Fab utilisation shot up in Q2 from 56.8% in Q109 to 77.8% in Q209, according to SICAS (Semiconductor Industry Capacity Statistics).
The highest utilisation rate was for the most advanced processes. Below 0.08 micron, capacity utilisation topped 90%, up from 70% in Q1.
For processes between 0.12 micron and 0.08 micron, capacity utilisation was 74.6% up from Q1's 68.4%, and for processes between 0.12 micron and 0.16 micron, capacity utilisation was at 74% up from 44.6% in Q1.
For processes between 0.16 and 0.20 micron, utilisation was 65% up from 39% in Q1, and for processes between 0.2 and 0.3 micron, utilisation was 71% up from Q1's 47.8|%.
For 300mm wafer production, capacity utilisation was 91.9% up from Q2's 72.8% and for 200mm utilisation was 72.3% up from 44%. For wafers smaller than eight inch, the utilisation rate was 38.9% up from 33.4% in Q1
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In Q209 there were an average 425,000 300mm wafer starts per week, an average of 679,000 200mm wafer starts per week and an average of 225,000 sub-eight wafers a week.
Both TSMC and UMC, the world's two biggest foundries, anticipate capacity utilisation rates of 80%+ for Q409.