Ron@Maltiel-consulting.com - Semiconductor & Patent Expert Consulting

 Litigation expert consultant and patent expert witness for process, device, and circuit of  Dynamic

 Ram (DRAM), Flash  (NAND, NOR, EEPROM), and Static Ram (SRAM) Memories,

and Microprocessor, Logic, and Analog Devices.

TSMC running at 110% for analog ICs
Cage Chao, Taipei; Rodney Chan, DigiTimes.com [Wednesday 24 May 2006]

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) is having a 110% utilization rate for its analog IC capacity, as clients from outside Taiwan are joining local counterparts in a fierce race to secure the foundry's services, according to industry sources.

The capacity TSMC has allocated for analog ICs has already been fully booked by Taiwan designers, and the orders from overseas clients have further tightened the foundry's capacity for the segment, the sources said.

Insufficient CMOS capacity for power management (PWM) ICs has sent foreign IC designers seeking to outsource part of their PWM ICs to Taiwan's foundries, the sources indicated.

The sources indicated that it is uneasy for TSMC to adjust its capacity to cater to the strong demand from the analog IC sector, and this may be the reason behind recent rumors that TSMC was looking for strategic partners for analog ICs. The tight capacity problem for analog ICs may not be solved in the near future, the sources added.