China Surges Past Americas and Japan in IC Capacity
Back in 2012, China ranked fifth among seven regions worldwide in IC wafer capacity but surged past the Americas and Japan in 2018 and 2019 to claim the number three position (figure 1). That’s a big deal given that ICs account for the largest share...
Korea Expected to Maintain Equipment Spending Lead Over Other Regional Markets
Despite recent global economic uncertainties and a downbeat memory market outlook for the second half of 2019, new 300mm fab construction in Korea is still going strong. The graph below, based on the SEMI World Fab Forecast and WWSEMS reports, shows...
Part 1 of 2: The End of the Memory Growth Rally? Where Are We in the Memory Inventory Cycle?
Micron, one of the top three memory semiconductor companies, reported solid results for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2018 (June to August) to extend a multi-quarter string of strong growth. However, the company’s mediocre guidance for the current...
Record Equipment Spending Streak Continues in 2018 and 2019
Christian G. Dieseldorff, Industry Research & Statistics Group, SEMI (June 12, 2018)
Is it the End for New Volume Fabs in the U.S.?
Can it be that no more new semiconductor fabs are being built in the U.S.?