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The global DRAM revenue reached a new historical high in the second quarter of 2017, reports DRAMeXchange, a division of TrendForce. Compared with the first quarter, the undersupply situation was not as severe, and OEM clients in the downstream were able to gradually extend their inventories. Nevertheless, the global ASPs of PC and server DRAM products rose by more than 10% sequentially in the second quarter, while the global ASP of mobile DRAM products showed a less than 5% gain. The smaller price increase for mobile DRAM was due to Chinese smartphone brands lowering than annual shipment targets.
Broadcom Limited, Qualcomm and NVIDIA respectively took first, second and third place in TrendForce’s latest ranking of the global top 10 fabless IC design houses for the second quarter of 2017. With MediaTek and Marvell as exceptions, the eight other design houses in the top 10 ranking posted year-on-year revenue growth.
For this second quarter, the total server DRAM revenue of the global top three DRAM makers – Samsung, SK Hynix and Micron – jumped by 30.1% compared with the prior quarter, as ASPs of server DRAM products remained high on continuing undersupply, says DRAMeXchange, a division of TrendForce. Despite product mix adjustments, suppliers had difficulty meeting the various growing demands in the DRAM market.
DRAM prices began to rise in the second half of 2016 and have maintained a strong upward momentum through the first half of 2017, according to data from DRAMeXchange, a division of TrendForce. The average contract price of PC DRAM modules rose by nearly 40% sequentially in the first quarter to US$24 and then by more than 10% sequentially in the second quarter to US$27. Furthermore, the average contract price of PC DRAM modules increased by about 4.6% between this June and July. DRAMeXchange’s price forecast for this year’s second half indicates and steady and incremental gains as the general trend in the DRAM market.
TrendForce’s latest research on semiconductor fab plans in China after 2016 finds that a total 17 new fabs are slated for construction so far. Five of these plants will be for processing 8-inch wafers and the remaining 12 plants will be for processing 12-inch wafers. New fab projects will carry high depreciation costs, and the aggressive recruitment efforts by semiconductor manufacturers will raise the cost of personnel needed for fab operation. Furthermore, prices of bulk silicon wafers have gone up as the strong demand for them worldwide has outpaced the overall supply. Within the short/medium term, the construction and operation of these new fabs poses enormous financial risks for their owners.
