Advanced Semiconductor Engineering Inc (ASE, 日月光半導體) retained its title as the world’s largest semiconductor assembly and testing services (SATS) provider last year, according to Gartner.
The market information advisory firm said that ASE took an 18.9 percent share of the global integrated circuit packaging and testing services market last year after posting US$4.74 billion in sales, up 10.3 percent from a year earlier.
US-based Amkor Technology Inc came second with an 11.8 percent share of the market after reporting a 7.1 percent year-on-year increase in sales at U$2.96 billion.
Siliconware Precision Industries Co (矽品精密), also a local firm, was the third-largest SATS provider, posting US$2.34 billion in sales, up 6.8 percent from 2012, to take a 9.3 percent share of the market.
Singapore-based STATS ChipPAC Ltd was the fourth-largest provider, with a 6.4 percent share of the market on US$1.60 billion in sales, which was down 6.1 percent from a year earlier.
Powertech Technology Inc (力成), also from Taiwan, ranked as the fifth-largest provider after it posted US$1.27 billion in sales, down 10 percent, to hold a 5.1 percent market share, Gartner said in a research report.
Sales in the sector rose 2.3 percent last year from a year earlier to US$25.1 billion, but the top three providers — ASE, Amkor and Siliconware — “grew faster than the market average, and took market share away from other, lower-ranked companies,” Gartner said.
“Their focus on advanced technologies, including wafer level packaging and flip chip, resulted in increased revenue due to the higher average selling prices of these packages,” the firm said.
Gartner said the global SATS market grew slower than expected as the depreciation of the yen against the US dollar reduced Japanese firms’ revenue, which affected global sales growth.
Dynamic random access memory chip makers cut their outsourcing to outside packaging and testing services providers after raising their internal capabilities, which slowed the global SATS market’s growth, Gartner said.