Chipmakers to invest in new plants

Leading chipmakers, including Taiwan Semiconductor Manufac-turing Co (TSMC, 台積電), could pour as much as NT$450 billion (US$147 billion) into new next-generation plants over the next few years, a government agency said yesterday.

TSMC, the world's top contract chipmaker, Powerchip Semiconductor Corp (力晶半導體) and Vanguard International Semiconductor Co (世界先進) held a groundbreaking ceremony yesterday for the construction of new factories in Hsinchu, a press release from the Administration of Hsinchu Science Park (新竹科學園區) said.

The investment projects came amid a nascent recovery of the semiconductor sector from a slowdown driven by excessive inventory a year ago, while computer memory makers are still struggling with a supply issue.

TSMC intends to spend US$5 billion over the next few years on new investment projects for a 12-inch plant, aiming to develop next-generation technologies -- 32 nanometer, 22 nanometer and 15 nanometer technologies -- Tzeng Jin-hao (曾晉皓), a company spokesman, said in a telephone interview, citing TSMC chairman Morris Chang's (張忠謀) comments at the ceremony.

"This fab will serve research and development functions, which means that we will not hurry to utilize its full capacity," Tzeng said.

The factory will create 3,000 jobs within six years of its completion, Tzeng said.

This year, TSMC and local rival United Microelectronics Co (UMC, 聯電) said they would cut their capital spending at least 30 percent and 22 percent respectively to cope with a slowing industry growth.

Powerchip, the nation's biggest maker of dynamic random access memory chips, said yesterday its expenditure on two new 12-inch plants in Hsinchu could be as much as NT$250 billion, but that it would increase production only in response to market demand.

Vanguard, which makes driver integrated circuits for liquid-crystal-display panels at two plants, is building its first 12-inch factory to meet customer demand, it said.

TSMC holds a 37 percent stake in Vanguard.

Once the new plants are completed, the operation of the new facilities by the three companies should generate NT$300 billion in revenues and create 10,000 jobs, the Hsinchu Science Park Administration said.

TSMC shares rose 1.96 percent to close at NT$62.4 and Vanguard shares rose 0.48 percent to NT$20.8 yesterday, outperforming the TAIEX index's 0.99 percent gain. Powerchip shares dropped 1.21 percent to NT$12.25 while those of UMC were down 1.13 percent to NT$17.45.

Andrew Lu (陸行之), an equity analyst who tracks the semiconductor industry at Citigroup Global Markets, expects sales in the sector to recover this month after last month's sales fell largely within market forecasts, he said in a note to clients yesterday.

However, Lu wrote, "we believe the recent appreciation of the NT dollar will partly affect the recovery momentum in March."

Additional reporting by Kevin Chen