Foundry model under stress

Mark LaPedus, EE Times
(01/15/2008 6:25 PM EST)
 
HALF MOON BAY, Calif. — After years of success, the silicon foundry model may be falling apart. Perhaps a better description is that there are growing cracks in the model. In fact, the semiconductor supply chain is headed towards a "collision course," as leading-edge foundries are falling behind Moore's Law and find themselves stretched too thin, according to analysts.

The "collision course" could result in shortages of foundry capacity in the second half of 2008, said Bill McClean, president for IC Insights Inc., at the Industry Strategy Symposium (ISS) here.