WASHINGTON: Driver-IC backend specialist Chipbond Technology saw its September revenues hit a record high of NT$1.61 billion (US$51.1 million). Chipbond’s revenues for September 2016 represented increases of 3.8% sequentially and 14.9% on year. Revenues for the third quarter totaled NT$4.66 billion, rising 16.7% on quarter. Chipbond’s cumulative 2016 revenues through September came to NT$12.38 billion, down 4.2% from a year earlier. Chipbond posted revenues of NT$3.99 billion in the second quarter, up 6.8% sequentially, while gross margin climbed to 23.82% from 20.39% in the prior quarter.
Chipbond’s gross margin is expected to reach 26% in the third quarter of 2016, buoyed by strong shipments for high-margin power amplifiers, according to market watchers. Chipbond has been actively expanding its non-driver IC offerings to include backend services for power amplifiers and pressure-sensitive touchscreen controllers, and wafer-level chip-scale package (WLCSP) services. Sales generated from non-driver IC segments are expected to account for more than 20% of Chipbond’s total revenues in 2016, the company said previously.
