Siliconware Precision Industries (SPIL), which falls behind Advanced Semiconductor Engineering (ASE) in copper-wire bonding processes, plans to add an additional 400-600 copper wire bonders for a total of 600-800 units by the middle of 2010, according to industry sources. SPIL is likely to narrow its gap with ASE in the second quarter, with shipments of packaged ICs processed with copper wire bonding approaching the rival's, the sources said.
SPIL will continue to ramp production on its copper wire bonding process in the second half of 2010, indicated the sources, adding that the number of its copper wire bonders is estimated at a minimum total of 1,500 units at the end of the year.
SPIL chairman Bough Lin was quoted in previous reports saying the number of the company's copper wire bonders would reach 200 units at the end of 2009, and SPIL looks to play more actively in the segment in 2010. Lin is expected to provide an update at the company's upcoming investors conference on February 3.
ASE, whose copper wire-bonding process reaching mature yields ahead of rivals, is expected to see 30% of its wire bonding revenues come from the copper segment at the end of 2010, according to the sources.
ASE said at its last investors conference that it would expand copper wire bonding equipment to 3,000 units by the end of 2010 from 1,000 in end-2009. It estimated the copper segment accounted for 9% of its total wire bonding revenues in fourth-quarter 2009.