Taiwan-based IC design houses are bracing for a robust second-quarter 2021, fueled by persistently strong demand along with rising chip prices, according to industry sources.

Some first-tier players, including MediaTek and Novatek Microelectronic, are expected to see their revenues hit new highs in April, said the sources.

MediaTek's revenues of NT$40.147 billion (US$1.445 billion) and Novatek's NT$9.529 billion for March were both monthly records for the companies.

Realtek has already reported revenues of NT$7.812 billion for April, down 3.02% sequentially but up 41.18% on year. The figure is the company's highest for the same month.

For the first-four months of 2021, Realtek's revenues totaled NT$31.153 billion, increasing 45.16% from a year earlier.

Other vendors offering display driver ICs (DDI), MOSFET chips and MCUs are also likely to report significant revenue gains for April, added the sources.

For the second quarter, most DDI and MOSFET chip suppliers aim to ramp up their respective revenues by over 20% sequentially in the quarter, and MCU makers are eyeing a leap in the range of 30-50%.

By DIGITIMES