The semiconductor industry may be watching closely TSMC's fast expansion of 12-inch fab capacity for advanced-node manufacturing, but supply at 8-inch fabs has been tight. As equipment makers now focus on the 12-inch segment, 8-inch fab tools are now hard to come by. While TSMC's major production base remains in Taiwan, ASE, the leader in the semiconductor backend sector, has also made plans to build a major semiconductor cluster in th southern Taiwanese city of Kaohsiung. ASE has just broken ground for a new plant to be ddedicated to advanced packaging processes. Foxconn is also stepping up investment in Taiwan, planning to build a server component production hub in Taiwan.
Eight-inch fab equipment in hot demand: A ramp-up in chip orders for IoT, 5G and automotive electronics applications will be driving 8-inch wafer fabrication demand through the first half of 2021, prompting related foundries to step up their equipment purchases particularly purchases of used equipment, according to industry sources.
ASE breaks ground for new advanced packaging fab in Taiwan: ASE Technology has broken ground for a new smart plant in Kaohsiung, southern Taiwan to be dedicated to advanced packaging processes, with annual production estimated at US$500 million after becoming operational in 2023, according to company sources.
Foxconn to build server component production hub in Taiwan: Foxconn Industrial Internet (FII), an affiliate of the Foxconn Technology Group (Hon Hai Precision Industry), plans to set up a server component production hub at an industrial park in Kaohsiung, southern Taiwan, according to company sources.