There could be another shakeout this year or next, according to Korean memory makers. German DRAM maker Qimonda AG went under this year. Some think Taiwan's suppliers could be next.

Taiwan's DRAM makers ''don't have enough money to invest in new technology,'' said Keich Lee, manager of memory marketing for Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., in an interview here. ''We think after the downturn, the strong will get stronger and the weak will get weaker.''

Two Taiwan vendors--Powerchip and ProMOS--are the weakest and their respective futures remain unclear. Another vendor, Nanya, will likely survive.

The Taiwan government has formed a venture to rescue the island's DRAM industry. It has talked about consolidating Powerchip, Rexchip and possibility ProMOS.

The venture, Taiwan Memory Corp. (TMC), has gained support from Japan's Elpida Memory Inc. But to date, TMC has received little or no support and its future also remains shaky.

On top of this, OEMs could be scrambling for their supply of DRAMs for some time: Shortages of DDR-based SDRAMs could last until the first quarter of next year, warned Samsung.

By: DocMemory
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