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SEZ reports earnings...and signs of FEOL momentum |
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Jul 31, 2007 at 10:36 AM |
In the midst of SEZ's six-month earnings report issued today (net sales up 23% year over year, net profit up 128%, memory orders accounted for whopping 75% of bookings, second half of year expected to be weaker), there's a few words that underscore a trend that's been building momentum: the increasing importance of front-end-of-line (FEOL) surface cleaning/conditioning/prep in flash memory and other advanced chipmaking processes.
Here're those words from the SEZ announcement:
"During the reporting period, SEZ recorded a great success with the receipt of the first two orders for new FEOL tools.
The new production tools are currently installed at leading memory chip manufacturers. Due to the significantly improved demand for FEOL equipment, SEZ expects FEOL sales to jump and account for a solid double-digit percentage of its second half-year revenues—a figure that clearly exceeds previous expectations. SEZ’s success within the FEOL arena will significantly grow to contribute an overproportionate amount to SEZ Group’s overall sales and profitability over the next years."
FEOL tool sales representing "a solid double-digit percentage of its second half-year revenues" is nothing to sneeze at, and affirms SEZ's FEOL efforts---including the rollout of its Esanti single-wafer wet-clean tool---over the past couple of years. Of course, Semitool, TEL, Applied Materials, DNS, Akrion, and other competitors aren't standing still, and many have seen increased FEOL purchase-order activity of their own.
Chip Shots had several still-relevant postings in late November/early December about the FEOL cleaning/etc. space, which you can refer to by clicking here.
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