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Fri, March 24, 2023 | 01:36
Tech
Samsung may cut chip production in US
삼성, 美 오스틴 공장 투자 '속도조절'
Posted : 2014-03-25 16:06
Updated : 2014-03-25 19:33
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By Kim Yoo-chul

Samsung Electronics plans to reduce processor chip production and investment in its plant in Austin, Texas, this year due to sluggish demand from Apple and rising inventory, according to company and industry officials Tuesday.

The officials said Samsung will cut its investment in the plant to 1 trillion won for this year as it has failed to win any major orders.

Apple is cutting its reliance on Samsung-manufactured processors, a key part in handsets and computers.

The operating rate at the factory ― which employs more than 5,500 people and generates $1.5 billion in revenue annually ― was below 70 percent in February.

Samsung has designated the Austin plant to produce only processor chips.

"Samsung will invest less than 1 trillion won in its chip facility in Austin depending on the market situation," said an official at one of Samsung's technology affiliates by telephone, asking not to be identified.

"The utilization of the Austin line isn't that high as Apple orders are disappointing. Samsung should have greater flexibility in operating its chip lines in Austin," he stressed.

"This year, Apple will start using products from Taiwan's TSMC (Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing), so the Korean company needs to find alternative customers," said an industry official.

He said that Samsung has invested a total of $13 billion in the Austin plant since 1996, the firm's biggest foreign investment so far.

A spokesman declined to comment on this figure, citing the sensitivity of the issue.

The worsening performance of the Texas plant is considered another reason for Samsung's move to cut production there.

In the first quarter of 2013, the plant posted a net loss of 3.5 billion won, with revenue decreasing from 837 billion won to 659 billion won year-on-year, Samsung said in a regulatory filing to the Korea Exchange. Its net losses in 2012 reached 86.8 billion won.

A leading brokerage house said that Samsung's processor chip business will have another difficult time this year.

"As Samsung diverts its resource away from the 20-nanometer (nm) level chip technology to accelerate 14nm and 16nm, the chance of it winning a significant portion of Apple's business in 20nm is slim. Furthermore, the optimistic outlook from TSMC also suggests strong demand from Apple," Bernstein Research said in a note to clients.



삼성, 美 오스틴 공장 투자 '속도조절'

삼성전자가 미국 텍사스 주 오스틴 소재 반도체 생산법인에서 시스템 메모리 반도체 투자 축소에 나선다. 축소 규모는 25~30%에 달할 것으로 전망된다. 

애플이 차세대 아이폰에 사용할 A8 프로세서 물량을 대만의 TSMC가 독점까지는 아니더라도 많은 부분 가져갔기 때문으로 분석된다. 때문에 삼성전자는 재고 관리를 위해 오스틴 공장 전체 가동률을 70% 이하로 낮춰 운영하고 있는 것으로 알려졌다.

25일, 삼성 소식통 및 업계에 따르면 삼성전자는 올해 오스틴 법인 투자 규모를 1조원 미만으로 낮춰잡았다. 이는 당초 예상치보다 25% 정도 줄어든 것이다.

한 관계자는 “올해 오스틴 공장에 대한 대규모 투자는 예정되어 있지 않다”면서 “현재 계획은 1조원 미만이나 올해 총 투자 금액은 시황에 따라 유동적”이라고 말했다.

그는 이어 “판로 개척에 어려움을 겪고 있어 가동률이 70% 미만까지 낮아진 상황”이라며 “고객사를 추가로 확보하기 위해 노력 중”이라고 덧붙였다.

일각에서 제기하고 있는 3차원 낸드플래시 (V-NAND) 생산으로의 일시 전환 가능성은 사실상 없는 것으로 파악됐다. 중국 시안 소재 메모리 공장에서 V-NAND를 주력으로 생산키로 한 만큼 무리해서 라인 전환을 할 이유가 없다는 것.  

삼성전자 관계자는 오스틴 공장 투자 하향 조정을 묻는 질의에 “답변할 수 없는 사안”이라고 말했다. 세계 1위 메모리 반도체 제조업체인 삼성전자는 1998년부터 오스틴에서 반도체 생산법인을 가동하고 있다.

현재 2개 라인이 가동중이며 이는 모두 시스템반도체 라인이다. 주력 품목은 어플리케이션프로세서 (AP)다. 텍사스 주 정부는 삼성전자 오스틴 법인 설립에 있어 큰 역할을 했다. 파격적인 세제 및 행정혜택을 제공한 것. 96년 생산법인 설립 이후 삼성전자가 이 공장에 쏟아부은 투자금액은 작년 말 기준으로 14조원을 넘어선 것으로 알려졌다.

때문에 오스틴 법인 투자 축소와 관련한 부분에 민감하게 반응할 수 밖에 없다는 것이 삼성 관계자들의 전언이다.

미국 최대 자산운용사인 얼라이언스번스타인의 독립리서치 기관인 샌포드 번스타인은 최근 보고서에서 “삼성전자가 14/16나노 핀펫 (FinFET) 공정 으로의 전환을 서두르고 있기 때문에 20나노 급 공정 기술이 적용되는 애플 차세대 아이폰용 AP를 대량 수주할 가능성이 현재로써는 낮다”며 “때문에 대만의 TSMC가 애플 물량 수주 포지션을 늘려가고 있다”고 보고서에서 밝혔다.

애플은 부품공급채널을 다변화하고 있다. 그 동안 애플 기기에 들어가는 메모리 반도체 및 시스템 반도체는 전량 삼성이 납품해왔으나 삼성전자와의 특허 소송 이후 고객사를 대만, 유럽 및 미국 업체들로 다변화하고 있다. 일종의 ‘리스크 헷지’ 인 셈.
Emailyckim@koreatimes.co.kr Article ListMore articles by this reporter
 
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