DigiTimes综述：应用材料追踪逾百座晶圆厂项目，重申AI驱动设备中期增长与2030产能翻倍规划，无新增公司级催化

Applied Materials tracked more than 100 wafer fabrication projects worldwide over the past two quarters as strong artificial intelligence demand continued to meet constraints in cleanroom construction and supply chain capacity. The company added more than 10 projects in each quarter, indicating that global fab development and future cleanroom availability were still expanding.

Applied Materials forecasts equipment demand using major customers' eight-quarter plans, which include facility locations, monthly wafer starts, production capacity, process nodes and required tools. The company said the amount of cleanroom space customers can add will determine the pace of medium-term semiconductor equipment market growth. Demand is not expected to increase evenly each quarter, but the company said it had not identified structural obstacles that would prevent medium-term growth from materializing.
To support that demand, Applied Materials plans to more than double its research laboratory and manufacturing capacity from current levels by 2030. It recently opened the Equipment and Process Innovation and Commercialization Center in Silicon Valley and announced 15 collaboration projects involving chipmakers, systems companies, equipment suppliers and universities. The company is also expanding manufacturing, research and development, and customer support operations in the US, Italy, Israel, India, Singapore, Taiwan and South Korea. A second manufacturing facility recently opened in Singapore to support customers across Asia.
Capital expenditures are expected to represent about 8% of revenue in 2026. That ratio is projected to decline gradually as revenue grows, allowing Applied Materials to expand capacity while maintaining investment efficiency and operating leverage. The company shares demand forecasts and component requirements with more than 2,000 suppliers worldwide, helping them plan investments in production capacity, staffing, equipment and tooling. Suppliers have been investing and expanding, although bringing additional manufacturing and testing capacity online can take time, which may create temporary bottlenecks.
Applied Materials has increased its supply chain capacity requirements for several consecutive quarters and is asking suppliers to accelerate expansion. Data centers and other electronics products are competing for limited industry resources, and smartphones, PCs and memory products are also facing shortages. The company said supply chain execution will remain an important factor in determining how quickly the broader equipment market can grow.