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Politics : Formerly About Applied Materials -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Proud_Infidel who wrote (44147)	3/21/2001 12:00:38 AM
From: Proud_Infidel	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 70976

Win Semiconductors Debuts Six-Inch GaAs Wafers Using 0.15-Micron Process March 21, 2001 (TAIPEI) -- Win Semiconductor Corp. of Taiwan said it has successfully used the cutting-edge 0.15-micron process to turn out six-inch GaAs epitaxy wafers of high-density electron mobility transistor (HEMTs). It plans to launch commercial production of the chips with this advanced process by the fourth quarter of 2001. GaAs-based HEMTs are mostly used in wireless communications gears. Win Semiconductor's specialists point out that the 0.15-micron process is able to help reduce the production cost of the communications chips and raise output. Win Semiconductor opened its GaAs epitaxy-wafer foundry factory in 2000, making it the world's first manufacturer in this line to offer GaAs wafer foundry services. Win completed the factory at the Huaya Technology Park in Taipei in September 1999. Anticipating that the market will remain strong in the near future, the company is now planning a second facility. Studies anticipate that the production value of GaAs-based microwave chips will be approximately US$2 billion worldwide this year. The value is forecast to double in 2003, thanks to the rising demand for optical fiber and wireless broadband communications devices in addition to microwave chips. The company estimates that world demand for output capacity of GaAs-based microwave chips will quadruple to one million six-inch wafers in 2005 from the current 250,000 wafers. The company estimates the foundry cost of a six-inch GaAs wafer to be US$20,000 or so, compared with the US$1,200 to US$2,500 for an eight-inch wafer. Its specialists point out that GaAs-based HEMTs manufactured by means of the 0.15-micron process were first rolled out around a decade ago at three-inch wafer factories run by international heavyweight players. So far, the technology has been mostly adopted at three-inch and four-inch factories in Europe and the United Sates. Besides exploiting the 0.15-micron process, Win Semiconductor has also turned out Asia's first six-inch InGaP HBTs (indium-gallium-phosphorus heterojunction bipolar transistors) wafers made with the two-micron process. The company has also produced Taiwan's first six-inch GaAs wafer of HEMTs made with 0.5-micron technology. Win plans to launch volume production of GaAs-based HEMTs in the fourth quarter this year, with annual output projected at 10,000 wafers this year, 30,000 wafers in 2002, and 100,000 wafers in 2004. (Commercial Times, Taiwan)

To: Proud_Infidel who wrote (44147)	3/21/2001 12:16:15 AM
From: Proud_Infidel	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 70976

I am posting this again since I feel it is that important: DRAM Chip Inventories Fall, Spot Price Rebound Seen: Merrill Analyst March 21, 2001 (TAIPEI) -- A Merrill Lynch analyst has predicted that the prices of DRAM microchips are approaching a low level. Joseph Osha, a Merrill Lynch analyst, said that DRAM prices are set to bottom out, as there is no room for a further downward movement. Osha gave an unchanged investment rating of "medium-term buy" to chip-making giant Micron Technology Inc. Also, the investment company's prediction was bolstered by the news that several leading Taiwanese chipmakers, including Winbond Electronics Corp., Nanya Technology Corp. and Powerchip Semiconductor Corp., have confirmed that their inventories have been falling since March. They see a rebound of DRAM spot prices ahead, as their inventories can only meet the market's demand for three weeks. The 64Mb DRAM and 128Mb DRAM prices are said to have climbed to US$2.1 and US$4.1, respectively, equivalent to the chip-making costs of Taiwanese companies, as Hyundai Electronics Industries Co., Ltd., a Korean chipmaker, decided to slash production at its fifth and sixth plants, probably by around 10 percent. As shipments of motherboards and PCs begin to rise, investors have increased their purchases of DRAM shares, expecting profits from a rebound. Osha said he sees the light at the end of the tunnel, and believes that a rebound in DRAM prices would follow, in view of the narrow prospects of further falls. In fact, several motherboard powerhouses, such as Asustek Computer Inc., Gigabyte Technology Co., Ltd. and Micro-Star International Co., reported that their sales for January and February rose by more than 60 percent. The increasing sales have speeded up the consumption of chip inventories, which have fallen to their normal level of one week's supply. A recovery in the chip market may occur in April. Osha will travel to Taiwan for an investment presentation in late March. His forecast for the DRAM industry is expected to be the main subject of the presentation. (Commercial Times, Taiwan)