Semiconductor equipment spending in 2011 after a new high will decline

Research firm SEMI estimates, 2011 semiconductor foundry equipment spending and production capacity growth of 31% and 9% respectively, but this year and next year's construction spending down. SEMI Industry Senior Research Manager Ceng Ruiyu pointed out that 2011 will be the fab equipment spending record of the year, since February, many companies increase capital spending, therefore, 2011 related equipment Fab spending is expected to reach US $44 billion in the history of the highest amount, and although 2012 spending may slightly fell 6% to $41 billion, but this is still in the history of the second record high. However, SEMI said, by the potential impact of industrial production capacity, the number of new Fabs after 2012 will reach a record low. SEMI estimates that there will be 17 new wafer plant (including the LED plant in the) will be built this year (probability >60%), if not included in the new LED plant plans, this year and next year, only four (mass production) of the new plant started. Japan's 311 earthquake in the short-term may affect the capacity utilization and output this year, but for the whole production limited impact, the recent Fab capacity (not including the separation of components) every year to less than 10% of the rate of steady growth. In terms of capacity, SEMI forecast 2011 global semiconductor wafer production capacity is expected to grow by 9% in 2012, then rose by 7%. SEMI said that in 2010 the capacity of the wafer foundry growth beyond the memory wafer factory, and this trend will continue until the year 2011, estimated wafer production capacity will grow by 13% this year, while the memory factory capacity growth of up to 8%. On the other hand, LED wafer production capacity continued to grow in two digits, in 2011 the production capacity of LED plant is expected to grow by more than 40%, but in 2012 the capacity growth will be slightly callback. Overall, this year's memory capacity is still ahead of the plant, accounting for 38% of global production capacity, followed by wafer foundries, accounting for about 29%.