2 of the top 3 customers (Intel and TSMC) of Applied Materials increased their capex budgets for 2013 while that for the other one (Samsung) remains unchanged.
Digitimes Research: Mixed capex plans for major semiconductor firms in 2013
Ricky Tu, DIGITIMES Research, Taipei [Tuesday 11 June 2013]
Intel, Samsung Electronics, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), Texas Instruments (TI), Toshiba, Renesas Electronics, SK Hynix, and STMicroelectronics were among the world's top-10 semiconductor firms in 2012
Among these eight firms,
Intel and TSMC have both increased their 2013 capex budgets compared to 2012, while
Samsung and Toshiba will see their sums unchanged, according to Digitimes Research. SK Hynix has allocated a smaller 2013 capex compared to 2012, while Texas Instruments, Renesas, and STMicroelectronics have bugeted low capex sums for 2013, added Digitimes Research.
In 2013, Intel plans to increase capex by 18.2% compared to 2012, reaching US$13 billion. The firm wil continue to increase the capacity of 22nm processes and will also invest in development for 18-inch wafers, as well as 14nm, 10nm, 7nm and 5nm processes.
Capex for Samsung's semiconductor business unit kept rising for three consecutive years from 2009-2012, said Digitimes Research. In 2009, the firm's semiconductor capex was US$3.2 billion, but it ballooned to US$12.3 billion in 2012. However, in 2013, its semicondutor capex is likely to drop slightly to US$12 billion. The 2013 capex will be used to increase DRAM capacity at 28nm, construct a new NAND flash plant in Xi'an, China, and push its NAND flash production towards 21nm and 16nm processes. The firm also plans to expand its IC capacity in Austin, Texas, and restart the 17 production lines at a plant located in Hwaseong, South Korea, Digitimes Research stated.
TSMC reported 2012 capex at US$8.3 billion, and this figure is likely to increase to US$9.5-10 billion in 2013. The capex will be used to construct 28nm, 20nm and 26nm process capacity, according to Digitimes Research.
Japan-based Toshiba's 2012 capex is likely to remain at US$2 billion for developing NAND flash 1Y-nm process.
SK Hynix reported 2009 capex of only US$800 million but in 2012, the capex increased to US$3.5 billion. However, the firm may reduce capex to US$2.6 billion in 2013. The firm plans to upgrade its DRAM process from 35nm to 28nm, NAND flash from 27nm to 21nm, and to begin OEM business for high-end chips, Digitimes Research noted.
http://www.digitimes.com/Reports/Report....PD&seq=228
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TSMC to post record earnings and sales for 2013, says Chang
Cage Chao, Taipei; Jessie Shen, DIGITIMES [Thursday 13 June 2013]
Judging from the current order visibility, Morris Chang, chairman and CEO of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), expects the foundry's performance in the second half of 2013 to outperform that in the first half.
Chang projects that TSMC's consolidated sales and profit figures for all of 2013 will both climb to record highs.
TSMC has seen the visibility of its orders extended to three to four months, which points to "pretty good" industry conditions in the third quarter, according to Chang. Chang added the industry outlook for the fourth quarter is still unclear.
Nonetheless, demand coming from the smartphone and tablet markets remains brisk, which will buoy TSMC's overall performance in the second half of 2013, Chang noted.
In addition, Chang revealed that TSMC started producing test chips using 20nm process technology in November 2011. The foundry is set to ramp up production of 20nm chips by early 2014, Chang said.
As for 16nm FinFET, TSMC has completed the tape-out of chips on the process, Chang disclosed. The node has attracted orders from Xilinx, which expects to sample its 16nm FinFET-based FPGA chips later in 2013 followed by volume production in 2014.
http://www.digitimes.com/news/a20130611PD218.html
Research, research and research - Please do your own due diligence (DYODD) before you invest - Any reliance on my analysis is SOLELY at your own risk.
Homepage
PR Newswire
