The global DRAM oversupply of DRAM is expected to drop from 17% currently to 13% in the first half of 2012 due to reduced in production by the major DRAM makers, according to industry sources in Taiwan.
Taiwan's combined production has decreased from a monthly input of 450,000 wafers earlier in 2011 to 250,000 wafers in December, the sources said. Global monthly DRAM production has dropped to an equivalent of about one million wafers currently, falling 33.3% from a peak of 1.5 million units in 2008, the sources indicated. In contrast, Samsung Electronics and Hynix Semiconductor have not reduced DRAM output, the sources noted.
In the third quarter of 2011, Samsung recorded the largest global DRAM market share of 45%, followed by Hynix with 21.5% and Elpida and Micron Technology each with 12.1%, the sources cited iSuppli statistics as indicating.
December contract prices for DRAM have dropped sequentially, with 2GB DDR3 modules slipping 3% to US$9.25 and 4GB DDR3 modules 6% to US$16.50, the sources said.