news review Toshiba returns to top of NAND rankings
AFTER persevering through a devastating earthquake and two major revenue declines in 2011, Toshiba in the first quarter of 2012 made a comeback in the NAND flash memory business, achieving double digit growth that defied an industry wide contraction in revenue.
Toshiba of Japan posted NAND sales revenue of $1.71 billion in the first quarter, up 19 % from $1.43 billion in the fourth quarter of
2011.That growth performance gave the company a 34 % share of the worldwide market, up from 28 percent in the fourth quarter, according to an IHS iSuppli Flash Market Brief report.
In contrast, the overall NAND flash market suffered a 1 percent sequential decline in revenue, and all the other suppliers experienced sales decreases, most by double-digit percentages.
“Toshiba’s improved performance in the first quarter came after a troubling 2011,” said Dee Nguyen, memory analyst at IHS. “Last year NAND market share saw two major declines. The first drop because of disrupted production stemming from the Japan earthquake-tsunami disaster. The second decline arrived later when an uncertain market necessitated a carryover
of inventory into the first quarter this year. Toshiba’s strong results show that the company has regained its footing and has put a tumultuous year behind it.”
The market for NAND flash in the first quarter was dragged down by weak pricing, which reflected the mismatch between an industry-wide growth in supply and a seasonally slow quarter for consumer demand. NAND flash is used in a wide range of products, including smartphones, tablets and solid state drives that form part of the storage systems of faster and thinner laptop computers, including the MacBook Air from Apple Inc. and ultrabooks championed by Intel Corp. But with the exception of Toshiba, NAND suppliers experienced revenue declines that ranged from a soft landing for Samsung to a steep drop-off for Powerchip Technology Corp.
Samsung maintained its lead with a 37 % share despite lower revenue in the first quarter of $1.86 billion, down sequentially from $1.94 billion. U.S.-based Micron Technology Inc., SK Hynix Semiconductor Inc. of South Korea and Powerchip of Taiwan rounded out the rest of the tightly held NAND market. Overall first-quarter NAND flash sales amounted to $4.99
Brewer Science founder appointed to SEMI board
DR. TERRY BREWER, founder and President of Brewer Science, has been appointed to the SEMI North American Advisory Board. With this appointment, Dr. Brewer joins a group of leaders in the nano- and microelectronics fields along with whom he will advise on global technology matters. Dr. Brewer’s appointment to the board was announced by Karen Savala, president of SEMI Americas.
“It’s important that the composition of the SEMI North American Advisory Board represents the breadth of SEMI membership, so we balance participation by industry segment served, product area, and company size. Dr. Brewer’s election brings a Central US perspective, which is not currently represented, and therefore adds a new dimension to the
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www.siliconsemiconductor.net Issue III 2012
Board. We’re delighted that Dr. Brewer will join this esteemed group of advisors to SEMI,” said Karen Savala.
“I am so pleased to be able to serve our industry as a SEMI North American Advisory Board member and hope to share in making a positive difference in difficult times,” said Dr. Terry Brewer.
billion, down 1 percent from $5.05 billion in the fourth quarter last year.
Samsung posted the highest total revenue among the decimated group, even though its quarterly share of the market inched down by a percentage point. Samsung’s quarterly revenue decline was just 4 percent, compared to double-digit drops ranging from 14 % in Micron’s case to a sharp 35 percent tumble for Powerchip, with Hynix somewhere in the middle with its 17 % contraction. Samsung’s decline was due to a 10 % fall in the ASP of its NAND product, as well as because of the company throttling production in one of its fabs while preparing to transition to the firm’s System LSI division that makes processors and chipsets. The company is optimistic about a stronger second quarter, as handset and PC manufacturers launch new products for the upcoming high- demand seasons.
Micron maintained its place at No. 3 with revenue of $846 million, equivalent to a 17 percent market share. The only U.S. maker of memory semiconductors, Micron reported a 23 % retreat in its NAND ASP during the period. However, the Idaho- based maker should be able to grow market share in the coming quarter after purchasing the remainder of a joint- venture stake it holds with Intel Corp. in managing fabs in Virginia and Singapore.
At No. 4 was SK Hynix with revenue of $556 million for an 11 percent share of market. The company recorded tepid shipment growth of 2 percent, amid an ASP decline in of 16 % in light of weak seasonal demand. SK Hynix also has maintained a cautious outlook for the second quarter, guiding ASP declines in the midteens out of concern for possible oversupply as a result of industry capacity growth. The fifth-ranked player, Powerchip, had NAND revenue of $17 million for approximately 0.3 percent market share.
Overall, Toshiba continues to narrow the gap with NAND market leader Samsung, with the race for No. 1 expected to further heat up during this year. The battle for third place will also continue between Micron, currently comfortable in its lead, against Hynix, which now appears willing to spend its way to the top and tackle competitors head on to remain a viable player in the space.
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