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To: Pete Young who wrote (46737)	5/15/2001 6:49:47 AM
From: w0z	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 70976

Bill, can you fill us in what applications use GaAs?. GaAs technology offers many advantages including lower power dissipation, excellent linearity, and a smaller chip size. Application areas include commercial wireless, power amplifiers, receivers, very high speed digital communications, interface electronics, mm-wave defense and automotive systems. With the ability to operate at faster speeds than silicon of the same geometry, GaAs devices offer a high performance solution for communications market segments such as Gigabit Ethernet, ATM, SONET, and Radio Frequency handsets. I think I read that the 802.11a,b applications have been implemented in CMOS 802.11 does not require the speeds that only GaAs can provide.

To: Pete Young who wrote (46737)	5/15/2001 8:04:23 AM
From: Proud_Infidel	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 70976

Taiwanese TFT-LCD Panel Makers Boost Operating Rates May 15, 2001 (TAIPEI) -- The operating rates of factories of Taiwanese TFT-LCD makers are improving sharply. Increasing demand for TFT-LCD panels for monitors and the progress in inventory adjustment of notebook PC makers, which sustained the stalled growth of demand on TFT-LCD panels for notebook PCs, are supporting factors for the improvements. Partly because of many New Year holidays of the solar and lunar calendars, Taiwanese LCD makers suffered sluggish shipments of large-size panels below 100,000 units in January, and all of these companies except Chi Mei Optoelectronics Corp. had capacity operating rates lower than 50 percent. However, the constant decline of panel prices attracted major U.S. PC makers to use Taiwanese LCD monitors from February. It is estimated that the declining stock of CRT monitors through the progress of desktop PCs inventory adjustment under way from the third quarter of 2000 also encouraged major PC makers to switch to LCDs from CRTs. On the other hand, Taiwanese monitor makers have also been increasing the percentage of LCD monitors in their product lines under their own brand names, and purchasing panels from Taiwanese TFT-LCD makers. Taiwanese TFT-LCD makers estimate that their respective shipments of large-size TFT panels in March 2001 exceeded 100,000 units, while the total shipment of the five biggest makers increased 20 percent on a month-to-month basis to about 650,000 units. The largest growth was observed in shipments of 15-in. and 17-in. TFT panels for monitors. The LCD panels are assembled into final products by Taiwanese monitor makers under original equipment manufacturing (OEM) contracts and exported to the United States and European countries. LCD shipments in April are increasing at double-digit growth rates even on top of the March turnover. Growing capacity operating rates, however, do not assure positive earnings. The prices of 15-in. (diagonal 38cm) and 14.1-in. (34cm) XGA panels declined to as low as 30,000 yen (US$250 as converted at 120 yen to the dollar) and 25,200 yen (US$210) respectively, and these prices are no higher than cash costs of the LCD makers. As the advantage of Taiwanese LCD makers in cost-cutting competition is in business operation costs including sales costs, administrative costs and R&D costs, and tax rates but not in manufacturing costs, these makers cannot make good use of their advantages at the current low prices. Although the improved operating rates of manufacturing lines reduce the unit cost of a panel (or coverage of fixed costs), the current panel prices threaten deficits even on a gross profit basis, turning the price competition of LCD makers into a war of attrition. Additionally, the second factories of these LCD makers and the first factory of Taiwan's Quanta Display Inc. are to start full-fledged operations by the end of this year, expecting to increase supply capacity drastically. Even with the brisk demand, time will be needed to cope with the pressure on demand in the market and thus result in a rally in LCD panel prices because of large redundant production capacity awaiting orders. In the meantime, the Taiwanese LCD makers must survive a predicament of tight profits gained from growing sales. The progress in LCD panel prices and component costs will continue to attract market attention. Related stories: - Taiwan's TFT-LCD Panels Slumping for Notebooks, Up for Monitors - Taiwan's TFT-LCD Makers ADT and Unipac Merge to Assure Survival (By Yasuo Nakane, Senior Analyst, Daiwa Institute of Research Taipei Representative Office, Special to Nikkei Microdevices)

To: Pete Young who wrote (46737)	5/15/2001 8:51:26 AM
From: FJB	Respond to of 70976

can you fill us in what applications use GaAs? I think I read that the 802.11a,b applications have been implemented in CMOS to keep their prices low, but perhaps I'm wrong on that. Broadcom's products are implemented in standard CMOS and serve markets up through OC-192.

To: Pete Young who wrote (46737)	5/19/2001 1:21:34 PM
From: w0z	Respond to of 70976

Pete, you mentioned 802.11. In case you didn't see it on the QCOM thread, you might want to look at this and the accompanying reference: Message 15824241 Also, regarding GaAs and InP versus silicon, see this: Message 15784696 "According to the report, all semiconductor technologies will benefit from the strong growth of high-speed optical networks. Silicon and SiGe devices are expected to dominate lower data-rates applications, while GaAs and InP integrated circuits will be the leading technologies in 40-Gbit/second networks, the new report said."