IT Home, November 4: According to South Korean media ETNEWS yesterday, the world's five largest semiconductor equipment manufacturers—ASML, Applied Materials, Lam Research, TEL, and KLA—are in the final stages of finalizing equipment supply contracts for 2028.
The rapid development of artificial intelligence has created massive demand for chip production capacity, meaning chip manufacturers need to expand their capacity, indirectly benefiting semiconductor equipment manufacturers; conversely, if semiconductor equipment manufacturers fail to deliver equipment according to chip manufacturers’ plans, the growth of AI computing power will also be impacted.
Reports indicate that, traditionally, chip manufacturers finalize equipment orders 6 to 12 months before device deployment to allow adequate delivery time. However, due to widespread and substantial capacity expansion by chip manufacturers, semiconductor equipment is currently in short supply, causing delivery cycles to extend significantly.
Sources mentioned that some semiconductor equipment manufacturers have initiated supply negotiations for 2029, with several South Korean semiconductor equipment companies reviewing supply plans up to two to three years in advance for global customers; the current shortage of front-end semiconductor equipment may spread to back-end processes.
Related reading:
- SEMI forecasts: Global 300mm wafer fab equipment investment will reach $227 billion by 2029.
- Reports indicate that the lead times for core products from the five major semiconductor manufacturing equipment suppliers have been extended by 50% to 100%.