Pure-play foundries ramp sales to China
Not surprisingly Shanghai headquartered Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp. (SMIC) has been consistent in second place behind TSMC, and other Chinese foundries are also ranked alongside Globalfoundries and United Microelectronics Corp.
In total, pure-play foundry sales in China are expected to increase by 16 percent this year to about $7.0 billion, more than double the rate of increase for the global pure-play foundry market. TSMC is expected to hold a 46 percent share of the Chinese market, up two percentage points from 2016.
Major pure-play foundries ranked by Chinese sales: Source IC Insights.
TSMC, GlobalFoundries, UMC, Powerchip, and, most recently, Tower Semiconductor have announced plans to boost their China-based wafer fabrication production. Most of these new China-based foundry wafer fabs are scheduled to come online in late 2017 or in 2018. UMC began 40nm production at its 300mm joint venture China fab in November of 2016 and the company is planning to introduce 28nm technology into the fab in the second half of this year with additional expansion plans to come through the end of the decade.
Next: China projects
UMC is working with Fujian Jin Hua IC Company to construct a 300mm wafer fab in Fujian, China to manufacture DRAM using 32nm process technology developed by UMC.
GlobalFoundries joined with the Chengdu Government in 1Q17 to begin building a 300mm wafer fab that will manufacture ICs using mainstream 130nm and 180nm processes. Completion is set for early 2018. TSMC started construction on a wholly owned $3 billion fab in Nanjing, China that will serve as a foundry that manufactures ICs using 16nm technology. Production is scheduled to begin in 2H18.
Tower has signed an agreement with Tacoma Semiconductor to construct a 200mm wafer fab, in Nanjing, China, with a possible follow-on 300mm wafer fab. Tower will have access to 50 percent of the capacity.
Related links and articles:
News articles:
Report: GlobalFoundries accuses TSMC of unfair selling
Globalfoundries, Chengdu to spend big on FDSOI design
Tower confirms Chinese fab project
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