Tight DDR2 testing capacity in Taiwan may worsen at the end of the second quarter, as the taiwanese DRAM makers begin allocating more capacity to DDR2..

Currently, Hynix and Elpida already occupy most of the DDR2 testing capacity in Taiwan. Hynix plans to test 30-35 million 256Mbit-equivalent DRAM chips per month in Taiwan, this quarter. Elpida is also rumored to be planning to test 20 million chips per month during the same period.

However, Nanya Technology, Powerchip Semiconductor Corporation (PSC) and ProMOS Technologies are expected to accelerate their DDR2 production, starting from the second quarter. Should half of their capacity be shifted to DDR2, about 20-30 T5593 DDR2 testers will be needed, the sources explained.

The T5593, produced by Advantest, is currently the mainstream DDR2 tester. However, Taiwan has less than 20 DDR2 testers. Powertech Technology alone has 14 DDR2 testers and is the most aggressive firm in expanding capacity.

DDR2 chips are mainly produced using 0.11-micron process technologies, and because the technology is not yet mature, it requires a longer testing time. Although the migration from DDR to DDR2 is expected to accelerate in 2005, it is unclear whether the migration will be smooth, so DRAM testing firms in Taiwan are reluctant to make a heavy investment in capacity expansion.

By: Docmemory
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