Strategic Marketing Associates Forecasts New Fab Projects Will Lead The Way Out of Equipment Downturn, Capital Spending Surges First Time Since 2000.Business Editors/High-Tech Writers SANTA CRUZ Santa Cruz, city, United States Santa Cruz (săn`tə kr  z), city (1990 pop. 49,040), seat of Santa Cruz co., W Calif., on the north shore of Monterey Bay; inc. 1866. , Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 5, 2003 36 New Projects Expected Led By Move Of DRAM Fabs To 300mm Wafer Manufacturing New data from The Quarterly Spot Report on Semiconductor Fab See fab. Projects, from Strategic Marketing Associates (SMA (1) See SMA connector. (2) (Shared Memory Architecture) See shared video memory. (3) (Software Maintenance Association) A membership organization that began in 1985 and ended in 1996. ), indicates some 36 new fab projects will likely get underway by the second quarter of 2004. Fab projects include expansions, upgrades, additional fab lines and new construction. Another 24 fabs will begin production during that time. New fab activity will bring about an upswing Upswing An upward turn in a security's price after a period of falling prices. in overall capital spending capital spending Spending for long-term assets such as factories, equipment, machinery, and buildings that permits the production of more goods and services in future years. of 16 percent to $31 billion as indicated by SMA's ongoing survey of chip company capital spending plans. This is the first increase in capital spending since 2000. The report, which each quarter lists the previous quarter's new fab announcements and projects, forecasts nearly $20 billion in new fab projects will begin construction this year. The total value of these projects, which will be realized over the next few years, is up 77 percent from 2002 when the value of new fab activity barely topped the $10 billion mark. Once again, it's expected that advanced processes will drive spending, according to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. SMA data. The continued migration to 130nm, the increased interest in 90nm plus the move to 300mm wafers will all drive capital spending and new fab projects. "DRAM manufacturers who need to switch to and ramp 300mm production, will lead the way," comments George Burns Noun 1. George Burns - United States comedian and film actor (1896-1996) Burns, Nathan Birnbaum , president of Strategic Marketing Associates, a market research firm specializing in fab information. "They need 300mm to be competitive. And they're in a hurry," he says. "But they're not alone. Foundries too, are adding capacity especially those not ranked in the top three. They don't believe any technology or customer is reserved for TSMC TSMC Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd TSMC Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Corporation TSMC Traffic Systems Management Center TSMC Toll Station Management Controller TSMC Transportation Supply Maintenance Command TSMC Technical Services Manager Code , UMC UMC United Methodist Church UMC United Microelectronics Corporation UMC University Medical Center UMC United Microelectronics Corp (Republic of China) UMC University of Missouri-Columbia or Chartered Semiconductor." The report also compares the ramp of 200mm fabs versus 300mm fabs. There are almost 240 200mm fabs in operation today, almost all of which were built in the last ten years. If 300mm replaces 200mm in a manner similar to which 200mm replaced 150mm, the industry could need an additional one hundred 300mm fabs within the next 10 years, according to SMA. The Spot Report The Quarterly Spot Report on Semiconductor Fab Projects, reviews, lists, and analyzes all the new fab announcements and groundbreakings, as well as fab upgrades and expansions during the past quarter. The Spot Report also looks to the future and provides a listing of new fab projects beginning in the next 12 months, including upgrades and expansions. It also provides a capital spending forecast, highlights 300mm fab activity, new foundry and DRAM capacity, and regional shifts in manufacturing capacity. It is available by subscription for $600 per year via email. For more information visit www.scfab.com. About Strategic Marketing Associates Strategic Marketing Associates is the semiconductor industry's leading market research company focused solely on the wafer fab. Since 1992, SMA has provided its subscribers with comprehensive and accurate data about all aspects of the fab business plus insight on key trends. SMA provides a suite of information products covering wafer fabrication Wafer Fabrication is a procedure composed of many repeated sequential processes to produce complete electrical or photonic circuits. Examples include production of radio frequency (RF) amplifiers, LEDs, optical computer components, and CPUs for computers. costs, fab capacity, technology, products, locations and closure plans. Additionally, Strategic Marketing Associates has compiled the industry's most comprehensive and advanced fab database, World Fab Watch, that features a complete listing of the world's fabs and their characteristics. SMA reports are widely read by semiconductor manufacturers, equipment and materials companies, fab construction companies and financial analysts. For more information visit www.scfab.com. |
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