April 8, 2004 – Taiwan’s top two foundries posted better sales in the first quarter of 2004, with production lines running at full capacity even during the typically-slow post-holiday period.
TSMC’s February revenue came in at $607 million, up 44% year-on-year and just below an all-time high of $617.3 million reached in October 2003. For 1Q04, revenues were $1.75 billion, also just below an all-time high of set in 4Q04.
UMC, meanwhile, reported March revenues of $273 million, up 12% from February and nearly 28% from a year ago; for the first quarter revenues were up 6.8% sequentially.
Both foundries also credited rising selling prices due to improving economic conditions in the US, which accounts for 75% of TSMC’s sales and 19% of UMC’s sales.