Wafer foundry capacity utilization rate exceeded expectations

Driven by multiple factors such as low inventory of IC manufacturers,smart phones entering the peak sales season,and continuous strong demand for artificial intelligence(AI),the wafer foundry capacity utilization performance in the second half of 2025 was better than market expectations.The expected capacity utilization callback did not appear,and the operating performance of some fabs in the fourth quarter is even expected to surpass that in the third quarter.In this context,some manufacturers have begun to raise the price of the process platforms with tight supply such as BCD and Power.
 

Previously,the market predicted that with some consumer electronics products such as televisions entering the off-season,the wafer foundry capacity utilization rate will enter the down cycle in the fourth quarter.However,the actual situation shows that some IC design customers have recently started to replenish their inventory and actively stock up for smart phones and new PC platforms after lowering their film investment plans in the second half of the year.At the same time,AI server-related chips continue to release incremental orders due to strong demand,even crowding out the capacity allocation of consumer products to some extent.
 

In addition,the inventory of industrial control-related chips has also fallen back to a healthy level,and related manufacturers have gradually resumed the pace of stocking.Under the joint support of the above factors,the capacity utilization rate of wafer foundry in the fourth quarter is expected to be roughly the same as that in the third quarter,and the overall performance is better than previously expected.
 

By the end of 2025,the eight-inch capacity utilization rate of some fabs is expected to remain close to full capacity.Thanks to the increase in demand for high-power chips driven by AI applications,some manufacturers have a positive outlook on customer demand in 2026,and have planned to raise the OEM quotation in 2026.Although the specific increase still needs to be negotiated with customers,the atmosphere of market price increase has taken shape.