谁会成为日本旧晶圆厂的买家？

景况不佳的日本半导体厂商们终于觉醒并开始面对一个现实──拥抱“轻晶圆厂(fab-lite)“策略将会是他们存活的最佳希望；但很大的问题是：谁会想在日本半导体产业的“清仓大拍卖”中收购一座旧晶圆厂？ 答案恐怕是没有人。市场研究机构 Future Horizons 董事长暨首席执行官 Malcolm Penn 话就说得很直，他表示那些日本晶圆厂“都是采用旧制程”，而且谁要是买下那些晶圆厂：“就会面临管理以及物流(logistic)的梦靥。” 不过换个角度看，因为你的赌注是押在没人看好的那一方，意味着可能赢得的彩金将加倍。 最近日本东京街头巷尾流传着一个八卦，说有海外公司打算出价收购某日本芯片业者试图放弃的晶圆厂。不过大多数产业界人士都无法理解，真会有哪家公司胆子这么大──或是这么笨──会去做这样的事情。 Penn表示：“如果它们已不再优秀、对研发没有用处，为何要收购它们？由一个纯教科书的市场经济观点来看，让它们下线并消失是比较好的做法。”但重点来了：要关闭一座晶圆厂的成本不小，包括得花钱雇人把厂房拆毁。 有鉴于此，让一家海外芯片业者用折扣价买下那个庞然巨物并让它能继续运转，并不是那么牵强的想法。站在“某日本芯片厂商”的观点，邀请一家海外同业进来用他们的晶圆厂制造产品，同时满足其现有客户的需求，会比承受两到三倍的亏损关闭整座厂房来得好。 另一家市场研究机构Semico Research的主管Joanne Itow表示，旧晶圆厂的价格根据其厂房规模、技术种类、所制造的产品不同，会有很大的差异──但如果关闭一座晶圆厂的成本大约要3亿美元，为何不用2亿美元甚至1亿美元的价格卖掉它？ Itow认为收购日本的旧晶圆厂是有潜在商机的，事实上已经有一个先例：“Tower收购过美光(Micron)旗下位于日本的晶圆厂。”而她不认为一线晶圆代工厂会有兴趣在日本经营晶圆厂，指一些专注于MEMS、电源管理等特定技术的纯晶圆代工厂，较有可能成为买主。 此外Itow指出，如果不是买下整座晶圆厂，一线晶圆代工业者可能会有兴趣收购那些日本晶圆厂内的二手设备，例如格罗方德(GlobalFoundries)最近收购台湾茂德科技(ProMOS)的晶圆厂设备；她认为这是可能发生的：“随着台积电(TSMC)打算扩充CIS、HV与eFlash产能，他们可能会涉足二手设备市场。” 以上Itow所举的例子，都是关于纯晶圆代工业者可能对日本旧晶圆厂产生潜在兴趣；那么来自美国的无晶圆厂芯片业者呢？会有人想买吗？ 本文授权编译自EE Times，版权所有，谢绝转载 第2页：MEMS厂商可能会由无晶圆厂经营型态，改采轻晶圆厂策略 第3页：日本半导体业者旗下晶圆厂概况

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• GlobalFoundries坐等瑞萨裁掉的专业人才
• “轻晶圆厂”风行，IDM加快IC制造外包Tkvesmc

{pagination} 在众多芯片厂商一面倒地选择无晶圆厂或轻晶圆厂经营模式的此刻，买座晶圆厂的想法几乎是不可能──除非这样的交易对买卖双方来说都是具吸引力的；这不仅需要超凡的想象力，对买方来说也需要很大的信心勇气。 有 少数美国硅谷的半导体厂偶尔会说，无晶圆厂芯片业者需要拥有取得晶圆厂产能的畅通管道，特别是当这家公司正在开发新组件构造或结构，若无法掌控制程技术， 就无法进行概念的实验，更别说去理解如何在开发过程中打造新架构；而且更重要的是，晶圆代工业者通常都不愿意跟那些还没签下大客户的无晶圆厂芯片业者合 作。 因此谁能帮忙那些无晶圆厂芯片业者测试新概念？在硅谷，有像是SVTC Technologies那样的技术服务公司，可提供半导体产品开发与商业化的制程技术；该公司在美国加州圣荷西、德州奥斯汀等地有晶圆厂，但在去年缩减业务。 对此Itow表示：“我怀疑小型无晶圆厂业者是否会收购在日本的晶圆厂，因为资本支出负担不小。”她并指出，无晶圆厂业者：“还有不少可供产品研发与新组件架构测试的其它制程服务选择，包括加州柏克莱大学、亚利桑那州立大学等都可提供原型制造服务。” Future Horizon的Penn表示，欧洲研发机构IMEC也提供这类服务；不过Itow反驳该说法，指IMEC不能被看作是制造晶圆厂：“但他们确实能做为提 供制程开发与产品研发服务的选项。”她表示，可提供制程服务的，还有美国阿尔巴尼大学纳米科学与工程学院(CNSE)。 在纯晶圆代工业者以外，MEMS制造商也可能对日本旧晶圆厂有兴趣；Itow表示：“MEMS制造商开始采用较大尺寸晶圆，正由6寸转移至8寸。”而一家MEMS供货商Kionix就在日本拥有一座自己的晶圆厂。 Itow 指出，MEMS厂商可能会由无晶圆厂经营型态，改采轻晶圆厂策略；Alpha Omega Semiconductor就是一例，这家公司专长离散/功率芯片，在去年主要是采用华虹NEC (HHNEC)的制程：“2011年，Alpha Omega收购了IDT位于美国奥勒冈州、一座已16岁的晶圆厂，被列为一家轻晶圆厂业者。” 本文授权编译自EE Times，版权所有，谢绝转载 第3页：日本半导体业者旗下晶圆厂概况

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• 被英特尔抢代工订单，台积电加速与富士通同盟抗美韩
• GlobalFoundries坐等瑞萨裁掉的专业人才
• “轻晶圆厂”风行，IDM加快IC制造外包Tkvesmc

{pagination} 日本半导体业者旗下晶圆厂概况 富士通半 导体(Fujitsu Semiconductor)已经在去年秋天将旗下位于日本岩手县(Iwate)的厂房移交给电装株式会社(Denso Corp.)；富士通位于日本会津(Aizu)、宫城县(Miyagi)与九州(Kyushu)的封装生产线，则转手给J-Devices。 去年12月，富士通位于日本三重县(Mie)的12寸晶圆厂仍乏人问津，该公司表示，他们目前正：“考虑将之转卖给晶圆代工厂，包括台积电。”

瑞萨旗下晶圆厂分布图(2011年)，黄色圆点所标示的是前段制程晶圆厂，紫色三角形标示的为后段封测厂
Source：RenesasTkvesmc

在此同时，瑞萨(Renesas)虽然已经宣布进行组织重整，该公司半导体前段制造部门还有7个生产据点、9条生产线；后段制造部门则有2个生产据点。 瑞萨在日本青森县的后段制造据点Renesas High Components，已经在1月转手Aoi Electronics；另三座分别位于函馆(Hakodate)、福井(Fukui)与熊本(Kumamoto)的后段制造据点，则将在6月初卖给J- Devices。 虽然瑞萨尚未表明那些剩余的生产据点将会转卖、关闭或是缩减产能规模，在今年稍早，该公司表示计划在截止于2014年3月的财务年度，将折旧成本与租赁费用(depreciation cost and lease fees)比上一财务年度缩减25%。 本文授权编译自EE Times，版权所有，谢绝转载 编译：Judith Cheng 参考英文原文：Japanese fabs, anyone?，by Junko Yoshida

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• GlobalFoundries坐等瑞萨裁掉的专业人才
• “轻晶圆厂”风行，IDM加快IC制造外包Tkvesmc

{pagination} Japanese fabs, anyone? Junko Yoshida The latest chatter on the Tokyo street reveals that at least one foreign company is bidding for a fab that a Japanese chip company is trying to dump. TOKYO--As ailing Japanese semiconductor manufacturers begin finally to awaken to a reality that going fab-lite is their best hope for survival, one question looms large: Who on earth would want to buy an old fab at a Japanese rummage sale? The conventional wisdom says nobody. Malcolm Penn, chairman & CEO at Future Horizons, flatly said that those Japanese fabs “are all in legacy nodes,” and buying any of those fabs “would be a management and logistic nightmare.” On the other hand, when you bet on an opportunity that appeals to nobody else, the potential jackpot is all that much bigger. The latest chatter on the Tokyo street reveals that at least one foreign company is bidding for a fab that a Japanese chip company is trying to dump. Most industry insiders, however, can’t fathom why any company would be bold--or foolish--enough to make such a move. Penn said, “If they’re not good enough anymore to be useful to R&D, why should I buy them? Better from a pure textbook market economic point of view to take them off line and raze them.” But here’s the thing: It costs a lot to close a fab, with expenses covering everything from paying off employees to gutting the site. In this light, the idea of letting a foreign chip company buy the white elephant at a discount and having them run it isn’t so far-fetched. From the viewpoint of the Japanese chip company, inviting a foreign company in, to use the fab for its products while meeting the demands of existing customers, is a better outcome than shutting the whole thing down at two or three times the loss. The pricing of old fabs differs significantly depending on the size of the fab, type of technology, products produced, said Joanne Itow, managing director at Semico Research. But just for the sake of argument, what if it could cost as much as $300 million to shut down a fab? In that case, why not sell for $200 million--or even $100 million? Itow is an analyst who sees potential opportunity in the acquisition of old fabs in Japan. Indeed, there is a precedent. She said, “One example is Tower’s purchase of a fab located in Japan from Micron.” While Itow doesn’t believe that Tier 1 foundries are interested in operating a fab in Japan, she pointed out that there are several pure-play foundries focused on MEMS, power management, and other products. They could become buyers. Even if it were not an outright purchase of the whole fab, Itow thinks there could be some interest from Tier 1 foundries to purchase equipment already installed in the Japanese fabs. Pointing out GlobalFoundries’ recent purchase of equipment from the ProMOS Taiwan fab, she believes this could be done. Further, “As Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. expands its CIS, HV and eFlash capacity, they could be in the market for used equipment.” The examples given by Itow above are mostly about potential interest in old Japanese fabs among pure-play foundries. How about fabless chip companies in the United States? Any takers? Desire to own a fab At a time when so many chip companies are overwhelmingly opting for the fabless or fab-lite model, such a move is simply unimaginable--unless the deal is structured in a way that’s attractive to both buyer and seller. This may take not only genuine imagination but also a leap of faith on the buyer’s part. But a few vendors in Silicon Valley argue that sometimes a fabless chip company needs good access to a fab, especially if the company is developing new configurations or structures for circuit devices. Without access to process technologies, such a company couldn’t experiment with its ideas, let alone understand how to model new structures in development. More important, foundries are reluctant to work with fabless chip vendors who haven’t already signed up big customers. So who is there to help them test their new ideas? Silicon Valley used to have SVTC Technologies, a technology services company that provides development and commercialization services for semiconductor process-based technologies and products. It had facilities in San Jose, California and Austin, Texas. But SVTC cut back its operations last year. Itow, however, remains unconvinced. “I doubt if a small fabless company would buy a fab in Japan, because of the capex burden.” Further, she pointed out that fabless companies “have access to a number of other options for R&D, and testing of new device structures. Many universities, including the University of California-Berkeley, Arizona State Univ. and others, offer prototyping services.” Future Horizon’s Penn suggests IMEC to serve such needs. Itow countered that IMEC isn’t exactly viewed as a production fab. “But they would certainly be an option for process development and R&D,” she said. Other options, suggested by Itow, include the College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering at (CNSE)’s Albany NanoTech Complex. MEMS manufacturers? If not pure-play foundries, MEMS manufacturers could be among the candidates looking at old fabs in Japan. Itow said, “MEMS manufactures are beginning to take advantage of larger wafer sizes, i.e. moving from 6” wafers to 8” wafers.” One good example is Kionix who is a MEMS company and already owns a fab in Japan. MEMS companies could move from fabless to fab-lite, Itow pointed out. Alpha Omega Semiconductor is an example that changed strategy from fabless to fab-lite. The company specializes in discrete/power IC products and until last year primarily used HHNEC. “In 2011, Alpha Omega purchased a 16-year-old fab in Oregon from IDT. They are now classified as a fab-lite company,” she added. As for Fujitsu Semiconductor, the company completed the transfer of its Iwate Plant to Denso Corp. last fall. Fujitsu’s assembly lines in Aizu, Miyagi and Kyushu were transferred to J-Devices Corp. last December. Fujitsu’s 300mm wafer lines in Mie remain unsold, currently in “deliberation on transfer to a new foundry company, including TSMC,” according to Fujitsu. Renesas' fab locations as of 2011 Yellow circle: front-end wafer fabs Purple triangle: backend assembly test plants Source: Renesas Meanwhile, Renesas, even after announcing production structural reforms, will still have seven sites and nine lines left for its front-end production; and two sites for back-end. Renesas High Components, a back-end production site in Aomori, was transferred to Aoi Electronics Co., Ltd. in January. Three other back-end process sites – including Hakodate, Fukui and Kmamoto – are being sold to J-Devices in early June. While Renesas has not spelled out which sites – among those left – will be targets for the “transfer, closure and streamlining” of its production scales, the Japanese company said earlier this year that it plans to reduce depreciation cost and lease fees for the fiscal year ending March 2014 by approximately 25% from the fiscal year ending March 2013 and approximately 35% from the fiscal year ending March 2011.