Taiwan-based IC test solutions providers including Chunghwa Precision Test Tech (CHPT), Keystone Microtech and WinWay Technology have enjoyed a pull-in of short lead-time orders for GPUs and continued strong demand for smartphone application processors, according to industry sources.

The firms are poised to post particularly strong revenues for fourth-quarter 2020.

CHPT is busy fulfilling big orders for vertical probe cards (VPC) from first-tier US chipmakers and system vendors as well as Taiwan's MediaTek for 5G handset SoCs and other HPC (high performance computing) chips, the sources said.

Keystone has landed robust orders from mostly Taiwan IC designers, especially those for load boards for final IC testing and burn-in boards for backend processing, and its shipments for RF chip testing solutions to Chinese clients are also growing steadily, the sources indicated.

Having readied sufficient probe sockets in first-half 2020 for new GPUs from two major US vendors, WinWay has continued to land extra rush orders for sockets since October mainly for processing server chips and GPUs, the sources continued.

Chinese IC designers and telecom operators are strengthening deployments in high-end handset SoCs and base station chips, and become more aggressive in procuring top-tier IC probe cards and sockets, generating significant revenue growth momentum for Taiwan suppliers, the sources noted.

By DIGITIMES