CONNECTING THE COMPOUND SEMICONDUCTOR COMMUNITY
November/December 2011 Volume 17 Number 8
Editor-in-Chief David Ridsdale
+44 (0)1923 690200
Consultant Editor Richard Stevenson PhD
richardstevenson@angelbc.co.uk +44 (0)1291 629640
News Editor
Dr.Su Westwater
suwestwater@angelbc.co.uk
Director of SOLAR & IC Publishing Jackie Cannon
+44 (0)1923 690205
Account Managers Robin Halder
+44 (0)2476 718109 Shehzad Munshi
+44 (0)1923 690215
USA Representatives Brun Media Tom Brun
Tel: 724 539-2404 Janice Jenkins
Tel: 724-929-3550
Director of Logistics Sharon Cowley
+44 (0)1923 690200
Design & Production Manager Mitchell Gaynor
+44 (0)1923 690214
Circulation Director Jan Smoothy
+44 (0)1923 690200
Subscriptions Manager Debbie Higham
+44 (0)1923 690220
Chief Operating Officer Stephen Whitehurst
stephen.whitehurst@angelbc.com +44 (0)2476 718970
Directors
Bill Dunlop Uprichard – CEO Stephen Whitehurst – COO Jan Smoothy – CFO Jackie Cannon, Scott Adams, Sharon Cowley, Sukhi Bhadal
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Angel Business Communications Ltd, Hannay House, 39 Clarendon Road, Watford, Herts WD17 1JA, UK T: +44 (0)1923 690200 F: +44 (0)1923 690201
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Compound Semiconductor is published eight times a year on a controlled circulation basis. Non-qualifying individuals can subscribe at: £105.00/€158 pa (UK & Europe), £138.00 pa (air mail), $198 pa (USA).Cover price £4.50. All information herein is believed to be correct at time of going to press. The publisher does not accept responsibility for any errors and omissions. The views expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the publisher. Every effort has been made to obtain copyright permission for the material contained in this publication. Angel Business Communications Ltd will be happy to acknowledge any copyright oversights in a subsequent issue of the
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debbie.higham@angelbc.com
In this issue we take a close look at one of the firms that has underpinned the success of the outsourcing approach – WIN Semiconductors. This Taiwanese foundry, which I visited in early November, is the leading provider of GaAs ICs and could justifiably claim to be the TSMC of the GaAs world.
WIN has come a long way in a very short time. Founded in 1999, this GaAs foundry took until August 2006 to turn in its first monthly profit, but since then it has gone from strength to strength, ramping revenues at an annual growth rate of almost 50 percent.
Its success is partly down to the deep pockets of its patient investors, its broad portfolio of products and its competitive pricing, which partly stems from a relatively low wage bill. However, one should not underestimate the attractiveness of its manufacturing philosophy, which is to offer the world a pure-play foundry in GaAs. In other words, WIN only makes products for other companies, and there is never any conflict in the fab between internal producion and making products for others.
This Taiwanese foundry is now heading into a new era: It’s currently laying the foundations for GaN RF and power electronics products, and it is also developing a range of new services for its customers, such as copper bumping and plastic packaging.
But more exciting than any of these ventures, it will soon make its debut on the stock exchange. With such a promising program of new initiatives in the pipeline, the company promises to offer a good return to investors.
However, the global economy is still in turmoil, with the problems of the eurozone denting confidence the world over, so it will be interesting to see how willing investors are to pump cash into WIN in the current climate. The good news is that we’ll not have to wait that long to find out.
Richard Stevenson PhD Consultant Editor
jan.smoothy@
angelbc.com mitch.gaynor@
angelbc.com sharon.cowley@
angelbc.com robin.halder@angelbc.com shehzad.munshi@
angelbc.com It’s not what - it’s how E:
tbrun@brunmedia.com E:
jjenkins@brunmedia.com
Some arguments seem to go on forever. One of these that has already been debated over and over again concerns the most profitable way to manufacture GaAs ICs. Some claim that making everything in-house is the best way to go, while others believe that it is better to outsource. And there is a third camp that will champion a hybrid strategy, which combines the best bits of the first two approaches.
Whatever side you are on, you can point to the successes of several companies that have adopted one of these methods. And what that tells us is this: It ain’t what you do, it’s the way that you do it.
jackie.cannon@
angelbc.com david.ridsdale@angelbc.com
editorialview
November/December 2011
www.compoundsemiconductor.net 3
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