns. Traditionally, January sales tend to be weak; however, these sales numbers convincingly illustrate the continuation of our industry's growth pattern that commenced in mid-1998," Scalise added. In particular, Asia (excluding Japan) and Europe drove chip sales higher in January from strong billings in the final month of 1999. The SIA's Global Sales Report said Asian--now the world's second largest regional market for semiconductors--had chip sales of $3.84 billion, an increase of 45.9% from a year ago and 1.1% higher than December. Europe's semiconductor sales also increased 1.1% to $3.14 billion in January from $3.11 in December, said the report. Compared to January 1999, European chip sales were up 21.5% in January 2000. (See table below for summary of semiconductor sales.) Overall, global chip sales in January show just how strong the recovery has been in the past 12 months. In January 1999, the industry grew an anemic 1.2% over the year before (see March 15, 1999 story ). Semiconductor analysts have suggested that if first-quarter chip sales were flat or slightly ahead of the final three months of last year, 2000 will be a much stronger growth year than previous expected. Most forecasts call for chip sales growth of 20% to 30% in 2000. Telecommunication chip products, flash memories and digital signal processors (DSP) continued to lead in sales and exhibit strong growth, said the SIA said. Gauging Global Chip Growth Region January 2000 December 1999 % change January 1999 % change Americas $4.49 billion $4.52 billion -0.5% $3.59 billion 25.1% Asia $3.84 billion $3.80 billion 1.1% $2.63 billion 45.9% Japan $3.29 billion $3.28 bilion 0.3% $2.29 bilion 43.2% Europe $3.14 billion $3.11 billion 1.1% $2.59 billion 21.5% World total $14.77 billion $14.70 billin 0.4% $11.11 billion 32.9% *Sales in three-month averages Source: SIA Global Sales Report

To: Jim Oravetz who wrote (592)	3/10/2000 8:35:00 AM
From: Jim Oravetz	Respond to of 1056

WEST CHESTER, Pa.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 10, 2000--Amkor Technology, Inc. (Nasdaq: AMKR), the world's largest provider of contract semiconductor packaging and test services, today announced plans to add wafer bumping capability in its Korean manufacturing plant by the end of 2000 in support of growing demand for Flip Chip packaging. Flip Chip packaging is an alternative die connection technology that replaces today's mainstream wire bonding technology. The wafer bumping process adds conductive interconnects to the silicon die pads eliminating the need for wirebonding and providing improved performance through a much shorter interconnection path. Driving the growth in Flip Chip packaging is increasing demand for high performance handheld applications such as RF wireless communications and high-speed network systems. Flip Chip die today account for 1.5% of the 60 billion IC circuits produced worldwide today but are expected to grow at an annual compound rate of 48%/year over the next few years. The adoption rate is even higher for the Chip Scale Package (CSP) market segment where Flip Chip is forecasted to grow from 5% of all CSP in 1998 to 25% by 2003 per Prismark Partners. "Adding our own internal solder bumping capability will enhance Amkor's growing support for flip-chip packages and complements our earlier joint-technology agreements with LSI Logic and Flip Chip technology," said Richard Groover, Amkor vice president and chief technologist for flip-chip technology. "Additionally, since the lion's share of silicon being produced today is still designed for wire bond packaging, we will be offering repassivation and redistribution (the relocation of die bond pads to optimum locations). The internal flip chip bump process enables Amkor to participate actively in the arena for direct chip attach, wafer scale package, and integrated passive device. These new and exciting applications are already demonstrating huge demand, especially with our wireless customers." The bumping capability provided through this expansion will support large and small die size applications, future pitch requirements, and both lead-based and lead-free interconnection solutions. Amkor currently supports customers with a flip-chip packaging line in its Philippine facilities, and a rapid-prototype flip-chip packaging line at its Chandler, Arizona site. A new flip-chip packaging line is also planned for Korea. While these facilities already handle a wide range of bump technologies today through outside suppliers, or customers supplied bumped chips, Amkor's internal bumping capability will put all flip-chip operations under Amkor control and provide customers with true turn-key Flip Chip solutions. This will ensure Amkor controlled cost reduction performance, quality, and a customer-centric technology development roadmap. "We are developing optimized packages for low, medium, and high lead-count applications, for both cost-driven and performance-driven applications, and we will offer the best available Flip Chip technologies that have been proven to speed customers' market entry and minimize any reliability concerns and risks," concludes Richard Groover.

To: Jim Oravetz who wrote (592)	3/13/2000 9:31:00 AM
From: Jim Oravetz	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 1056

Korea's Anam foundry to expand capacity, add 0.18-micron process By Jack Robertson, Semiconductor Business News Mar 9, 2000 URL: semibiznews.com CHANDLER, Ariz. -- The Anam Semiconductor fab in Korea has added Atmel, Alcatel and Ericsson as foundry customers, in addition to making digital signal processors for Texas Instruments Inc. John Boruch, president and CEO of Amkor Technology Inc., which now owns a 42% stake in Anam, said several other new foundry countries have also been added, but he cannot disclose their names at present. In an interview in his Chandler office on Wednesday, Boruch said the Anam fab will also expand production from the current 20,000 wafer starts a month to 30,000 monthly by the end of the year. He also said upgraded equipment is being installed that will take the fab down to 0.18-micron processing from its current quarter micron design rules. Boruch said the fab is now sold out for the next several years -- even with the higher capacity to be added Ever since starting production two years ago, the Anam fab exclusively produced DSPs under contract to Amkor, which in turn sold the chips to TI. According to Boruch, the fab will make a variety of device types for its new customers, including DSPs, flash memory, ASICs, and telecommunications chips. He expected the Anam fab to generate more than $500 million annual revenue when operating at full capacity. The fab now is essentially the main business operation of Anam, as the Korean firm's four chip-assembly and test operations have been purchased by Amkor (see Feb. 28 story ). The U.S. packaging firm also made a $459 million investment in Anam in addition to $950 milllion purchase of the three remaining assembly plants it didn't already own. Last year Amkor bought the leading-edge Anam assembly plant for $600 million. Boruch said the fab partners are now looking to add a second frontend foundry -- either by acquiring one of many empty fab shells around the world, or acquiring an existing fab, and forming a joint venture to take over a portion of an existing fab. +++ Sounds like extra biz for Amkor! Jim