Tuesday, April 8, 2003
IBM Microelectronics has recently cut its 0.18-micron processes wafers as much as 20% to put pressure on Taiwan top foundries Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) and United Microelectronics Corporation (UMC). Presently, the price of mask services ranging from US$450,000 to US$500,000 for 0.18-micron-processed wafers and between US$1 million to US$1.2 million for 0.13-micron-processed wafers.
To add more pressure, sources reported that representatives to Taiwan approached big companies such as VIA Technologies and Realtek Semiconductor for further business opportunity. TSMC is likely to remain the price leader due to its economies of scale and better yield while UMC is also not keen on slashing prices following its adoption of its virtual IDM model, whereby it has strengthened relationships with key partners.
Marvell and Broadcom, both TSMC clients, may be next in line to outsource foundry orders to IBM Microelectronics, which recently signed a deal with Nvidia to manufacture its new line of GeForce FX graphic chips Taiwanese IC designers are unlikely to move their orders to IBM en masse as most of their clients are concentrated in Asia-Pacific region, mainly in Taiwan and China. TSMC and UMC are still very competitive in "market timing."
By: DocMemory
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