Chunghwa Precision Test Technology Co (CHPT, 中華精測), the nation’s largest probe card supplier, on Wednesday said that revenue could soar 46 percent quarter-on-quarter, thanks to rising contributions from its high-price wafer probe card used for advanced 7 nanometer (nm) processors.
The company’s revenue could reach a record-high NT$1 billion (US$33.8 million) this quarter, from an estimated NT$677 million for last quarter based on lukewarm customer demand.
An order postponement last quarter was caused by a longer qualification process in association with the complicated structure of advanced chips and advanced features, such as artificial intelligence capabilities, the company said.
Chunghwa Precision specializes in the design and manufacturing of high-performance testing solutions for semiconductors. The company’s services include probe cards for chip probing and load boards for final testing.
The company’s latest revenue projection came after it restarted shipping belated orders of 7nm probe cards last month, which helped boost its revenue by 17 percent to NT$167 million last month, compared with NT$142 million in November last year.
Chunghwa Precision said it is optimistic about this year’s growth outlook as it has “restored shipping products to clients based on those delayed orders. Those orders will be translated into revenue in the first half of this year.”
“As advanced wafers are becoming increasingly complicated, the company expects customer demand to increase in terms of probing time and devices,” the company said.
It counts Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) as a key customer and has landed an important first-tier customer in Northeast Asia for its 7nm processor probing services, it said.
Last year, the company’s revenue rose 20 percent to NT$3.11 billion, from NT$2.6 billion in 2016.
Chunghwa Precision shares rose 4.48 percent to close at NT$1,165 yesterday on the Taipei Exchange.
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