Chunghwa Precision Test Technology Co (CHPT, 中華精測), a chip testing and wafer probing services provider, yesterday said it is “optimistic” about next year’s growth, driven by robust testing demand for almost all kinds of chips, from application processors to driver ICs.
The firm said it expects revenue to grow by a double-digit percentage next year, supported by its comprehensive wafer testing solutions.
“Messages from our major customers show that they are seeing significant growth next year. They are buying equipment constantly to expand capacity and are still unable to satisfy customer demand,” company president Scott Huang (黃水可) said at the company’s Semicon Taiwan booth at the Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center’s Hall 1.
Photo: CNA
CHPT counts Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) and MediaTek Inc (聯發科) as its major customers.
To keep pace with its customers, CHPT is “expanding sites in Taiwan, North America and China in terms of office space, workforce and manufacturing capacity to support next year’s growth,” Huang said. “The company expects growth to take off in the second or third quarter of next year.”
Demand for testing services for applicant processors, as well as high-performance computing and power management chips, is rapidly growing, while demand for TV chips and driver ICs for flat-panel displays is also rising, he said.
CHPT has also received orders to provide wafer probing services next year for controller ICs used in solid-state drives, Huang said.
This year, the firm lost orders from Apple Inc and Huawei Technologies Co (華為). Losing the Huawei orders cut 30 percent of its revenue, but the wafer probing business has helped to fill the void.
During the first 11 months of this year, CHPT’s revenue fell 1.45 percent to NT$3.82 billion (US$137.98 million) from NT$3.87 billion in the same period last year.
Applicant processors are likely to remain the biggest revenue contributor to the company next year, making up about 50 percent.
Separately yesterday, Trusval Technology Co (信紘科技) also forecast strong growth for next year.
The firm expects revenue to grow about 20 percent year-on-year next year, given customers’ aggressive capacity expansion plans.
Trusval designs and manufactures water and chemical supply systems for firms such as TSMC, United Microelectronics Corp (聯電) and Micron Technology Inc.
“Semiconductor companies are showing strong demand,” Trusval vice president Jessie Wang (王怡文) said at the company’s booth at the Semicon Taiwan trade show.
The company has received orders worth more than NT$2 billion from semiconductor companies and printed circuit board manufacturers, it said.
Trusval’s revenue for the first 11 months soared 34 percent year-on-year to NT$1.58 billion.
“Tight supply of labor and raw materials are our main concerns,” Wang said.
Power restrictions and mining bans in China have affected the supply of raw materials, resulting in price hikes of more than 20 percent, Wang said.
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