SI
SI
discoversearch

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor.  We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community.  If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.
Politics : Formerly About Applied Materials -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?


To: Skeeter Bug who wrote (27823)1/21/1999 5:14:00 PM
From: Duker  Read Replies (1) | Respond to of 70976
 
Leading Edge DRAM Capacity Tightness ...

A service of Semiconductor Business News, CMP Media Inc.
Story posted 7 a.m. EST/4 a.m., PST, 1/21/99
DRAM prices are firming,
prompting market turnaround
PHOENIX -- After three very lean years, the closely watched DRAM market has begun to turn around. That is the opinion of Semico Research Corp., a market research company here.

Semico predicted last August that average selling prices of DRAMs would stabilize, and that has happened. Semico believes that ASPs will continue to rise, leading to a turnaround in the market (see story in the Jan. 15 publication of SBN).

The DRAM market has split into two segments, said the market researcher. One is DRAMs sold into the PC market. DRAMs in this segment are going to require fabs that are capavle of 0.22-micron feature sizes or better. Semico believes that there is a shortage of capacity in these fabs that will get worse as 1999 progresses. DRAM manufacturers have not invested in these advanced fabs since 1995.

DRAM manufacturers are justifiably very cautious about the introduction of a new type of DRAM, Direct Rambus DRAM. They are unlikely to significantly increase capacity until the direct access technology battle has been decided. A shortage of capacity is going to lead to increased ASPs.

The second DRAM market segment consists of DRAMs sold into workstations and into the communication, consumer, transportation and industrial markets. These are older types and densities of DRAM. There is no shortage of capacity for these DRAM, Semico said, but ASPs will rise as DRAM manufacturers shift their emphasis to the much larger-volume PC market.

--Duker

Interesting to me ... someone actually looking beyond the general capacity situation ... to a more appropriate "leading edge versus trailing edge capacity ..."



To: Skeeter Bug who wrote (27823)1/21/1999 7:39:00 PM
From: blake_paterson  Read Replies (2) | Respond to of 70976
 
Skeets, re: <<..sure, go ahead and pick the low for comparison as though it is meaningful....>>

Aw, c'mon Skeets, give me a break.. The bookings growth rate over 3 months isn't MEANINGFUL? Don't let your defenses get the best of ya', buddy.

BP



To: Skeeter Bug who wrote (27823)1/21/1999 9:02:00 PM
From: Math Junkie  Read Replies (2) | Respond to of 70976
 
Bookings took 10 months to get from the high in November of 1997 to the low in September of 1998. If bookings take that long to get back to where they were (and so far we are ahead of schedule), it will be back to the level of the previous peak in July of this year. If it takes 14 months, as it did in 1997, then it will happen in November of this year.

Still think the longs have it wrong? <G>