Selected Industry News Archives

May 5, 2011

Global MEMS Industry Is Relatively Unaffected from Japan Quake Aftermath
Nearly two months after the Japan quake and tsunami wreaked havoc on the world's industrial supply chains, the global microelectromechanical system (MEMS) industry is back on its feet, emerging relatively unscathed after the disaster, according to new IHS iSuppli research.

May 4, 2011

Global Supply Chain Rises to Japan Disaster Challenge
EBNonline: In a testament to the resilience of the global technology supply chain, the electronics manufacturing services (EMS) industry appears to have weathered the impact of the Japan earthquake and tsunami with admirable aplomb.

Japan supply chain havoc mounts
Emerging Markets: Long-term disruption to Asian supply chains following Japan's triple disaster is likely to force a rethink of the just-in-time production model by the region's manufacturers, economists warn.

What do the Events in Japan Mean for the Global Economy?
Japan has seen one of the worst natural disasters in years, with a massive earthquake and subsequent tsunami taking thousands of lives and doing extensive damage. The impacts from this event will be felt not only in Japan but globally. While the precise impact is unknown, we will be watching a number of indicators to judge the effect on growth.

When Disaster Strikes: Avoiding A Hit To Your Supply Chain
To avoid future production setbacks, today’s CEOs have made managing uncertainty a top priority.  At a recent executive summit sponsored by Infor, executives identified the sources of risk they were most concerned about: “supplier failure” was No. 1 followed by “manufacturing disruption,” “logistics failure,” “IT failure,” and “rising fuel and energy costs.” The events in Japan had an impact on each of these sources of risk. 

May 2, 2011

Japan supply chain disruption may last all year
Japanese supply chain disruptions may not recover until the end of the year, says Takeshi Hattori, Japan's Electronic Journal. "Supply chains will not fully recover until this fall at earliest or until the end of this year, according to the Ministry of Economics, Trade, and Industry (METI)."

April 29, 2011

Struggling to produce a critical auto part in Japan
Mercury News.com: Car production has slowed to half its normal rate in Japan and is at a crawl in some factories in the U.S. and elsewhere.  Plant officials in Hitachinaka acknowledged that this critical link in the supply chain would be restored gradually. Renesas Electronics supplies about 40% of the world market for those crucial chips, known as automobile microcontrollers.

What do the Events in Japan Mean for the Global Economy?
Japan has seen one of the worst natural disasters in years, with a massive earthquake and subsequent tsunami taking thousands of lives and doing extensive damage. The impacts from this event will be felt not only in Japan but globally. While the precise impact is unknown, we will be watching a number of indicators to judge the effect on growth.  

April 28, 2011

TSMC Q1 net matches forecast, sees no Japan quake impact
Reuters: TSMC posted a second consecutive fall in quarterly profit on Thursday, matching forecasts, in part due to a decline in demand for notebook PCs. The company said in a statement that it saw no impact from Japan's earthquake in March on its supply chain or client demand.

Update from Japan: Renesas, SEH rebuild; TEPCO's power problems; travel tips
ElectroIQ: The nuclear crisis is ongoing with unstable GE/Toshiba/Hitachi-made reactors in Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, and an electricity shortage in East Japan including the greater Tokyo area continues toward the summer peak.  

April 27, 2011

Chip companies warn on Japan effect
Financial Times: Some of Europe’s largest semiconductor companies on Wednesday warned that disruption following the Japanese earthquake would mean lower growth for the global chip sector this year.

Novellus Sees Order Pushouts, Record Profit
SemiMD: Some semiconductor companies are becoming slightly more cautious, Novellus Systems executives said following release of excellent Q1 financial results. CEO Rick Hill said two customers pushed out all of their orders, but he believes those customers may quickly reverse course and reinstate their orders, rather than miss out on strong demand in the third quarter.

Japanese chip maker shows quake-hit plant
NHK World (Japan Broadcasting Corp.): Renesas Electronics has given the media a tour of a plant in Ibaraki Prefecture that was hit by the March 11th earthquake.  Operations at the plant in Hitachinaka City were suspended after the quake destroyed the plant's ceiling and other areas. On Wednesday workers were seen making a trial run on the manufacturing lines in the clean room, the heart of the plant. Recovery efforts are under way with the help of up to 2,500 workers a day from carmakers and other firms. 

April 26, 2011

Recovery of supply chain (1): Summary of damage -- wafers and hydrogen peroxide in short supply
semicon portal: More than one month since the Great Eastern Japan Earthquake, many semiconductor fabs are resuming operations even though some were heavily damaged. But the supply chain for semiconductor fabrication is still in turmoil.

What Feed-in Tariffs Could Do for Japan's Electricity Shortage
Grid: If Japan adopted an aggressive renewable energy policy like that of Germany, it could, within ten years, generate more than four times the electricity lost at the Fukushima 1 nuclear power plant, cutting the country's reliance on nuclear power by one-half or more.

Japanese Calamity Has Limited Effect on Non-Active Materials for Solar Modules
Grid: The recent earthquake, tsunami, and ongoing nuclear disaster in Japan has disrupted the operations of many businesses in and around Fukushima prefecture. Most notably for solar, M. Setek, a supplier of silicon wafers, has suspended operations at its 7,000-MT polysilicon plant in Soma until this June, posing a minor hiccup for manufacturers like SunPower that source ~10% of its wafers from Japan.

April 22, 2011

Toshiba to Operate Key Chip Plants during Golden Week
Nikkei: Toshiba Corp. (6502) said Friday that it will operate its key semiconductor fabrication plants through the Golden Week holidays from April 29 to May 5. Toshiba's chip plant in Mie Prefecture will run at full capacity during Golden Week. A facility in Mie Prefecture is expected to run at full capacity during the break to meet growing demand for flash memory chips used in smartphones.

Renesas to restart quake-hit factory earlier than expected
PC World: Renesas Electronics expects to restart production at a quake-hit factory in east Japan in mid June, about two weeks earlier than initially planned, it said Friday. The company's Naka factory in Ibaraki prefecture, northwest of Tokyo, was damaged during the magnitude 9.0 earthquake on March 11 and has been out of action ever since.

April 21, 2011

Freescale Won’t Reopen Chip Plant in Japan That Was Damaged by Earthquake
Freescale Semiconductor Inc., the chipmaker partly owned by Blackstone Group LP, won’t reopen a factory in Sendai, Japan, that was damaged by last month’s earthquake.

Solar-Panel Makers May Benefit From Japan Nuclear Fears
Bloomberg: Japan’s growing anti-nuclear movement in the wake of the world’s biggest nuclear accident since Chernobyl. That’s creating an opportunity for makers of solar equipment such as Panasonic Corp. and Sharp Corp. to capitalize on orders that analysts estimate may exceed $100 billion over the next decade, bringing down costs for consumers. 

April 20, 2011 

Fujitsu says all fabs running at 100%
EE Times: SAN FRANCISCO—All seven of the Fujitsu Group manufacturing facilities that were idled in the aftermath of the 9.0-magnitude earthquake that stuck off the coast of the coast of Japan March 11 have now resumed operations at 100 percent of capacity as of Wednesday (April 20), the company said. 

Nomura warns supply chain over wafers, MCUs
EE Times: LONDON – Analysts at Nomura Securities Co. Ltd. have issued a note warning that there are risks of bottlenecks over the supply of raw wafers and microcontrollers as a result of the Japanese earthquake of March 11, 2011.

April 19, 2011

Study: 63% of IC fabs in earthquake zones
EE Times: SAN FRANCISCO—Nearly two-thirds of the total worldwide semiconductor manufacturing capacity is located in seismically active areas, including more than 90 percent of foundry capacity, according to a report by market research firm IC Insights Inc. 

Report: LG Electronics faces IC shortage
EE Times: LONDON – Consumer electronics firm LG Electronics Inc. said Tuesday (April 19) that its home appliance division faces a shortage of ICs from Japan and is seeking alternative suppliers, according to a Dow Jones report.  The "supply-demand imbalance" is believed to be due to the earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan on March 11 and has kept a number of wafer fabs shut since then.

April 18, 2011

Update from Japan: TEPCO's nuclear recovery roadmap, semiconductor materials shortage concerns
ElectroIQ: The nuclear crisis is ongoing, ranked up to Level 7 last week, on the International Nuclear Event Scale (INES), equal to the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster. Upon a strong request by the Japanese Government, Tokyo Electric Power Company, owner/operator of Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, released yesterday a roadmap or timetable to have the nuclear crisis under control, which will take six to nine months.

Asia's coastal nuclear plants: Disaster-in-waiting?
MSN (AP): JAKARTA, Indonesia — The skeleton of what will soon be one of the world's biggest nuclear plants is slowly taking shape along China's southeastern coast — right on the doorstep of Hong Kong's bustling metropolis. Three other facilities nearby are up and running or under construction. Like Japan's Fukushima Dai-ichi plant they lie within a few hundred miles of the type of fault known to unleash the largest tsunami-spawning earthquakes.

Toyota Resumes Production At All Japan Plants
Manufacturing Business Technology: TOKYO (AP) — Toyota Motor Corp. resumed car production at all of its plants in Japan Monday for the first time since the March 11 earthquake and tsunami, but said the factories will run at half capacity due to parts shortages.

U.S. Robots Help Clean Up Reactors In Japan
Manufacturing Business Technology: TOKYO (AP) — Utility workers seeking to regain control of the troubled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant are deploying robots from Bedford, Mass.-based iRobot Corp. to measure radiation levels, temperatures and other conditions inside the reactors.

April 14, 2011

Japan Quake Hits Supply of Cell Phone Image Sensors
IHS iSuppli Last month’s earthquake in Japan is impacting the production of complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) image sensors at two facilities in the country, affecting the supply of these parts to the cell phone market, IHS iSuppli research has determined.

Korea, Taiwan chipmakers turn to local wafer producers for support
Korea- and Taiwan-based foundry houses and memory-IC manufacturers have obtained support from their local producers of blank silicon wafers as failure of supplies from Japan still persist, according to industry sources.

April 13, 2011

Japan shakes semiconductor industry: Wafers, batteries, some chemicals in short supply
MarketWatch: The repercussions of Japan’s devastating earthquake, much like an aftershock, will be felt on the European technology sector long after the initial jolt has faded.

MEMC resumes wafer production in Japan
Evertiq: MEMC Electronic Materials has resumed production of 300mm wafers at its facility in Utsunomiya, Japan following the earthquake that occurred on March 11.

UMC says Japan fab unaffected by aftershocks
Digitimes: UMC 8-inch wafer plant in Chiba Prefecture has not been affected by the latest aftershocks that struck Japan, continuing to run at normal capacity, according to the foundry chipmaker.

JUPDATE 2-Renesas says working to bring forward factory restart
Reuters: Japan's Renesas Electronics, a major supplier of chips to the auto industry, said on Wednesday it was working to bring forward the reopening of a quake-hit semiconductor plant from its previously scheduled target of July.

 

April 11, 2011

 

Update from Japan: Big aftershocks slow fab recoveries  

ElectroIQ: Just one month has passed since the March 11 "Great East Japan Earthquake." The death + missing toll from the earthquake and tsunami has reached 28,000 -- in several towns in Miyagi Prefecture, all the municipal documents including residency files (and even municipal office buildings themselves)

 

Shin-Etsu's Silicon Wafer Factory To Restart Soon
Nikkei: TOKYO --Shin-Etsu Chemical Co. (4063) said Monday that it will partially resume production at an earthquake-stricken silicon wafer factory in Fukushima Prefecture within a week or two.

April 8, 2011

Power outage hits Rohm fab
EE Times: Rohm Co. Ltd. reported an update relating to the operational impact of the earthquake that occurred in Japan on the night of April 7.  On the evening of April 7, a power outage caused by an aftershock occurred at Oki Semiconductor Miyagi Co. Ltd., a unit of Rohm.

Several Japan fabs halted by aftershock
EE Times: Fujitsu Ltd., Renesas Electronics Corp., Sony Corp., Elpida Memory Inc., Toshiba Corp., Nikon Corp. and Tokyo Electron Ltd. (TEL) were reportedly among several Japanese electronics firms forced to suspend manufacturing operations at facilities following a powerful 7.1-magnitude earthquake that struck 205 miles north-northeast of Tokyo late Thursday (April 7).

TEL's Status Update on the April 7th Earthquake
TEL: In response to the earthquake in the coast of Miyagi at 23:32 on April 7th, Tokyo Electron Limited (TEL) informs the current situation as follows. Updates on the situation of each factory.

Analyst: GaAs supply chain robust after quake
EE Times: LONDON – Supplies of gallium and arsenide raw materials, semi-insulating bulk substrates and have not been disrupted by the Japanese earthquake of March 11 and ensuing tsunami or the on-going issues with the nuclear reactors at Fukushima, according to market research firm Strategy Analytics.

Quake-induced Orders Inundate Top Two Foundries' Capacities
CENS: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) and United Microelectronics Corp. (UMC) have landed unexpectedly excessive orders throughout the ...

April 7, 2011

Major BT resin producers recovering from Japan earthquake, say IC substrate makers
Digitimes: Major producers of bismaleimide-triazine (BT) resin, Mitsubishi Gas Chemical (MGC) and Hitachi Chemical, are recovering faster than expected from the suspension of operations caused by the recent earthquake in Japan, according to sources at IC substrate suppliers.

Sony progressing in rehabilitation of earthquake-hit factories
Digitimes: Sony has reported the latest progress in restoring factories damaged by the earthquake and tsunami in northeastern Japan, with some production resumed at many factories, according to Sony Taiwan.

AUO may build polysilicon plant in Taiwan
Digitimes:In the wake of Japan's March 11 massive earthquake, M.Setek, a subsidiary of AU Optronics (AUO), has closed down its solar-grade polysilicon plants in Sendai and Souma, due to disrupted water and power suppliy, without a definite schedule for resuming production in sight.

 April 6, 2011

Sony Restarts More Quake-hit Plants, Supply Problems Remain
PC World: Sony has partially resumed production at all but two of its factories that were hit by the March 11 massive earthquake in Japan. The company's semiconductor laser factory in Miyagi prefecture, one of the hardest hit regions, partially restarted on Wednesday and other factories have been coming…

Sony says 8 out 10 quake-hit plants operating
Electronics Weekly: Sony says that eight of the ten facilitiues which were shutdown after the Japan earthquake in March have resumed or partially resumed operations. Ten facilities suspended operations in March as a result of damage caused by the earthquake, tsunami and related power outages.

Freescale not to reopen Sendai fab after Japan quake
Electronics Weekly: Freescale Semiconductor has announced that it will not reopen the seriously damaged manufacturing facility at Sendai, Japan following the recent earthquake.

Sony resumes production in more plants
SAN JOSE, Calif. - Japan's Sony Corp. has updated the status of its manufacturing operations affected by the earthquake in Japan on March 11. On March 14, operations at ten Sony sites and facilities were suspended as a result of damage caused by the earthquake, tsunami and related power outages. 

Quake makes analyst raise IC market forecast
EE Times: IC supply disruptions related to the Japan earthquake and tsunami of March 11 will help increase the size of the global chip market in 2011, according to market researcher IHS-iSuppli.

Sony's Miyagi Laser Plant Restarts Some Ops
Nikkei: TOKYO (NQN)--Sony Corp. (6758) said Wednesday its semiconductor laser factory in Shiroishi, Miyagi Prefecture partially reopened for the first time since the March 11 earthquake shut it down.

Semiconductor industry was "ticking along nicely" before Japan disaster
TechEye: The beginning of March was ticking along nicely and figures for the World Semiconductor Trade Statistics (WSTS) were doing the same ...

April 4, 2011

Live from Japan: Nuclear crisis looms, chip firms map recovery
ElectroIQ:  The nuclear crisis and rolling blackouts are ongoing. Major semiconductor fabs and the biggest silicon crystal plant are being shut down for several months.

Quake-Hit Factories Flicker Back To Life
Nikkei: TOKYO (Nikkei)--Production facilities damaged by last month's disaster that struck northeastern Japan have begun to come back online, with Nippon Paper Group Inc.

Other Asian Electronic Production Regions Face Risk of Japan-Scale Disasters
Electronic Products: El Segundo, Calif., April 4, 2011—The major disruption to the global electronics supply chain caused by the Japan earthquake could recur in other regions of Asia because of the high concentration of technology industries in certain countries, IHS iSuppli research indicates.

Japan disaster hits chip industry hard
Computer World: Semiconductor production may take six months to return to full speed, analysts say

MGC starts full production of BT materials in May
"We set the goal of restoring production to 1/4 of pre-earthquake levels during this 1st step. For that reason we will focus on major items used for semiconductor package substrate for mobile devices.

April 1, 2011

BT resin in full production in May, says maker
LONDON – Mitsubishi Gas Chemical Company Inc., thought to be a near monopoly maker of a key material for the packaging of ICs used in tablet computers, has said it now expects to achieve pre-quake production levels for bismaleimide triazine (BT) resin for semiconductor package substrates from the beginning of May. 

Japanese Earthquake Will Cut Taiwan's Economic Growth Rate
The massive Japanese earthquake will drive down Taiwan's economic growth rate by 0.11-0.2 of a percentage point, decreasing the gross domestic output by NT$15-20 billion, this year, said Christina Liu, minister of the Council for Economic Planning and Development (CEPD) yesterday (March 29).

Digitimes Insight: Japan earthquake has limited impact on MEMS industry supply chain
Microelectromechanical system (MEMS) applications range from automotive, industrial, military, and popular consumer electronics (CE) products such as smartphones and tablet PCs.

Toshiba publishes updated status in response to earthquake on 11 March
Electronics manufacturer Toshiba Corporation (LSE:TOS) (Tokyo:6502) on Friday published its updated status in response to the earthquake and tsunami on 11 March 2011 in Japan, providing revised information on the announcement from 23 March 2011.

TEL's Status Update on the Earthquake (3rd report)
PR Point: The following is the current status of our plants in the affected area.

 

April 13, 2011

Japan shakes semiconductor industry: Wafers, batteries, some chemicals in short supply
MarketWatch: The repercussions of Japan’s devastating earthquake, much like an aftershock, will be felt on the European technology sector long after the initial jolt has faded.

MEMC resumes wafer production in Japan
Evertiq: MEMC Electronic Materials has resumed production of 300mm wafers at its facility in Utsunomiya, Japan following the earthquake that occurred on March 11.

UMC says Japan fab unaffected by aftershocks
Digitimes: UMC 8-inch wafer plant in Chiba Prefecture has not been affected by the latest aftershocks that struck Japan, continuing to run at normal capacity, according to the foundry chipmaker.

JUPDATE 2-Renesas says working to bring forward factory restart
Reuters: Japan's Renesas Electronics, a major supplier of chips to the auto industry, said on Wednesday it was working to bring forward the reopening of a quake-hit semiconductor plant from its previously scheduled target of July.

 

April 11, 2011

 

Update from Japan: Big aftershocks slow fab recoveries  

ElectroIQ: Just one month has passed since the March 11 "Great East Japan Earthquake." The death + missing toll from the earthquake and tsunami has reached 28,000 -- in several towns in Miyagi Prefecture, all the municipal documents including residency files (and even municipal office buildings themselves)

 

Shin-Etsu's Silicon Wafer Factory To Restart Soon
Nikkei: TOKYO --Shin-Etsu Chemical Co. (4063) said Monday that it will partially resume production at an earthquake-stricken silicon wafer factory in Fukushima Prefecture within a week or two.

April 8, 2011

Several Japan fabs halted by aftershock
EE Times: Fujitsu Ltd., Renesas Electronics Corp., Sony Corp., Elpida Memory Inc., Toshiba Corp., Nikon Corp. and Tokyo Electron Ltd. (TEL) were reportedly among several Japanese electronics firms forced to suspend manufacturing operations at facilities following a powerful 7.1-magnitude earthquake that struck 205 miles north-northeast of Tokyo late Thursday (April 7).

TEL's Status Update on the April 7th Earthquake
TEL: In response to the earthquake in the coast of Miyagi at 23:32 on April 7th, Tokyo Electron Limited (TEL) informs the current situation as follows. Updates on the situation of each factory.

Analyst: GaAs supply chain robust after quake
EE Times: LONDON – Supplies of gallium and arsenide raw materials, semi-insulating bulk substrates and have not been disrupted by the Japanese earthquake of March 11 and ensuing tsunami or the on-going issues with the nuclear reactors at Fukushima, according to market research firm Strategy Analytics.

Quake-induced Orders Inundate Top Two Foundries' Capacities
CENS: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) and United Microelectronics Corp. (UMC) have landed unexpectedly excessive orders throughout the ...

April 7, 2011

Major BT resin producers recovering from Japan earthquake, say IC substrate makers

Digitimes: Major producers of bismaleimide-triazine (BT) resin, Mitsubishi Gas Chemical (MGC) and Hitachi Chemical, are recovering faster than expected from the suspension of operations caused by the recent earthquake in Japan, according to sources at IC substrate suppliers.

Sony progressing in rehabilitation of earthquake-hit factories

Digitimes: Sony has reported the latest progress in restoring factories damaged by the earthquake and tsunami in northeastern Japan, with some production resumed at many factories, according to Sony Taiwan.

AUO may build polysilicon plant in Taiwan

Digitimes:In the wake of Japan's March 11 massive earthquake, M.Setek, a subsidiary of AU Optronics (AUO), has closed down its solar-grade polysilicon plants in Sendai and Souma, due to disrupted water and power suppliy, without a definite schedule for resuming production in sight.

 April 6, 2011

Sony Restarts More Quake-hit Plants, Supply Problems Remain

PC World: Sony has partially resumed production at all but two of its factories that were hit by the March 11 massive earthquake in Japan. The company's semiconductor laser factory in Miyagi prefecture, one of the hardest hit regions, partially restarted on Wednesday and other factories have been coming…

Sony says 8 out 10 quake-hit plants operating

Electronics Weekly: Sony says that eight of the ten facilitiues which were shutdown after the Japan earthquake in March have resumed or partially resumed operations. Ten facilities suspended operations in March as a result of damage caused by the earthquake, tsunami and related power outages.

Freescale not to reopen Sendai fab after Japan quake

Electronics Weekly: Freescale Semiconductor has announced that it will not reopen the seriously damaged manufacturing facility at Sendai, Japan following the recent earthquake.

Sony resumes production in more plants

SAN JOSE, Calif. - Japan's Sony Corp. has updated the status of its manufacturing operations affected by the earthquake in Japan on March 11. On March 14, operations at ten Sony sites and facilities were suspended as a result of damage caused by the earthquake, tsunami and related power outages. 

Quake makes analyst raise IC market forecast

EE Times: IC supply disruptions related to the Japan earthquake and tsunami of March 11 will help increase the size of the global chip market in 2011, according to market researcher IHS-iSuppli.

Sony's Miyagi Laser Plant Restarts Some Ops

Nikkei: TOKYO (NQN)--Sony Corp. (6758) said Wednesday its semiconductor laser factory in Shiroishi, Miyagi Prefecture partially reopened for the first time since the March 11 earthquake shut it down.

Semiconductor industry was "ticking along nicely" before Japan disaster

TechEye: The beginning of March was ticking along nicely and figures for the World Semiconductor Trade Statistics (WSTS) were doing the same ...

April 4, 2011

Live from Japan: Nuclear crisis looms, chip firms map recovery

ElectroIQ:  The nuclear crisis and rolling blackouts are ongoing. Major semiconductor fabs and the biggest silicon crystal plant are being shut down for several months.

Quake-Hit Factories Flicker Back To Life

Nikkei: TOKYO (Nikkei)--Production facilities damaged by last month's disaster that struck northeastern Japan have begun to come back online, with Nippon Paper Group Inc.

Other Asian Electronic Production Regions Face Risk of Japan-Scale Disasters

Electronic Products: El Segundo, Calif., April 4, 2011—The major disruption to the global electronics supply chain caused by the Japan earthquake could recur in other regions of Asia because of the high concentration of technology industries in certain countries, IHS iSuppli research indicates.

Japan disaster hits chip industry hard

Computer World: Semiconductor production may take six months to return to full speed, analysts say

MGC starts full production of BT materials in May

"We set the goal of restoring production to 1/4 of pre-earthquake levels during this 1st step. For that reason we will focus on major items used for semiconductor package substrate for mobile devices.

April 1, 2011

BT resin in full production in May, says maker

LONDON – Mitsubishi Gas Chemical Company Inc., thought to be a near monopoly maker of a key material for the packaging of ICs used in tablet computers, has said it now expects to achieve pre-quake production levels for bismaleimide triazine (BT) resin for semiconductor package substrates from the beginning of May. 

Japanese Earthquake Will Cut Taiwan's Economic Growth Rate

The massive Japanese earthquake will drive down Taiwan's economic growth rate by 0.11-0.2 of a percentage point, decreasing the gross domestic output by NT$15-20 billion, this year, said Christina Liu, minister of the Council for Economic Planning and Development (CEPD) yesterday (March 29).

Digitimes Insight: Japan earthquake has limited impact on MEMS industry supply chain

Microelectromechanical system (MEMS) applications range from automotive, industrial, military, and popular consumer electronics (CE) products such as smartphones and tablet PCs.

Toshiba publishes updated status in response to earthquake on 11 March

Electronics manufacturer Toshiba Corporation (LSE:TOS) (Tokyo:6502) on Friday published its updated status in response to the earthquake and tsunami on 11 March 2011 in Japan, providing revised information on the announcement from 23 March 2011.

TEL's Status Update on the Earthquake (3rd report)

PR Point: The following is the current status of our plants in the affected area. 

March 31, 2011

Mitsubishi to Resume Making Chip Packaging Resin After Quake
PC World: Mitsubishi Gas Chemical will restart production of a resin vital for chip packaging early next month, at a factory that was damaged by the March 11 earthquake in Japan.

Shin-Etsu Chemical: Trying To Produce More Wafers At Other Plants, Overseas
NIKKEI: TOKYO (Dow Jones)--Shin-Etsu Chemical Co. (4063) said Thursday its largest silicon wafer manufacturing plant in northern Japan has been damaged by the March 11 earthquake, and operations remain suspended.

How Japan's Earthquake Is Shaking Up Taiwan's High-Tech Sector
IEEE Spectrum: Damage to Japanese manufacturers is bringing both shortages and opportunities to Taiwan

Texas Instruments warns of 'dynamic' supply chain issues
Procurement Leaders: Just over two weeks after a major earthquake in Japan, Texas Instruments Incorporated (TI) has warned that supply chains for semiconductor raw materials remain "dynamic".

BT resin supply expected to return to normal in May
Digitimes: Recovery work at Mitsubishi Gas Chemical's (MGC) Fukushima facility is progressing more quickly than expected, sources at Taiwan-based chip packaging and testing houses have claimed. The major producer of bismaleimide-triazine (BT) resin is expected...

March 30, 2011

TI expects chips from Miho fab in September
LONDON – Texas Instruments Inc. has said its wafer fab in Miho, Japan, is on schedule for a return to full production by mid-July — meaning chip shipments in September — while its fab in Aizu is on track for full production by mid-April or earlier.

Japan quake stirs unease about global supply chain
Forbes: BEIJING -- A shortage of auto parts and other components after Japan's earthquake has stirred unease about two pillars of manufacturing: the country's role as a crucial link in the global supply chain and "just in time" production.

ASE shipments affected by material supply interruptions, says paper
Digitimes: Major IC packaging house Advanced Semiconductor Engineering (ASE) will have to postpone a portion of its shipments scheduled for the second quarter of 2011 to the third quarter, due to longer lead times for upstream materials produced by Japan-based suppliers, according to a Chinese-language Commercial Times report.

Worldwide manufacture braces itself for semiconductor shortage
EE Times Europe: Technology prices are set to rise after a chemical plant damaged by the Tsunami has been highlighted as a core producer of a unique resin used by nearly half of the World's semiconductor manufacturers Semiconductors are used to manufacture a broad variety of complex technology based components used.

Webinar (Friday, April 1) to Discuss Impact of Japan Earthquake on Electronics
PCB 007: IHS iSuppli More than two weeks after the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami devastated the northeast region of Japan, the disaster’s impact on the global electronics supply chain is still being assessed.

Spansion increases outsourcing proportion to SMIC, says paper
NOR chip vendor Spansion will increase the proportion of its outsourcing to Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation (SMIC) to avoid potential supply chain disruptions, according to a Chinese-language Commercial Times report.

Fujitsu restarts two front-end chip fabs
EE Times: Operations partially resumed Monday (March 28) at two Fujitsu Group front-end semiconductor fabs in Aizu-Wakamatsu-shi, Fukushima ...

March 29, 2011 

TSMC Receives Increased Orders From Japanese IDMs
Japanese integrated device manufacturers have ramped up foundry contracts to Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. in the wake of the March 11...

Fujitsu restarts production at 2 more facilities
The company has restarted partial production at the front-end semiconductor manufacturing facilities that had been affected by the earthquake on March 11, 2011.

Semis: Merrill Sees Supply Chain Disruption, Cuts Ratings On Fabs
Citing interruptions in the global semiconductor supply chain triggered by the quake and tsunami in Japan, Bank of America/Merrill Lynch analyst Daniel Helyar this morning turned bearish on the contract chip makers and related companies.

Geiger Counters for the Supply Chain?
Companies Should be Thinking Now about How Tracers of Radiation could Impact Customers and Imports from Japan and Other Countries

Quake teaches powerful lessons to chip industry
The past several weeks have seen experts thoroughly discussing and analyzing the ill effects of the March 11 Japan earthquake and tsunami on the semiconductor industry. Inarguably, the disaster has proven to be disruptive to the industry, specifically to those involved in supply chain management, in the weeks following the quake.

Elpida says expects no supply interruptions following quake
Japanese chipmaker Elpida Memory Inc said on Monday it expected no interruptions to its product supply following the catastrophic March 11 earthquake and tsunami, which triggered a nuclear safety crisis and rolling power blackouts.

March 28, 2011

TSMC more concerned about influence on global IC supply chain by Japan crisis
Digitimes: TSMC does not recognize itself as a beneficiary of increased outsourcing by Japan-based IDMs, which have seen production at their domestic plants interrupted by the recent earthquake and tsunami, according to company chairman Morris Chang. TSMC would rather consider how the events bring some important lessons for the overall chip industry, said Chang.

Slow package resin restart weighs on tablets
EE Times: Mitsubishi Gas Chemical Company Inc., thought to be a near monopoly maker of a key material for the packaging of ICs used in tablet computers, has said it plans to get back to 25 percent of former production capacity at its Electrotechno Co. Ltd. electronic materials production subsidiary during April.

Elpida says expects no supply interruptions following quake
International Business Times: Japanese chipmaker Elpida Memory Inc said on Monday it expected no interruptions to its product supply following the catastrophic March 11 earthquake and tsunami, which triggered a nuclear safety crisis and rolling power blackouts.

Japan quake damage seen hitting silicon wafer supply
Post-quake plant closures could push prices up 20-30 pct-iSupplil Quake damage could slow production at Shin-Etsu until October-iSuppli. South Korea's LG Siltron could expand market share. Smaller chipmakers may be hit by wafer shortages.

March 25, 2011

AMAT sees three growth areas for c-Si solar
Applied Materials had a March 23 Analyst Day. Takeaways included an update on the initial impact of the Japan earthquake/tsunami on operations and supply chain, and how the company thinks it can expand its c-Si solar manufacturing technology.

Taiwan's Supply Chains May Be Hurt by Japan's Devastating Quake
EMS Now: Heavily relying on imports from Japan, Taiwan may witness supply chains in some domestic industries hurt by the recent 9.0-magnitude quake in northeastern part of that nation, according to officials of Taiwan's Ministry of Finance.

Fujitsu resumes back-end operations after Japan earthquake
ElectroIQ:  About a fortnight since the 8.9 earthquake struck Japan near Sendai, Fujitsu has resumed some operations at its Fujitsu Integrated Microtechnology (FIM) Miyagi Plant (back-end packaging) and Fujitsu Integrated Microtechnology (FIM) Aizu Factory Head semiconductor testing site.

Micron's CEO unsure of quake's net effect
EE Times: Steve Appleton, chairman and CEO of memory chip supplier Micron Technology Inc., said Wednesday (March 23) that Micron had yet to determine the company would pick up or lose business due to lingering infrastructure problems and other effects from the March 11 earthquake that rocked Japan.

Taiwan's Supply Chains May Be Hurt by Japan's Devastating Quake
EMS Now: Heavily relying on imports from Japan, Taiwan may witness supply chains in some domestic industries hurt by the recent 9.0-magnitude quake in northeastern part of that nation, according to officials of Taiwan's Ministry of Finance.

Slow package resin restart weighs on tablets
EE Times: LONDON – Mitsubishi Gas Chemical Company Inc., thought to be a near monopoly maker of a key material for the packaging of ICs used in tablet computers, has said it plans to get back to 25 percent of former production capacity at its Electrotechno Co. Ltd. electronic materials production subsidiary during April. 

Supply chain hit by “hoard” mentality
EE Times: The electronics supply chain remains in flux following the recent earthquake in Japan. ''Recent checks confirm multiple chipmakers seeing rush orders as customers seek to ensure stable supply,'' said Steven Pelayo, an analyst with The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corp. Ltd. (HSBC), in a report. 

Semiconductor Industry Supply Chain Spike; Status of Key Companies
EE Herald: Earthquake of magnitude 9.0 and a 23 Meter tall Tsunami hitting Japan coasts triggered quite a spike in global semiconductor supply chain.

On Semi's Japan fabs ramping back up
On Semiconductor Corp. said Thursday (March 24) that infrastructure services to two fabs it operates that had been rendered idle following the March 11 earthquake off the coast of Japan have now been restored and that both fabs are now ramping back up.

March 24, 2011

On Semi says two fabs still down
EE Times: On Semiconductor Corp. said Thursday (May 24) that two front-end wafer fabs it operates in northern Japan remain idle due to infrastructure disruptions.

Japan semiconductor industry status; 12 days after the Earthquake 
EE Herald: Renesas Electronics Corporation has announced the impact of the earthquake in northern Japan on March 11, on Renesas Electronics Group ("the Group") manufacturing sites and its response to the planned blackouts.

On-Semi starts production again at 4 sites
Evertiq: However, infrastructure services such as fuel, electricity, gases, water, chemicals and logistics to ON Semiconductor’s factories and those of its customers and suppliers in Japan have nevertheless been impacted by the consequences of the earthquake and tsunami.

Hon Hai, Wistron to Benefit From Production Cut by Sony of Japan
EMS Now: Taiwan's leading electronics contract manufacturers, including Hon Hai Precision Industry Co. and Wistron Corp., are expected to share the orders for 30 million LCD (liquid crystal display) TVs released from Sony Corp.

Fujitsu restarts two back-end chip plants
EE Times: Fujitsu said that it partially resumed operations at a back-end semiconductor packaging facility and a semiconductor testing facility.

Analyst: Quake impact on IC chain temporary
EE Times: Disruption of the semiconductor supply chain in the aftermath of Japan's T?hoku earthquake and tsunami will be temporary and limited based on the availability of inventory buffers and alternate supply, according to a Wall Street analyst.

Recovery Continues in Japan As Semiconductor Chip Suppliers Work to Restore Damage
TMC: Market research firm IHS iSuppli reports that the Japanese 9.0 magnitude earthquake, and subsequent tsunami, has resulted in the suspension of one-quarter of the global production of silicon wafers used to make semiconductors.

Chipmaker Micron focuses on Japan wafer suppliers
Reuters: Micron Technology is trying to secure its supply of crucial silicon wafers following Japan's devastating earthquake and said it was too soon to gauge the disaster's impact on its business.

Chip makers start to resume work in Japan
ComputerWorld: Fujitsu, NEC, Panasonic, Toshiba and others slowly begin to resume chip, high-tech production after devastation

Japan quake's toll on the electronics industry
EE Times Europe:  As well as a heavy toll on the Japanese people, the cumulated effects of the March 11th earthquake, tsunami and the series of nuclear facility accidents that ensued mean a shortage in both power and silicon output at wafer fabs

March 23, 2011

Renesas Electronics provides impact assessment update: 300mm fab remains closed
FabTech News: Renesas Electronics has detailed the operational status of its group of semiconductor manufacturing facilities after the recent disaster and power supply issues dogging manufacturers to kick-start production.

Renesas restarts two more quake-hit fabs
Electronics Weekly: Renesas Electoncis says it has restarted two more of its earthquake affected semiconductor facilities. The Tsugaru front-end production line restarted part of its manufacturing on March 20 with limited production capacity.

Japan’s Digital Compass Makers Work to Maintain Supply Amid Earthquake Aftermath
Electronic Products:  Despite widespread disruption to Japan’s transportation and utility infrastructure, the country’s digital compass makers report they are working to guarantee that supply of the critical component meets rapidly rising global demand.

Japan March 11 earthquake: Semiconductor production update
ElectroIQ: There are over 100 production semiconductor fab lines in 53 locations in Japan, say analyst groups IHS iSuppli and Semico. Over a week after the crippling earthquake and tsunami hit northeastern Japan, analysts consider the next business step, with power outages and aftershocks

Sony closes five more factories
Electronics Weekly: Sony has shut five more factories on top of the eight manufacturing sites it closed immediately after the earthquake. The company says the five new closures stem from problems in getting supplies.

Japan earthquake could snag semiconductor supply chain
Business Journal: Semiconductor and electronics officials are trying to make sense of potential supply chain problems following the 9.0 earthquake and tsunami.

UPDATE 1-Applied Materials sees no Japan quake impact
Reuters:- Chip equipment maker Applied Materials (AMAT.O) has seen no material impact to its business from Japan's earthquake that has disrupted the world supply chain.

Shin-Etsu pleads for power as factory stays down
EE Times: The Shin-Etsu Handotai (SEH) Shirakawa plant, said to be responsible for 20 percent of the world's 300-mm silicon wafer supply, has yet to be fully inspected and remains out of action.

TSMC's Chang: Japanese Customers Do Not Slash Contract Orders
EMS Now: Despite the March 11 massive earthquake and the ensuing devastating tsunami disturbing Japan's supply chains of electronics materials, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co.

Sony, Renesas, TI impacted by earthquake for supply of ODD components
Digitimes: Sony, Renesas Electronics and Texas Instruments (TI), among makers of components of optical disc drives (ODDs) in Japan, have suffered the most impact of the large earthquake hitting northeastern Japan on March 11.

Japan earthquake to affect several major IT industries of Korea
Digitimes: The earthquake in Japan will bring a significant impact on South Korea, which heavily depends on Japan for the supply of many components and materials.

Quake impacts memory supply, spot price on the rise
Digitimes: Since Japan is second to South Korea in importance to the global memory industry, spot price for DRAM and NAND flash products both rose on the first trading day after the March 11 earthquake.

March 22, 2011

Renesas restarts Aomori, Yamagata fabs
EE Times: (LONDON): Renesas Electronics Corp., which was hit hard by the Japan earthquake of March 11 losing production at eight facilities, has announced on Tuesday (March 22) that two out of five wafer fabs affected have resumed "limited production."

Sony says some production sites still idle
EE Times (SAN FRANCISCO): Sony Corp. said Tuesday (March 22) it has resumed manufacturing operations at several manufacturing sites that had been knocked off line as a result of Japan's massive March 11 earthquake, tsunami and related power outages.

Live from Japan: Facilities struggling to ramp on power, supply chain disruptions
Electro IQ (JAPAN): The supply chain is being disrupted by the 3/11 earthquake in Japan, and the disruption may spread globally by the on-going disasters. Sony, Canon, Xerox, Toyota, Honda, and many other companies' factories nationwide survived without any damage by the earthquake and tsunami

Japan quake: Tracking the status of fabs in wake of disaster
EE Times: Current update: News out of Japan on Tuesday (March 22) included word that Renesas Electronics has resumed limited production at two front-end semiconductor fabs that had been knocked off line by damage and power outages stemming from the March 11 earthquake.

Japan supply paralysis spreads as firms cut output  
Int’l Business Times:Sony Corp (6758.T) cut output at five more plants and Toyota Motor (7203.T) delayed restarting assembly lines, as the global supply of parts and products began to feel the full impact of Japan's catastrophic earthquake.

Sony Provides Current Status Of Several Japanese Plants 
Twice (TOKYO): Sony today confirmed the safety of all of its employees in the region affected by the recent earthquake and tsunami and said it has resumed operations at several manufacturing sites.

Digitimes Insight: Japan earthquake impact on IC packaging industry 
Digitimes (TAIPEI): Though several major IC packaging material suppliers have resumed operations at their earthquake-affected plants, there is still growing concern that production will be hampered by the country's damaged infrastructure including transportation systems and electrical grids.

Japan Renesas restarts production at Yamagata factory
Reuters (TOKYO):  Renesas Electronics Corp, the world's No.5 chipmaker, restarted operations on March 19 at a semiconductor plant in Yamagata prefecture, northwest Japan, a company spokeswoman said on Tuesday.

VLSI: Quake analysis has missed the boat 
EE Times Europe: Some of the analysis from so-called experts about the impact of the earthquake in Japan has completely missed the boat, according to one analyst. VLSI Research CEO G.

Advantest-Verigy deal looks set to go ahead despite quake 
Reuters (TOKYO):  Japan's Advantest (6857.T) appeared on the verge of clinching a $908 million acquisition of U.S.-listed chip tester Verigy (VRGY.O), a sign some Japanese firms will still be able to push through deals even after the country's catastrophic earthquake.

Japan earthquake suspends supply of raw materials used in 25% of global chip production, says IHS iSuppli 
Digitimes: The Japan earthquake has resulted in the suspension of one-quarter of the global production of silicon wafers used to make semiconductors, according to IHS iSuppli.

TSMC sees some impact from quake 
EE Times: (SAN JOSE, Calif.):  Silicon foundry giant Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Ltd. (TSMC) will see some impact from the recent earthquake in Japan.

March 21, 2011

Latest EE Times coverage of Japan quake  
EE Times: Nokia expects production disruption Toshiba's Iwate fab out until April Renesas restarts hampered by black outs Analyst: NAND flash supply to lose 4% in 2Q11 Japan's disasters, education & renewable resources Stress test for the global supply chain Putin offers to help Japan by boosting EU gas.

Digitimes Insight: Japan earthquake impacts three major fab-tool suppliers 
Digitimes: Three major Japan-based suppliers of semiconductor manufacturing equipment have suspended operations at several of their plants in the earthquake-ravaged areas with no timeframe for when they will re-open. Lithography system provider Nikon suffered the most as its main factory sites are located in Miyagi and Tochigi prefectures, areas particularly affected by the disaster.

Toshiba's Iwate fab out until April 
EE Times (LONDON):  Toshiba hopes to restore some level of operation at its wafer fab in Kitakami, Iwate, by the end of March, the company said in a status update on Friday (March 18). However, the company said it will only be able to start test operations after recovery of its power supply. The company has a partial recovery of power at the site as of March 13.