Industry-wide wafer fab capacity utilisation is forecast to rise sharply in the third and fourth quarters of 2009, reaching levels not seen since 3Q08, according to analysts IC Insights, and IC ASPs will rise 5% 2010, another 5% in 2011 and 5% again in 2012.
'The IC capacity utilization rate hovered around 90% in 2007 and through the first three quarters of 2008 before the economy soured and the utilisation rate plunged to 68% in 4Q08', says IC Insights.
According to SICAS, IC capacity utilisation reached its low point of 57% in 1Q09, then rebounded 21 points to 78% in 2Q09 as OEMs started to replenish inventory levels.
Industry capacity utilisation is forecast by IC Insights to increase another 10 points to 88% in 3Q09-essentially the same level as a year earlier prior to the economic collapse.
Though not sinking to the all-time annual low rate of 71.2% reached in 2001, IC Insights expects the average IC industry capacity rate for the entire global recession year of 2009 to drop to 77.4%.
Strengthening IC capacity utilisation rates due to the capital spending cutbacks in 2008 and 2009 will cause IC ASPs to rebound, with annual increases of 5% forecast between 2010 and 2012.
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