Machines are not the only scarce item in the chip supply chain. The parts that go inside them are now the bottleneck, and one laser processing tool maker is waiting up to 40 months for key Japanese components.
ETNews reported the delays, and TrendForce carried the details. Deposition tool parts used to arrive in about a third of a year. They can now run ten months.
Suppliers cannot speed up even for a premium, because their own capacity is full.
The component crunch sits beneath a tool market that is already tight. In July, ETNews found that delivery times for flagship systems had grown 1.5 to two times. Equipment from Applied Materials, ASML, Lam Research, Tokyo Electron and KLA that once took half a year can now take a full one.
Capacity was not built ahead of the AI boom. Suppliers stay hesitant about new lines while the length of the upcycle remains unclear, and Japanese component makers have been particularly cautious.
Substitution is limited. Using Chinese parts in critical tools for advanced production risks restrictions on business with US chip manufacturers, so equipment makers steer clear.
Prices reflect the shortage. China Securities, cited by Guandian, reckons a new component line takes 12 to 18 months to build, and points to lengthening waits for valves, piping and ceramic parts.
The consequence is slippage. Capacity promised for 2027 and beyond, including Samsung and SK hynix work at Pyeongtaek and Yongin, could arrive late.
