Equipment Delivery Times 'Doubled'... Major Factor in Semiconductor Production Plans Emerges

Recent data indicates that lead times for major semiconductor manufacturing equipment have increased up to twice as long, driven by simultaneous factory investments by global foundries. As equipment delivery times become a critical variable in production planning, competition among manufacturers to secure equipment has intensified. South Korean giants Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix are now reviewing early procurement strategies. Leading equipment suppliers like Applied Materials, ASML, Lam Research, Tokyo Electron, and KLA have seen lead times for key equipment rise 1.5-2 times. Some equipment now takes over a year to deliver, even for processes with standard 6-month lead times. Domestic suppliers also report extended lead times. Industry experts warn that companies lacking production capacity buffers face delayed orders, impacting planned fab operations. Samsung and SK Hynix are closely monitoring equipment lead times to adjust their procurement strategies.