TSMC kicks-off 2012 with equipment purchase spree
05 January 2012 | By Mark Osborne | News > Wafer Processing
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 Perhaps semiconductor equipment suppliers are offering January sales like the retail trade as the largest foundry in the world; TSMC has gone on spending spree over the last few weeks. Purchase orders have been placed ASML, Applied Materials, Novellus, KLA-Tencor and Tokyo Electron (TEL) that add-up to one of its strongest capital equipment spending periods in the last 12-months.
Total purchases have already topped US$217 million, with over US$100 million going to ASML for lithography equipment via 2 separate purchase orders.
The second largest beneficiary was Applied Materials with two separate purchase orders worth over US$40 million.
Then TEL received orders from TSMC valued at US$30 million. Metrology specialist, KLA-Tencor received orders valued at US$16.8 million, the smallest amount within this early year spree, while Novellus Systems had orders placed from TSMC worth approximately US$20.9 million.
Update
As the first full-week of January, 2012 closes, TSMC finished off the week with a further two purchase orders totalling approximately US$42.93 million, bringing recent capital spending to around US$260 million.
The latest orders were placed with Gold Stone Development Company, a supplier of process material, process chemical, process gases and gas handling equipment for the semiconductor industry from companies such as Parker Hannifin and Veriflo to the tune of US$16.57 million.
The other order and the second for the week was placed with KLA-Tencor, worth approximately US$25.96 million, bring the metrology firms orders from TSMC for the week to around US$42.76 million and the second biggest beneficiary, after ASML for new orders.
Update 2
TSMC also squeezed in another batch of equipment purchases valued at US$24.54 million and placed with Applied Materials. This week’s spending spree has been taken to over US$284 million.
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