台灣DRAM產業競合策略研究

Abstract

DRAM於1970年Intel發明問世以來，馬上成為半導體產業的耀眼明星，不僅是最大宗的單一電子元件，也被視為半導體產業的火車頭，景氣循環的指標，其重要性不言而喻。許多廠商加入DRAM生產的行列，經過近四十年的競爭、成長、合併、合作、合資的演進，雖然記憶位元的成長(Bit Growth)已達數十萬倍，但全球DRAM廠商卻從原有20家減少到只剩9家，可見DRAM產業競爭之激烈。 全球DRAM產業已形成寡占的局面，DRAM的製程技術及市場佔有率被五大DRAM集團掌控，這五大集團分別為Samsung、Hynix、Qimonda、Micron及Elpida，而台灣的力晶、南亞、茂德及華邦則為其策略聯盟及代工夥伴。這樣的分工結合，不僅分攤了昂貴的研發及建廠成本，也減少因市場起伏不定所帶來的營運風險。 台灣DRAM廠的經營模式，太過注重DRAM製造，而忽略了高附加價值的研發與行銷。台灣的DRAM廠商在最近一波，持續達三年(2003-2006年)之久的半導體景氣循環的策略佈局重點，一是加強與日、韓、德DRAM廠的策略聯盟與技術合作，另一方面則積極興建12吋晶圓廠，快速提高台灣的DRAM市場佔有率。近年來更涉足DRAM設計，建立自有品牌，生產標準型DRAM，也開發利基產品，以避價格崩盤風險。除了DRAM，業者對Flash產品的投入也十分積極，這些都在在反映台灣DRAM廠在為轉型成為全方位IC記憶體廠的策略而努力。 本論文「台灣DRAM產業競合策略研究」的研究，藉由DRAM產業演變的歷史以及產業競爭五力分析，瞭解DRAM市場特性、轉型策略的演變及五大集團結構的形成。並藉由SWOT分析，針對台灣DRAM產業弱點尋找因應的策略佈局，利用既有12吋晶圓廠優勢，轉變過往只專注DRAM製造，而忽略高附加價值的研發與行銷的經營模式，以爭取競爭優勢。

Since the invention of DRAM by Intel Corporation in 1970, it has become the sparkling star in the semiconductor industry. The importance of DRAM comes from the facts that it not only is the largest volume production electronic component, but also serves as the driving force for semiconductor technology development and the key indicator for industry business cycle. Although the number of DRAM memory bits manufactured each year has grown hundredth and thousandth times since the invention of DRAM, the number of worldwide DRAM manufacturers however reduced from 20 to 9 after 40-year fierce competition. The DRAM market has become oligopsonistic. The technology and the market share are dominated by five biggest firms – Samsung, Hynix, Qimonda, Micron and Elpida, while Taiwan’s Power Chip, Naya, ProMOS and Winbond are their strategic and OEM partners. The advantages of the cooperation are two folds: decrease the expensive costs of both R/D and manufacture fab constructions, and lower the business risk due to the frequent market turbulence. DRAM companies in Taiwan have been putting too much effort in manufacturing instead of the high value-added areas such as R/D and marketing. In the past three years of business upturn, the strategy of Taiwan DRAM companies has been to develop technological cooperation with market leaders from Japan, Korea and Germany. On the other hand, they also have been trying to aggressively build more 12”DRAM fab’s to raise the market shares in the world. The attempt of becoming a complete IC memory chip firm by getting involved in DRAM product design to establish own brand, developing Flash technology, etc. is also an alternative for Taiwan companies in lieu of purely manufacturing. The research of this thesis aims to understand the history of DRAM industry in order to comprehend the characteristics of the DRAM market. The ultimate goals are to pinpoint the weakness of Taiwan DRAM industry, utilize their strong hold of 12”fab manufacture capability and explore strategies for better position in competition.