Semiconductor Industry

[winston]

TSMC's September sales flat from yr ago

TAIPEI, Oct 9 (Reuters) - TSMC <2330.TW>, the world's biggest contract chip maker, said on Friday its September sales were almost flat from a year ago amid growing demand for computers and other high-tech products.

Unconsolidated sales at Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC) reached T$28.02 billion ($870 million) last month, compared with T$28.252 billion a year ago, the company said.

TSMC's sales fell 3 percent from August, it said.

A day ago, cross-town rival UMC <2303.TW> posted an 18 percent annual rise in its September sales.

Source: Reuters

[winston]

PREVIEW-TSMC, UMC Q3 net seen stronger on chip recovery

* What: TSMC, UMC, Chartered Semi Q3 earnings
* When: Chartered (Oct 23), UMC (Oct 28) and TSMC (Oct 29)
* Q3 results seen stronger than Q2 but Q4 seen weaker
* TSMC up 40 percent this yr, UMC shares more than double

By Baker Li TAIPEI, Oct 21 (Reuters) - Top contract chipmaker TSMC <2330.TW> probably made its largest profit in nearly two years in the third quarter, and smaller rival UMC <2303.TW> is also likely to have booked a bigger profit on stronger chip sales.

Analysts expect the world's two biggest foundries to spend more money to boost capacity next year as they race to pump out advanced chips, even though fourth-quarter sales could weaken after a strong third quarter.

"The global macro economy will be getting better next year, and when consumers have deeper pockets, we are really optimistic about demand for three-C products," Nomura analyst Rick Hsu said, referring to computers, communications and consumer gadgets.

New technologies further cut manufacturing costs and help the foundries win new orders from clients, who are selling more powerful chips used in a new generation of personal computers, mobile phones and flat-screen TVs.

There's been a spate of bullish news from global technology firms. Intel's quarterly results and outlook surpassed analysts' forecasts [ID:nLE108041], while Apple's profits streaked past Wall Street forecasts. [ID:nN19395089] A global outsourcing trend could help boost foundry sales up by about a fifth next year, outpacing an estimated 8 percent rise for the whole semiconductor market, Hsu said.

Sector leader TSMC remains the top pick by many local and foreign brokerage houses in the $20 billion chip foundry market, thanks to a wider customer base and higher chip output from advanced process technology that yields fatter margins.

So far this year, TSMC's Taipei-listed shares have risen 40 percent and UMC shares more than doubled versus a nearly 70 percent jump in the main TAIEX index <.TWII>.

TSMC is expected to report a net profit of T$31.2 billion ($966 million) in July-September, higher than the second quarter's T$24.4 billion, while UMC could see its second straight quarterly profit, according to analysts polled by Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.

Singapore's smaller rival Chartered Semiconductor could post a narrower loss for the third quarter.

In September, Abu Dhabi's state-owned ATIC offered to buy Chartered Semi, which is likely to be merged with California-based Globalfoundries and could create a major rival to TSMC and UMC.

Q3 PROFIT (LOSS) FORECASTS Net profit/loss Change (pct) Y/Y Q/Q
TSMC T$31,202 mln +2 +28
UMC T$3,649 mln -- +135
Chartered ($9.79 mln) -- --

NOTE - Both UMC and Chartered lost money in the third quarter of 2008, while UMC saw profits in the second quarter of 2009.

Source: Reuters

[winston]

TAIWAN'S UMC <2303.TW> <UMC.N> SAYS 2010 CAPEX TO RISE SHARPLY FROM US$500 MLN IN 2009

TAIPEI, Oct 28 (Reuters) - Taiwan's UMC <2303.TW>, the world's No.2 contract chip maker, posted a second straight quarterly net profit that beat market expectations, thanks to growing demand for tech products.

United Microelectronics Corp (UMC) booked a net profit of T$6.09 billion ($190 million) for July-September, the company said in a statement on Wednesday.

That was a sharp rise from the second quarter's T$1.55 billion and reversed a loss of T$1.4 billion a year ago. Analysts had expected UMC to earn T$3.65 billion in the third quarter, according to the latest forecast by Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.

While UMC and sector leader TSMC <2330.TW> may see sales weaken in the fourth quarter after a strong third quarter, analysts expect the two foundries to spend more money to boost capacity next year as they race to pump out advanced chips.

UMC's Taipei-listed shares rose 43 percent in the third quarter. TSMC shares gained 19 percent, similar to the main TAIEX's <.TWII> rise in the same period.


Source: Reuters

[winston]

Not vested.

TSMC raises 2010 semi sales growth f'cst to 9 pct

HSINCHU, Taiwan, Dec 4 (Reuters) - TSMC <2330.TW> , the world's biggest contract chip maker, on Friday raised its sales forecast for the global semiconductor market next year.

TSMC Chairman and CEO Morris Chang told a TSMC forum on supply chain management that he expected global semiconductor sales to grow by an annual 9 percent in 2010 and another 5 percent in 2011, after falling an expected 11 percent this year.

Chang previously expected global semiconductor sales to grow 5 percent next year.

[winston]

Taiwan UMC's Nov sales up 52 pct from year ago

TAIPEI, Dec 8 (Reuters) - Taiwan's UMC <2303.TW>, the world's second-largest contract chip maker, said on Tuesday its November sales rose 52 percent from a year earlier, but the result fell from October after tech demand peaked in the third quarter.

United Microelectronics Corp (UMC) had sales of T$9.156 billion ($284 million) last month, compared with T$6.025 billion a year ago and T$9.297 billion in October, the company said on its website.

[kennynah]

what a success !!!

[winston]

Not vested.

TSMC Nov sales up 52 pct y/y but flat from Oct

TAIPEI, Dec 10 (Reuters) - TSMC <2330.TW>, the world's biggest contract chip maker, said on Thursday its November sales rose 52 percent from a year ago but the result was flat from October amid weaker demand for technology products.

Unconsolidated sales at Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Ltd (TSMC) reached T$29.35 billion ($910 million) last month, the company said, compared with T$19.3 billion a year ago and October's T$29.2 billion.

Smaller cross-town rival UMC <2303.TW> saw its November sales fall further from a two-year high hit in September

Source: Reuters

[kennynah]

what a great success !!!

[bulltick]

Intel-Micron JV orders litho for Singapore fab
Mark LaPedus
EE Times
(02/01/2010 6:36 PM EST)


LEHI, Utah -- Intel Corp. and Micron Technology Inc. are mum about the production schedule of its joint NAND fab in Singapore--despite the fact the venture has begun ordering lithography tools and other gear for that plant.

IM Flash Technologies LLC (IMFT)--the joint NAND flash venture between Intel and Micron--is moving ahead with its delayed fab in Singapore, with a projected ramp in 2011, according to an analyst.

Officials from Intel and Micron declined to comment about Singapore. ''I can tell you IMFT just ordered three NXT tools from ASML in 4Q '09 for delivery to Singapore in 2Q/3Q (2010) timeframe,'' according to one analyst.

ASML's TwinScan NXT:1950i system is a dual-stage, 193-nm immersion lithography tool designed for volume production 300-mm wafers at the 32-nm node and beyond. Building on the in-line catadioptric lens design concept of the XT:1950Hi, the NXT:1950i has a numerical aperture (NA) of 1.35.


This week, Intel and Micron have regained the process technology lead in NAND flash, by rolling out the first in a family of 25-nm devices.

The 25-nm device is made at IM Flash's fab in Lehi, Utah. Intel and Micron will initially ramp the 25-nm NAND device in Utah, followed by production within Micron's fab in Manassas, Va. In Lehi, IM Flash uses scanners from ASML.

[iam802]

Highly possible. I am seeing some reports pushing automation suppliers of semiconductors...

Perhaps its about time to dig them out again.