Vanguard International Semiconductor (VIS) is actively pursuing a bid to acquire ProMOS Technologies' 12-inch plant in central Taiwan.

Powerchip has been stepping up efforts to transform itself into a foundry chipmaker focused on LCD driver ICs, CMOS image sensors and other non-DRAM products. Powerchip has successfully allocated capacity at two of its 12-inch fabs to produce non-memory ICs on a contract basis enabling the company to expand its presence in the foundry space.

Powerchip now has 38,000 12-inch wafers for producing LCD driver ICs a month, with customers including Renesas Electronics and ILi Technology (Ilitek), the sources continued.

Powerchip is set to unseat VIS as Taiwan's third-largest foundry chipmaker in 2012, thanks to available capacity at its 12-inch fabs.

VIS, which has two 8-inch fabs, previously hinted that the company had been evaluating the possibility of building 12-inch wafer capacity. Orders for LCD driver ICs currently account for more than 50% of the foundry's overall revenues. VIS also produces non-driver IC products, such as power management chips.

In addition, speculation has been circulating that Globalfoundries is also among the potential buyers for ProMOS' 12-inch fab located at the Central Taiwan Science park (CTSP).

ProMOS recently announced plans to sell its 12-inch wafer plant and related facilities through open bidding by the end of 2012, as the DRAM maker is looking to become a fabless memory-IC company. The auction is scheduled to end at the end of November, with the sale set to be finalized by end-December.

By: DocMemory
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