www.digitimes.com/news/a20191004PD202.html
GaAs firms to thrive on robust VCSEL, PA, RF demand
Julian Ho, Taipei; Willis Ke, DIGITIMES Friday 4 October 2019
Taiwan-based GaAs IC foundries and epitaxial wafer suppliers are set to enjoy strong sales in the fourth quarter of 2019 and beyond, driven by robust demand for VCSEL and PA (power amplifier) and RF (radio frequency) devices, according to industry sources.
The sources said many new midrange and high-end 5G smartphones are expected to be unveiled at MWC 2020 next February, and strong shipment momentum is expected to emerge in late fourth-quarter 2019 for VCSEL components needed for both 3D structured-light and ToF (time of flight) sensing solutions for the handsets. This will benefit Taiwan's compound semiconductor supply chain players including foundries Advanced Wireless Semiconductor (AWSC), Win Semiconductors and Global Communication Semiconductors, as well as epi-wafer suppliers Visual Photonics Epitaxy (VPEC) and Intelligent Epitaxy Technology.
AWSC saw its September revenues shoot up 94.15% on year to NT$237 million (US$7.65 million) thanks to robust demand for GaAs-based PA and VCSEL components for both 4G and sub-6 GHz 5G handsets from China smartphone vendors.
The company is expanding its foundry capacity to 15,000 wafers by the end of 2019 from 10,000 to meet stronger demand driven by 5G commercialization in 2020.
VPEC saw its September revenues surge 64% on year to NT$217 million, with its third-quarter revenues registering a 13% sequential increase. Having indirectly tapped into the ToF-use VCSEL supply chains of Huawei and Samsung, the company is expected to enjoy stable VCSEL shipment growth through 2020, as more Android-based handset vendors will incorporate VCSEL into ToF-based camera lenses or sensors, the sources said.
Win Semi is also expected to see its September revenues hit a new monthly high and sustain expansion momentum for fourth-quarter revenues, thanks to strong GaAs foundry demand for VCSEL chips for structured light 3D sensors in the iPhone 11 lineup and for ToF sensors in Huawei's smartphones, the sources said.
Win Semi has also landed orders from Broadcom, HiSilicon and Qualcomm for fabricating RF devices, the sources said. To fulfill increasing orders, the company will start installing new equipment in fourth-quarter 2019 to boost its monthly capacity from 36,000 wafers to 41,000.