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Leading semiconductor foundry, TSMC has placed official orders valued at over US$300 million in the last 4-weeks, bringing the total in 2012 to approximately US$600 million. According to Applied Materials chairman and chief executive officer, Mike Splinter in conference call to discuss quarterly results, foundries were spending on leading-edge technology as they met demand for smart phone IC applications and will be a key driver of capital expenditure, notably in the first-half of 2012.

Facilities and engineering purchase orders have been placed with M+W High Tech Project Taiwan, a division of cleanroom construction specialist M+W Group of Germany, valued at approximately US$10.94 million.

China Steel Structure Co also received orders valued at approximately US$33.39 million, having last received officially released orders US$29.3 in July, 2011.

Another facilities and construction materials supplier, I-Domain Industrial Co of Taiwan received orders for materials valued at approximately US$11.8 million.
Also Confederate Technology Co, had US$10.27 million of orders placed for facility related goods.

FEOL Tool Orders

Key equipment companies from Japan that have received batches of purchase orders over the last 4-weeks include Hitachi High Technologies, Dainippon Screen and Ebara Corp. Orders placed by TSMC with Hitachi were valued at US$20.22 million, DNS at US$38.43 million and Ebara’s orders were valued at approximately US$17.19 million.

US-based firms Applied Materials and recently acquired Varian Semiconductor took the highest number of purchase orders, while KLA-Tencor received a small batch of orders valued at US$19.44 million.

Total orders placed with Applied Materials (including Varian US$23.69) were approximately US$72.84 million.