Wafer shipments dropped 5% in the first quarter but is expected to gradually increase from now through 2004 as companies raised their forecast growth in wafer demand for the remainder of 2003 and all of 2004, said Fabless Semiconductor Association.

"The increase in wafer demand for the remaining quarters of 2003 indicates a growing sense of optimism on the part of foundry customers that a market recovery may be around the corner," said Jim Hines, principal analyst at Gartner Dataquest.

Respondents also weighed in process technology, saying the 0.18-micron technology node will be the most popular in 2003 and 2004. Forty-one percent of wafer demand used 0.18-micron technology in the first quarter, FSA said.

As for 0.13-micron technology, which has had a bumpy ramp-up, FSA estimated 21 percent of total shipments will use the advanced node by the fourth quarter, 2003. That will increase to 29 percent for 2004.

By: DocMemory
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