TSMC shows big drop in profits, revenues

PURE PLAY FOUNDRY TSMC said its net profits fell by 42.2 per cent in its first financial quarter compared to the same quarter last year, while revenues fell by 16.6 per cent.

TSMC turned in net income of NT$18.84 billion on revenues of $NT64.90 billion.

It blamed "inventory correction and seasonality" but claimed its customers' excess stock is now in better shape. TSMC makes its money by taking designs from chip designers without fabrication facilities and making them.

It revealed the proportion of wafer revenues by process size. Only one per cent were made using a 65 nanometre process, 90 nanometre wafers accounted for 22 per cent, and .13µ wafers for 49 per cent of production. µ