Memory backend services companies Powertech Technology (PTI) and Walton Advanced Engineering have seen their production capacities for mobile DRAM running in high gear recently thanks to brisk sales of tables and smartphones in the end market, according to industry sources.

The sources indicated that Elpida Memory has been receiving more orders for mobile DRAM chips from Apple, pushing the memory chipmaker to release more testing and packaging orders to Taiwan-based backend services companies.

PTI declined to comment on orders from individual clients but revealed that testing and packaging orders for mobile DRAM and NAND flash chips have been strong in the fourth quarter, offsetting a decline in demand for standard DRAM chips and logic ICs.

Meanwhile, Walton indicated that its overall capacity utilization rate will be higher in the fourth quarter as compared to the previous quarter, buoyed by increasing orders for mobile DRAM.

Walton's capex for 2013 will be lower than the NT$2 billion (US$68.75 million) spent in 2012, but a majority of new capital spending in the coming year will be used to ramp its mobile DRAM capacity, according to industry estimates.

Walton will have a production capacity of 90 million mobile DRAM chips a month by year-end 2012, noted the sources.