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NEWS & VIEWS |
Taipei,
Sunday, October 12, 2008
11:24 (GMT+8)
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Subject: Bits + chips > Passive, PCB, other IC components |
PCB maker HannStar Board maintaining high utilization rates despite expanding capacity; September sales reach NT$2.1 billion Oct 9, 16:21 Although the peak season effect for the notebook market was not as good as expected this year, notebook PCB maker HannStar Board reported record consolidated sales of NT$2.12 billion (US$65.21 million) in September, up 7.6% on month, thanks to strong demand for low-cost notebooks. Although its customers are optimistic about notebook demand for the fourth quarter, HannStar Board holds a conservative view since its fourth-quarter order visibility is unclear. Read more |
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Unitech and Career to enter RIM's supply chain Oct 9, 13:20 Research In Motion (RIM) is planning to increase its component sourcing from Taiwan with Unitech Printed Circuit Board and Career Technology expected to benefit, according to market sources, Read more |
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Yageo sees passive component sales up 8% in September Oct 9, 01:30 Passive component maker Yageo has announced net September sales of NT$2.3 billion (US$70.7 million), up 7.9% on month and 4.5% on year, and representing the company's highest sales total this year. Read more |
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FPCB makers' September sales driven by handset market Oct 8, 01:10 An upturn in the handset market drove September sales for flexible PCB (FPCB) makers, including Flexium Interconnect, Ichia Technologies, and Career Technology, according to industry sources. Read more |
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Passive component suppliers Cyntec and Polytronics report record sales in September Oct 7, 12:13 Due to the peak season effect, passive component makers Cyntec and Polytronics Technology both reported record sales in September; Yageo and Walsin Technology Corporation (WTC) are also expected to show outstanding performances in September, according to market watchers. Read more |
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TPCA Show 2008 to begin on October 22 Oct 6, 16:46 The Taiwan Printed Circuit Association's (TPCA's) annual event (TPCA Show 2008) is to be held between October 22-24. 357 exhibitors across 1,634 booths are registered to participate, breaking show records, and the show is expected to attract more than 90,000 visitors worldwide. Read more |
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EMC to add investment in China-based FCCL maker Newswatch - Oct 6, 10:50 Taiwan-based CCL (copper-clad laminate) maker, Elite Material Company (EMC), will add investment worth US$800,000 in Allstar Tech (Zhongshan), an FCCL (flexible CCL) maker based in southern China. The investment will increase EMC's stake in Allstar from about 5% currently to 11%, according to an EMC filing with the Taiwan Stock Exchange (TSE). Read more |
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TKK benefiting from IC substrate and PV customers; 2009 outlook optimistic Oct 3, 16:43 Although the general economy is weak, semiconductor equipment distributor Taiwan Kong King's (TKK's) sales and profits will continue to grow thanks to the capacity expansions of IC substrate and PV customers, stated Smale Liao, general manager of TKK. Read more |
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Intel Capital and WPG said to be teaming up again Oct 3, 01:05 Intel Capital is said to be in talks with WPG Holdings with the aim of inking distribution agreements for seven of its investment concerns with member companies of the WPG Group, according to market sources. Read more |
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Holy Stone September sales to hit record thanks to recovery of white-box handset market Oct 3, 01:00 The recovery of the white-box handset market in China after the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games drove the September sales of passive component maker Holy Stone Enterprise to hit a monthly record for the company. Holy Stone reported September sales of NT$1.26 billion (US$39.2 million), up 3.64% from August and 0.54% on year. Accumulated sales from January to September this year were NT$10.24 billion, up 4.59% on year. Read more |
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PCB maker Plotech to see only slight growth in October orders as holiday season demand fails to meet expectations Oct 2, 17:03 Handset PCB marker Plotech expects September consolidated sales of NT$360-370 million (US$11.2-11.5 million) with third-quarter performance better than in the second quarter. However, sales in October will only see slight growth since customers hold a conservative view about the holiday season. Read more |
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PCB drill bit market competition to remain intense in 2009 Oct 2, 13:48 Competition for market share in the drill bit market will remain fierce in 2009 due to capacity ramps by Japan-based Union Tool and Taiwan-based Topoint Technology, according to industry watchers. Read more |
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Yageo releases miniaturized 5320 coupling chip antenna targeting micro communication applications Oct 1, 14:59 Passive component supplier Yageo has released its smallest 5320 coupling chip antenna featuring low sensitivity to environmental interference as well as less stray capacitance. Read more |
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KCUC teams up with Innolux to offer one-stop shopping to China white-box handset makers Oct 1, 11:03 According to market sources, Taiwan IC distributor Kuen Chaang Uppertech (KCUC) has teamed up with LCD panel and system maker Innolux Display with the goal of offering one-stop-shopping solutions to players in China's white-box handset market in 2009. Read more |
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Three- and four-layer HDI board demand to increase ASPs for handset PCBs Sep 30, 16:18 In order to fulfill the demands of high-end smartphones, high-density interconnect (HDI) boards have become more advanced since 2007. As the proportion of 3+n+3 and 4+n+4 stack-in structures will continue to increase, while capacity expansion for HDI boards for handsets remains limited, handset PCB makers are expected to enjoy rising average selling prices (ASPs), according to industry players. Read more |
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HannStar Board aggressively targeting low-cost notebook market Sep 30, 12:27 For sales of PCBs for notebooks in the third quarter, HannStar Board is expected to see 20-30% sequential growth with its aggressive market share capture while Gold Circuit Electronics (GCE) may see a 5% decline due to the limitations of its cost structure, according the market sources. Read more |
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NPC to cut prices 3-5% in Taiwan and up to 10% in China Sep 25, 16:54 Nan Ya Printed Circuit Board (NPC) is planning to reduce prices by 3-5% in Taiwan and up to 10% in China from October, which will put pressure on the sales of other copper clad laminate (CCL) makers, according to industry players. Read more |
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National Semiconductor introduces tool for developing sensor signal path solutions Sep 24, 16:42 National Semiconductor claims the industry's first sensor signal path design tool that enables engineers to quickly move from concept to simulation to prototyping of common sensor solutions used in medical, industrial and high-end consumer products. Read more |
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Niching Industrial set for OTC listing on September 26 Sep 24, 15:51 Niching Industrial will list on Taiwan's over-the-counter (OTC) stock market on September 26. The company expects gross profits of NT$20-25 million (US$625,000-782,000) in 2009 amid the launch of new products, while its major business, memory module boards, may decline from the fourth quarter of 2008. Read more |
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Isola sues TUC and Iteq for patent infringement Sep 24, 12:21 PCB material supplier Isola USA last week filed patent infringement complaints against Taiwan Union Technology (TUC) and Iteq with the US Patent and Trademark Office. Industry players noted that sales of TUC and Iteq may be affected in the short term while the mid- or long-term impact will be limited since it takes time for litigation to work its way through the courts,and most PCB customers will not easily change the suppliers before the court announces its judgment. Read more |
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Niching Industrial to see sales growth in 3Q08 on strong memory module board shipments, but decline expected in 4Q Sep 24, 01:00 Hung-Gi Chang, general manager of semiconductor distributor Niching Industrial, has stated company sales in July and August were over NT$100 million (US$3.13 million), benefiting from strong shipment volumes of memory module boards, despite that demand in the third quarter this year has not been as high as in the past The company expects fourth-quarter sales to decline 10% since shipments are slowing down in September and semiconductor makers are reducing output. Read more |
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Another Taiwan IC distributor chooses treasury stock strategy Sep 23, 15:39 Following WT Microelectronics' decision to cancel plans for a rights issue and instead issue treasury stocks, Galaxy Far East also announced similar plans on September 22, making it the fourth IC distributor to issue treasury stocks. Read more |
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Hitachi Chemical raising CCL prices, while Taiwan makers are reducing their quotes Sep 22, 16:42 Japan-based material supplier Hitachi Chemical Company has decided to raise prices on materials used in PCBs by about 10-25% from October in the Japan market. On the other hand, Taiwan CCL suppliers are reducing prices since supply exceeds the demand, according to industry players. Read more |
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Taiwan IC distributors estimate orders down 10-20% on earlier expectations in 4Q08 Sep 22, 11:31 Due to the global economic downturn, consumer electronics, handset and notebook makers are more conservative about demand in the fourth quarter. With unclear order visibility, Taiwan IC distributors estimate fourth-quarter orders are to decline 10-20% compared with earlier expectations. Read more |
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WT Microelectronics cancels rights issue Sep 22, 11:11 Taiwan IC distributor WT Microelectronics has announced it will cancel plans to hold a rights issue and will instead issue treasury stocks due to the weak global economy. Read more |
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Intel Nehalem CPUs expected to boost substrate demand Sep 19, 17:05 The launch of second-phase Intel Nehalem-based CPUs (scheduled for the third quarter of 2009) is expected to have a corresponding impact on substrate demand, according to industry sources. Although the number of IC substrates will decrease, flip-chip (FC) substrates will increase in terms of their number of layers, while substrate area will also be larger due to the integration of several ICs. Read more |
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FC shipments remain strong, but other IC substrate segments constraining overall growth Sep 19, 16:49 Taiwan investors forecast that sales for IC substrate makers in the third quarter will have only single-digit growth due to weak demand for wire bonding substrates and PCBs, which should affect companies including Phoenix Precision Technology (PPT), Nan Ya Printed Circuit Board (NPC) and Kinsus Interconnect Technology. With only shipments of flip-chip (FC) substrates remaining strong, IC substrate makers are pessimistic about the fourth-quarter outlook as well. Read more |
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J-Three to sell 95% stake in China subsidiary to Samsung Electro-Mechanics Sep 19, 01:05 J-Three (J-3) International Holding, a Taiwan-based maker of PCBs and other electronic components, on September 17 signed with South Korea-based Samsung Electro-Mechanics (SEM), a member of the Samsung Group, to sell a 95% stake in J-3's wholly owned PCB subsidiary, Unicap Electronics, located in Kunshan, eastern China, according to a J-3 filing with the Taiwan Stock Exchange (TSE). Read more |
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Lumax announces result for August Sep 18, 01:15 Lumax International has announced it recorded an estimated net profit before tax of around NT$94 million (US$2.93 million) for August this year, a growth of 48.6% on year, with earnings per share (EPS) before tax reaching of NT$1.07. Read more |
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Taiwan IC distributors say design houses delaying launch of new products amid economic concerns Sep 17, 12:19 Although IC design houses usually introduce new products in the fourth quarter every year, semiconductor vendors will still be cleaning out inventory of old products in the fourth quarter this year due to global weak economy and a number of financial crises, according to IC distributors. Read more |
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HannStar Board expects weak growth for regular notebook PCBs amid strong netbook demand Sep 17, 01:05 HannStar Board expects its PCB shipments to the regular notebook segment to stay flat or have weak growth in the fourth quarter, as demand will have been squeezed by netbooks. Read more |
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Shenmao ships PV ribbons ahead of time Sep 16, 16:31 According to market watchers, Shenmao Technology, a bumping solder paste supplier, has shipped cartronics solder pastes to a European car component manufacture, successfully entering the European solder paste market. In addition, shipments of PV ribbons to Taiwan PV module makers have started from September, earlier than company general manager Huo-Hsi Su expected. Read more |
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PCB mass lamination sales to drop 30% on year in 3Q Sep 16, 12:22 In order to cut costs during an industry downturn, PCB makers have reduced their outsourcing proportion, affecting mass lamination services of copper clad laminate (CCL). According to industry players, sales of mass lamination service in the third quarter may see a 30% decline compared with last year. Read more |
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PCB makers Tripod and Career optimistic about 4Q Sep 15, 16:01 Although overall demand for PCB is not as strong as it was in the peak season, Tripod Technology and Career Technology both have had progressive monthly sales growth in the third quarter and both hold an optimistic view for their performances in the fourth quarter. Read more |
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SEMICON Taiwan 2008: Electronic materials from BASF to allow smaller IC feature sizes Sep 10, 01:20 BASF is showcasing a range of advanced chemical solutions for the semiconductor industry at the ongoing SEMICON Taiwan 2008 (September 9-11), with solutions for 3D through-silicon via (TSV) being highlighted. Read more |
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Supreme expected to swing to profits on rising handset-use MCP pricing Sep 8, 15:24 IC distributor Supreme Electronics is likely to swing from losses to profits in the third quarter thanks to warming-up white-box handset sales in China, which should reverse of handset-use multi-chip package (MCP) inventory losses at the company, according to the company. Read more |
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MediaTek distributor KC Uppertech sales expected to sustain Sep 8, 15:14 Thanks to brisk sales of handset chips in China and discrete components for use in notebooks, KC Uppertech, one of MediaTek's handset chip distributors, is expected to see sales sustain strong through September. Read more |
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Dropping copper price not benefiting copper foil players Sep 5, 12:30 Recent weakening copper prices does not necessarily mean that copper foil makers will have a potential price revision in the following months, as electricity costs are going to rise in October, said industry players. Read more |
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Elite Material expects strong CCL sales to sustain through October Sep 5, 12:22 Weak seasonal demand is not weighing on Elite Material (EMC) at all as the company sees extending synergy from its new Kunshan, China copper clad laminate (CCL) plant. Thanks to growing capacity contributions from the Kunshan plant, EMC expects strong sales to sustain through October. Read more |
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Equipment suppliers see bookings postponed Sep 4, 11:23 With customers curbed by fears of a softer economy, sales at several semiconductor equipment vendors, including Chroma Ate and Test Research Inc. (TRI), have all observed that some bookings have been delayed. Read more |
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Taiwan's LCD panel industry looks at 80% equipment self-sufficiency in 2009 Sep 3, 10:51 Taiwan is aiming to achieve 80% in equipment self-sufficiency for its LCD panel industry in 2009 when AU Optronics (AUO) starts building its 10G fab and attracts foreign equipment suppliers to set up operations on the island, according to the Industrial Development Bureau (IDB) of the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA). Read more |
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Compeq handset PCB shipments expected to reach 180 million units in 2008 Sep 3, 01:10 Compeq Manufacturing, a Taiwan-based maker of handset-use PCBs, is seeing strong orders from the mid-range and high-end segments driving its sales, with shipments for 2008 expected to grow 20% to 180 million units, according to market sources. Read more |
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CCL industry facing weak fundamentals Sep 2, 12:40 In addition to soft demand, oversupply and rising materials are all weighing on the copper clad laminates (CCLs) industry, with makers having no alternative but to cut prices to clear inventory, said Yu-Bi Chen (transliterated from Chinese), vice president of operations at Iteq Dongguan. Read more |
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Capacitor issues causing high maintenance rate among LCD TVs made in China, say sources Sep 2, 12:24 Sources at passive component distributors indicated that a relatively high ratio of maintenance is being required for LCD TVs that are made in China. A look at the components inside the TVs show that problematic aluminum electrolytic capacitors installed on the controller board may be the major reason, they explained. Read more |
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Cleanroom constructors not expecting recovery in 2H08 Sep 1, 16:11 With most cleanroom constructors in Taiwan seeing their profits decline in the first half of 2008, most do not expect a meaningful sales recovery in the second half. Read more |
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Taiflex Scientific confident about PV backsheet sales Sep 1, 15:17 Under an anticipation that Dupont will supply more Tedlar polyvinyl fluoride (PVF) films in the following quarters, flexible copper clad laminate (FCCL) maker Taiflex Scientific has further reiterated its confidence about sales prospects for its PV backsheets. Read more |
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WPG to acquire one more IC distributor Sep 1, 15:14 WPG Holdings' board of directors has approved a merger plan with Asian Information Technology (AIT). Read more |
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FPCB demand stronger that that for rigid PCB, say Taiwan makers Aug 29, 17:01 While the Association Connecting Electronics Industries (IPC) recently reported that shipment growth of flexible PCBs was stronger than that of rigid PCB in the North America market in July, Taiwan players indicated they are seeing a similar trend in Taiwan. Read more |
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Flexible PCB shipment book-to-bill ratio at 1.01 in North America, says IPC Aug 29, 12:35 IPC announced July findings from its monthly North American Printed Circuit Board (PCB) Statistical Program. Rigid PCB shipments are up 5.3% and bookings are down 8.0% in July 2008 from July 2007. Year to date, rigid PCB shipments are up 5.7%and bookings are up 4.4%. Compared to the previous month, rigid PCB shipments decreased 15.9% and rigid bookings decreased 18.1%. The book-to-bill ratio for the North American rigid PCB industry in July 2008 remained at 0.94. Read more |
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Unitech to budget more for second solar-cell production line Aug 29, 12:20 Unitech Printed Circuit Board announced on August 28 that its company board of directors has approved the investment of NT$802 million (US$25.4 million) to install a second solar-cell production line. Read more |
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Notes and corrections |
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Due to a holiday in Taiwan, there will be no new news posted or email issued on October 10. |
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