Semiconductor Engineering quoted Bruce's view on 'Long Lead Times Seen For Equipment.'
“The average lead time of 300mm tools has been 4 to 6 months so far,” said Bruce Kim, chief executive of SurplusGLOBAL, Inc. “Recently, the average lead time became 10 months. Some OEMs forecasted it will be extended to longer than a year.” For the last several years, 200mm equipment has been scarce with long lead times. Demand for automotive chips, RF and other devices have created a shortfall of 200mm fab capacity and equipment.
So how long will this all last? “The tool supply chain will not be stabilized quickly. If the chip shortages last until the next year, the deliveries will not be shortened. Furthermore, some of the major front-end tool vendors estimate the average delivery will be longer than a year. Some day, the market will stabilize, however. It will take more than a year at least,” SurplusGlobal’s Kim said.
Link: https://semiengineering.com/long-lead-times-seen-for-equipment/