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Taiwanese cleanroom companies are receiving a wave of new orders as major global chipmakers expand production around the world, especially in the United States and Southeast Asia.
United Integrated Services Co. (UIS), a longtime supplier to Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC), is one of the main winners in this trend. From January to May 2025, UIS secured NTD (New Taiwan dollar) 83.68 billion (USD 2.57 billion) in cleanroom-related contracts -- a new record for the company. Much of this growth is tied to TSMC's massive investment of USD 65 billion in three chip factories, known as "fabs," in Arizona. The first fab has already started mass production, and the second is nearly finished. With a total order backlog of NTD 132.27 billion (USD 4.45 billion), UIS is expected to receive even more orders later in 2025. Experts predict the company will have its highest-ever sales in 2025. L&K Engineering Co., another major cleanroom provider, is also seeing strong demand. It reported NTD 95.76 billion (USD 3.23 billion) in new orders in the first five months of the year, largely from Taiwanese firms building new fabs in Southeast Asia. L&K now has a total backlog of NTD 208.49 billion (USD 7.02 billion). Some of this comes from projects with United Microelectronics Corp. (UMC), which recently opened a new fab in Singapore. Production there will start in 2026. L&K is also working with Vanguard International Semiconductor Corp., which is building a 12-inch fab in Singapore with Dutch company NXP Semiconductors. That plant will start production in 2027. Other Taiwanese firms like Acter Group Corp. and Yankey Engineering Co. are also doing well. Acter now holds over NTD 46 billion (USD 1.55 billion) in orders, up from NTD 38 billion (USD 1.28 billion) at the end of 2024, helped by business from chip packaging company Siliconware Precision Industries Co. Yankey Engineering has NTD 40.67 billion (USD 1.37 billion) in orders, supported in part by Dutch equipment maker ASML's expansion in Taiwan. Cleanrooms are a critical part of chipmaking. They remove dust and other particles that could damage delicate components during production. As chip companies grow worldwide, demand for these high-tech spaces is rising -- and Taiwanese firms are leading the way. (ANI)
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