臺灣晶圓代業(yè)者聯(lián)華電子周二(8月21日)表示,其董事會投票通過關閉其位于日本千葉縣館山的200mm晶圓廠UMC Japan(UMCJ),以削減成本,應對目前困難的宏觀經(jīng)濟形勢和客戶需求下降局面。
“由于國際經(jīng)濟景氣及產(chǎn)業(yè)趨勢快速變遷,日本客戶需求衰退,加上2011年東日本大震災后,能源供應不穩(wěn)定,半導體上下游的相關產(chǎn)業(yè)紛紛以減產(chǎn)或關廠縮編因應,”聯(lián)電(臺灣新竹)在向臺灣證交所提交的文件中表示,“UMC Japan之營運成本無法有效降低,整體經(jīng)營績效未能達到預期目標。為整合業(yè)務并提升制造資源使用效率、降低營運成本,聯(lián)華電子董事會決議結(jié)束日本晶圓制造業(yè)務?!?
UMC Japan功成身退
對聯(lián)電來說,雖然UMC Japan并未帶來太大的效益,但仍為聯(lián)電拿下幾家日本大廠訂單,隨著日本IDM廠直接下單臺灣,UMC Japan也算是功成身退。
日本半導體廠在過去20年中,一直堅守IDM廠的營運模式,一來是日本半導體廠都是由索尼、松下、富士通、三菱等日本大型系統(tǒng)業(yè)者所投資,二來是日本半導體廠的技術及產(chǎn)品,多半是為了提供給系統(tǒng)業(yè)者所使用。所以,在數(shù)碼相機紅透半邊天的年代、在日本白色家電攻占全球客廳或廚房的年代,日本半導體廠可說是天之驕子。
只是時代的演進不止,消費市場的主流產(chǎn)品不斷世代更迭,日本系統(tǒng)廠失去了最重要的舞臺,如光驅(qū)的普及后,宣告了錄像帶的末日一樣。為了讓半導體事業(yè)得以存活,日本IDM廠也走出日本,開始與國際系統(tǒng)大廠做生意,的確也創(chuàng)造了一段豐功偉業(yè)。
但是,最近這10年中,日本系統(tǒng)廠的全球布局出現(xiàn)失焦,半導體廠也一再進行整并,包括NEC、三菱、日立等將存儲器事業(yè)合并為爾必達,日立、三菱也將邏輯IC事業(yè)合并為瑞薩,瑞薩最后還合并了NEC半導體事業(yè)。
而2011年的日本311大地震,重創(chuàng)了日本半導體生產(chǎn)鏈,國際系統(tǒng)廠為了分散風險,將訂單移轉(zhuǎn)到臺韓等其它國家供應商,訂單當然是一去不復返。另外,歐債問題延燒,日圓因為是國際流通貨幣,熱錢推升日圓不斷升值,再度重創(chuàng)日本半導體廠,不僅爾必達在年初宣布破產(chǎn)重整,瑞薩也出現(xiàn)財務危機,富士通則想賣廠。
日本半導體廠的競爭力不再,當?shù)禺a(chǎn)業(yè)生態(tài)系統(tǒng)也分崩離析,整個產(chǎn)業(yè)崩解后,委外釋單成為降低成本的最佳方法,于是日本IDM廠今年來不斷整并自有產(chǎn)能,并不斷委外下單,臺灣半導體廠受惠最大。
撤回臺灣
聯(lián)電表示,在完成最后的訂單之后,將中止日本千葉縣館山市的日本晶圓制造業(yè)務。該公司表示,將在未來某一時間解散并清算UMC Japan。
聯(lián)華電子于1998年取得新日鐵半導體部分股權(quán)并負責經(jīng)營,后來更名為UMC Japan;2009年聯(lián)華電子公開收購UMC Japan全部流通在外股份。
聯(lián)電表示,未來透過其它工廠將繼續(xù)充分供應日本當?shù)乜蛻糁A專工需求。這些工廠幾乎都位于臺灣。
聯(lián)電表示,UMC Japan的200mm晶圓月產(chǎn)能約為2萬片,至今年6月30日止總資產(chǎn)為168億日元(約合2.122億美元),負債為28億日圓(約合3440萬美元)。
聯(lián)電表示,UMC Japan上半年營收為37億日元(約合4680萬美元),凈損16億日元(約合2020萬美元)。
聯(lián)電上月表示,將向一家或多家戰(zhàn)略伙伴出售10%的股份。聯(lián)電在晶圓代工領域長期排名第二,位居臺積電之后。據(jù)市場調(diào)研公司IC Insights Inc.,今年聯(lián)電的晶圓代工營業(yè)收入排名可能降至第三,排在臺積電與Globalfoundries Inc.后面。
編譯:Luffy Liu
本文授權(quán)編譯自EE Times,版權(quán)所有,謝絕轉(zhuǎn)載
參考英文原文:UMC to shutter Japanese fab
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UMC to shutter Japanese fab
Dylan McGrath
SAN FRANCISCO—Taiwanese foundry United Microelectronics Corp. (UMC) said Tuesday (Aug. 21) its board of directors voted to close the company's 200-mm fab in Japan in an effort to cut costs amid difficult macroeconomic conditions and customer demand decline.
"Owing to macroeconomic conditions, the industry’s fast-changing environment, customer demand decline and continued unstable energy supply caused by Japan’s 2011 earthquake, semiconductor vendors upstream and downstream have either reduced or eliminated capacity in Japan to save costs," UMC (Hsinchu, Taiwan) said in a regulatory filing with the Taiwan Stock Exchange. "In line with this trend, [UMC Japan] will be shut down to enable UMC to integrate business, improve resource use efficiency and lower operating costs as UMCJ was unable to effectively reduce costs and reach performance targets."
UMC said it would suspend operations at the fab, located in Tateyama City in Japan's Chiba prefecture, after completing manufacture of its final orders. The company said it plans to dissolve the subsidiary and liquidate its assets at a future time.
UMC Japan was acquired by UMC from Nippon Steel Semiconductor Corp. UMC originally bought a majority of Nippon Steel Semiconductor in 1998. The Taiwanese foundry acquired the remaining stake in the fab, since renamed UMC Japan, in 2009.
UMC said it would continue to serve customers in Japan through its other fabs, nearly all of which are in Taiwan.
UMC said the UMC Japan fab has a monthly capacity of approximately 20,000 200-mm wafers. Until June 30, total assets for the subsidiary were 16.8 billion yen (about $212.2 million) with liabilities of 2.8 billion yen (about $34.4 million), UMC said.
The subsidiary had first half operating revenue of 3.7 billion yen (about $46.8 million) and a net loss of 1.6 billion yen (about $20.2 million), UMC said.
UMC said last month it would sell up to 10 percent of the company to a strategic partner or partners. UMC, long the No. 2 player in the semiconductor foundry business behind rival Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Ltd. (TSMC), is expected to slip to third in foundry sales this year behind TSMC and Globalfoundries Inc., according to IC Insights Inc.
責編:Quentin