Gudeng Precision Industrial Co Ltd (家登), the sole supplier of extreme ultraviolet (EUV) pods to Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電), yesterday forecast record, double-digit percentage revenue growth for this year.
The company said that new orders from Chinese semiconductor companies would add to already strong demand, which it plans to meet with a new plant in New Taipei City’s Tucheng District (土城).
It is to hold a groundbreaking ceremony next month or in March, it said.
Photo: Grace Hung, Taipei Times
Remote working and the stay-at-home economy have caused a surge in demand for semiconductor products used in a wide range of Internet-based devices, servers and data-storage units, Gudeng chairman Bill Chiu (邱銘乾) told reporters in Tainan.
GROWING CAPACITY
The firm has “clear order visibility” for this quarter, as its main products — EUV, deep ultraviolet and wafer pods — all show strong demand, it said, adding that Chinese customers have offered visibility to next quarter.
Gudeng’s comments came after TSMC on Jan. 14 forecast quarterly revenue growth of up to 2.52 percent, bucking a seasonal lull in the January-to-March quarter.
Gudeng also supplies pods to Intel Corp.
EUV pods are to make up about 60 percent of its wafer pods, up from 50 percent last year, Chiu said.
The company has increased its installed capacity of EUV pods from 1,000 units per month last year to 1,500 units, with plans to increase capacity to 2,000 units by the end of the year, he said.
Gudeng expects a double-digit percentage increase in revenue this year from NT$2.5 billion (US$88.06 million) last year, as its major customer accelerates production of 5-nanometer chips, which require more EUV pods than 7-nanometer production.
‘OPTIMISTIC’
In China, Gudeng has secured orders of 8-inch and 12-inch wafer pods, and wafer cassettes from United Semiconductor (Xiamen) Co Ltd (聯芯科技), Jiangsu Changjiang Electronics Technology Co Ltd (蘇州長電) and Silan Microelectronics Co Ltd (士蘭微電子).
“Order visibility from Chinese customers is stronger in the second quarter,” Gudeng said in a statement. “We are optimistic about overall operations this year.”
Gudeng is striving to expand its customer base to silicon wafer suppliers in search of a new growth engine.
The company expects to start shipping its first batch of “front-opening shipping boxes” to a client later this year.
The company also expects to produce aircraft landing gear barrels, used by Airbus SE and Boeing Co, for customers from the second half of this year.
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