Taiwan-based IC packaging/testing service provider ChipMOS Technologies plans to set aside NT$2.2-2.5 billion (US$75.5-85.8 million) for its 2013 capex budget and use 50% of the amount to expand small-size LCD driver IC testing capacity, according to the company.

Since an increasing proportion of small-size LCD driver ICs are SoC (system on a chip) which take 2-3 times longer to test than simple driver ICs, ChipMOS will focus 2013 capex on expanding small-size LCD driver IC testing capacity, the company explained. Of the 2013 budget, 10% will be used to add gold bumping packaging/testing equipment, 20% to add specialty DRAM and NOR flash testing equipment, and 20% to add MEMS, wafer-level packaging and flip-chip packaging equipment, ChipMOS pointed out.

For LCD driver IC packaging/testing, ChipMOS currently utilizes 80-83% of its gold bumping and COG (chip on glass) capacity and 78-80% of COF (chip on film) capacity, the company indicated. ChipMOS currently has a monthly gold bumping capacity of 16,000 12-inch wafers and 100,000 8-inch wafers, the company noted.

ChipMOS expects total orders for gold bumping packaging/testing services in 2013 to increase 20-25%, COG by 15-20% and COF by 10-15%, the company noted.

ChipMOS expects its revenues for the fourth quarter of 2012 to grow on quarter by up to 5% and those for the first quarter of 2013 to slip sequentially by 5-10%.