Dylan McGrath, EETimes, Dec. 15, 2016 –
SAN FRANCISCO-More than 40% of front end semiconductor fabs scheduled to begin operation between 2017 and 2020 are in China, a clear indication that China's long-stated ambition to build a significant domestic semiconductor industry is taking shape.
According to SEMI, a trade group that represents semiconductor equipment and materials suppliers, of 62 front end fabs that will open worldwide over the next three years, 26 are in China, representing 42% of the global total.
Of the 62 fabs currently on the drawing board or in construction, most are volume manufacturing fabs, with seven slated to be R&D or pilot fabs, according to Christian Dieseldorff, director of semiconductor industry research at SEMI (San Jose, Calif.).