Foundries Consolidate

choi

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Len Jelinek, And Then There Were Three: Ranks of Leading-Edge Chip Foundries Dwindle. iSuppli, Jan 21, 2011.
http://www.isuppli.com/Semiconductor-Value-Chain/News/Pages/And-Then-There-Were-Three-Ranks-of-Leading-Edge-Chip-Foundries-Dwindle.aspx
("By the end of 2011, there may be only three remaining sources for high-volume, leading-edge semiconductor foundry manufacturing: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Ltd. (TSMC), GlobalFoundries Inc. and Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.")

My comment:
(a) Let's not jump the gun. Intel has not said it would enter foundry business.
(b) The report says, "Several other foundries, including United Microelectronics Corp. and Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp., will be capable of providing near-leading-edge foundry manufacturing in high volume, at the 32nm and 28nm nodes. "

But it does not explain why it concludes SMIC is capable of these nodes. I glance at the illustration, which shows the best SMIC can accomplish is 45/40 nm. A web search shows two headlines.
(i) China's SMIC licenses 45nm process technology from IBM. Dec. 26, 2007.
(ii) SMIC yields first 45nm 300mm wafers. Dec. 8, 2008.


-------------------------Separately
(1) In chronological order.
(i) Gartner Says Worldwide PC Shipments in Fourth Quarter of 2010 Grew 3.1 Percent; Year-End Shipments Increased 13.8 Percent. Gartner, Jan 13, 2011.
http://www.gartner.com/it/page.jsp?id=1519417

My comment: What is noticeable--and anticipated--is Acer, the largest netbook maker of the world, lost steam in AMERICAN market (in both $Q10 and the last three quarters of 2010--after introduction of iPad). Also of note is Lenovo's 21.4% increase in GLOBAL market and Apple's 23.7% hike in AMERICAN market quarter on quarter ("4Q10-4Q09 Growth"). Apple data excludes iPad. With ipAd included, Apple jumps to third place in WORLD-WIDE market share. See next.

(ii) Canalys reports global PC market growth of 19% in Q4 2010- Apple climbs to third place worldwide. Canalys, Jan 26, 2011.
http://www.canalys.com/pr/2011/r2011012.html

(2) Assembled Elsewhere; To manufacture the Kindle, Amazon couldn't find enough expertise and capacity in the U.S. It headed to Taiwan. Wall Street Journal, Jan 25, 2011.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703398504576100301867568600.html
(book review on Andrew N. Liveris, Make It in America. Wiley, 2011)

Quote:

"But when U.S.-based firms move all their capacity in high-tech processes overseas, our country eventually loses some of the skills needed for whole groups of products. Mr. Liveris cites the Kindle. Amazon, he says, invented it but couldn't find all the screen-making expertise and capacity required to produce it in the U.S. and so had to have it manufactured in Taiwan. (An Amazon spokeswoman declined to discuss with me where the Kindle is made and why.)

My comment; I always wondered where Kindle was made--but could not find it out in the web. Now I know.
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