Report: China’s chip capacity could double in seven years
A new industry study says China is preparing to boost its chip manufacturing capacity by a huge margin before the end of the decade.
Bloomberg has reported on a research study by Barclays that says production will more than double within the next five to seven years. The study looked at 48 Chinese chip manufacturers and concluded that 60% of the expected additional capacity could come online within three years.
TrendForce believes that China currently has 44 wafer fabs, with 25 of them being 12-inch facilities, 4 of them 6-inch, and 15 8-inch wafer fabs/lines. Additionally, there are 22 large-scale wafer fabs under construction. It says local companies such as SMIC, Nexchip, CXMT and Silan are planning to construct 10 more wafer fabs by the end of 2024 to bring the total to 32.
The analysis goes on to suggest that the new capacity will produce mature semiconductors (28nm and above) rather than advanced chips. Nevertheless, these products are still widely used in household appliances and automotive systems. TrendForce expects the global ratio of mature (>28nm) to advanced (<16nm) processes to by 7:3 by 2027.
