June 24, 2003 – San Jose, CA – Prices for CMOS wafers were essentially unchanged from Q1 to Q2 of this year, according to a new study from the Fabless Semiconductor Association (FSA).

The “2003 Q2 Wafer Pricing Survey,” which gauged the average price paid per wafer by 114 fabless companies and integrated device manufacturers (IDMs), also found that fabless companies put a greater emphasis on designing for advanced geometries (0.13-micron to 0.18-micron), whereas the majority of IDMs focused on 0.35-micron geometries.

In addition, the study found that IDMs generally paid less for wafers than fabless companies, possibly because IDMs also ordered a higher quantity of wafers per order than fabless companies.

“The lack in sequential wafer pricing growth isn’t a surprise given that foundry utilization has remained well below 90%, and prices are not stabilizing,” said Jodi Shelton, co-founder and executive director of the FSA. Another contributing factor to static wafer prices is an increased emphasis on establishing multiple foundry relationships, which creates a more competitive pricing environment, she said.

The data was collected and tabulated by Ernst & Young LLP using a weighted industry average approach.