Powerchip Semiconductor Corporation (PSC) is seeing tight capacity at its 12-inch fabs, buoyed by brisk demand for DRAM memory, according to company president Alex Wang. Meanwhile, foundry orders for specialty DRAM (SDRAM) chips and LCD driver ICs have also filled up its 12-inch fab capacity.
Wang said concerns about DRAM oversupply will not be an issue in the short term, driven by strong demand especially from the smartphone sector.
On the supply side, Wang commented that most DRAM producers will slow down their pace of process advancements and capacity expansions in the foreseeable future, partly due to financial constraints. The rising cost of new chip-making equipment also make it more challenging to keep up with the progression of Moore's Law.
PSC now runs three 12-inch fabs with a combined capacity of 120,000 wafers a month, with 80,000 units alloted for DRAM production and the remainder for its foundry business. The company expects to start deploying Elpida Memory's 45nm process technology in the fourth quarter of 2010, Wang indicated.
In addition, Wang noted PSC has seen more customers demand 12-inch fab capacity for their high-efficiency driver ICs used in 3D TV applications. The foundry is also enjoying growth in orders placed by memory IC designers including Elite Semiconductor Memory Technology (ESMT), Etron Technology and Zentel Electronics, Wang added.