Taiwanese semiconductor firms face supply shortages in Japan.

Taiwan’s major semiconductor manufacturers, a crucial link in the global tech supply chain, scrambled March 14 to gauge how their access to raw materials from Japanese suppliers will be affected by the powerful earthquake in Japan. United Microelectronics, ProMOS Technologies, and other companies said they were unsure how long inventories of wafer stock such as silicon would last and how disruptions in transportation or power following the quake on will upset supplies. Most can get by for 1 to 2 months, analysts believe. Japan supplies an estimated 50 percent of raw 12-inch wafers and 30 percent of raw 8-inch wafers to Taiwan. Any halt in supplies would likely raise prices paid by semiconductor customers such as Apple, and ultimately by buyers of PCs, smartphones, and electronic gadgetry.

http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9214438/Taiwanese_semiconductor_firms_face_supply_shortages_in_Japan

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DrJBHL

Join Date 04/2002

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Expect a price rise in all electronics involving 'chips', as most are made in Japan. Also expect a fall in gold, silver and platinum as well as rare metals due to the same reason...

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Here in the U.S., TI said their supplier would be down till June.

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Most chips are manufactured in Taiwan, not Japan. However, Taiwanese companies do get raw materials from Japan. I don't think this impact will be that pronounced. Fujitsu fabs some display stuff, and that would get hit. If a tsunami hit Hsinchu, Taiwan, though, it would not be good for us, unless you own a bunch of stock in IBM. 2/3rd's of everything involving silicon comes from there.

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