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Hope springs eternal.
In the midst of a global market slump with widespread chip oversupply, major producers are getting ready to swamp the world with twice as many die late next year. Intel, Infineon, Samsung, TSMC, UMC, ST Micro are all equipping new 300-mm production fabs right now. That means they have passed the point of no-return. With heavy 300-mm fab depreciation expenses, the giant chip makers have no choice but to launch production as soon as possible, mostly by late 2002, to start recovering the cost. The game plan is for the 2001 semiconductor stall to turn around next year in time to absorb the big chip avalanche from the new 300-mm wafer fabs.