瑞萨10月全面恢复产能，USB 3.0控制器产量加倍

瑞萨电子(Renesas Electronics)在日本3月11日地震之后损失了大约40%的芯片生产能力。该公司本周表示，其出货量在10月底以前难以恢复震前水平。

 瑞萨(东京)公布，在截止于3月31日的2011财年净亏损1150亿日圆(约合14亿美元)。亏损主要源于地震造成的破坏费用与生产损失。

 地震导致瑞萨的一些工厂停产，其中多数已在几周前至少恢复部分生产。但受损最严重的工厂——位于茨城县的Naka工厂仍在修复之中。该工厂生产汽车与通用微控制器，以及SoC。

 瑞萨目前计划6月重启Naka工厂的部分生产，希望该厂生产的部分器件8月开始出货。到10月底，瑞萨希望使芯片出货量完全恢复到地震前的水平。它采取的措施包括使用第三方代工伙伴台积电和Globalfoundries，把一些生产业务转移到瑞萨的其它工厂。Naka工厂的初制晶圆产量预计到7月底将恢复到震前水平。

 受地震影响而关闭的瑞萨工厂中，四家前端工厂和三家后端工厂此前已恢复生产。

 瑞萨在上述财年记录了495亿日圆(约合6.06亿美元)与地震相关的特别损失，其中包括431亿日圆(约合5.278亿美元)厂房与设备修理费用。该公司表示，收到了160亿日圆(约合1.959亿美元)保险赔付，可以帮助抵消总计超过655亿日圆(约合8.021亿美元)修理与损失费用中的一部分。瑞萨表示，Naka工厂在总体损失金额中约占85%。

 瑞萨还记录了地震后用于结构改革的大约670亿日圆(约合8.203亿美元)特殊费用。这些改革包括裁减大约2800名员工，其中有大约1500名通过提前退休计划裁减，600人属于上月出售的美国加州罗斯维尔芯片厂，大约700名员工转移到了分销商和主要持股公司。瑞萨表示，还有大约1000名员工在公司内部各部门之间调整，以优化运营。

 瑞萨公布全财年营业收入为1.14万亿日圆(约合140亿美元)，营业利润为1190亿日圆(约合14.6亿美元)。

 瑞萨没有给出对当前财年的预测，该财年截止到2012年3月底。该公司提到了地震，它说地震“给市场情况带来不确定性”。瑞萨说，将在7月发布关于本财年的预测。

 瑞萨还宣布，因美国子公司Renesas Electronics America Inc.的股价下跌而记录了98亿日圆(约合1.202亿美元)的特别亏损。

另外据统计，瑞萨的 USB 3.0 主机控制器(μPD720200)之全球累计出货量，自2009年5月推出以来，已于2011年5月19日达到3,000万颗；该公司宣布，为进一步满足客户日益增加的订单，预计自2011年6月起，其 USB 3.0 主机控制器的产量将提升一倍，达到每月600万颗。

 瑞萨电子(当时为NEC电子公司)于2009年5月推出业界第一款USB 3.0 xHCI主机控制器，推出仅四个月之后，即成为全球第一家获得USB-IF颁发“CerTIfied SuperSpeed USB (USB 3.0) ”认证之企业，并同时开始大量生产μPD720200主机控制器。接下来的一年中，瑞萨又推出第二款USB 3.0 xHCI主机控制器 (μPD720200A)，并在仅仅两个月内通过兼容性及认证测试。

 在推出上述组件后，2011年3月9日瑞萨电子再新增两款USB 3.0主机控制器产品系列，其中一款为具有四个连接端口的新产品，提供了比该公司先前USB 3.0主机控制器更快的传输速度、更优异的电源效率及更小的尺寸。

 瑞萨电子是世界最大的USB 3.0主机控制器制造商，并提供了完整的USB 3.0解决方案，包括适用于Windows XP、Vista及 Windows 7 的装置驱动程序。瑞萨电子亦授权主机端与装置端的USB 3.0 IP ，并为希望设计及推销自有USB 3.0集成电路的公司提供其自订ASIC链接库中的建构区块。上述所有USB 3.0主机控制器均已量产供货。

Dylan McGrath

SAN FRANCISCO—Renesas Electronics Corp.—which lost an esTImated 40 percent of its chip producTIon capacity in the immediate aftermath of the March 11 earthquake in northeastern Japan—said this week that its shipments won't return to pre-earthquake levels unTIl the end of October.

 Renesas (Tokyo) reported a net loss of 115 billion yen ($1.4 billion) for its fiscal year 2011, which closed March 31. The loss was largely due to the cost of damages and loss of production following the earthquake.

 Most of the Renesas facilities that were knocked offline in the quake and its aftermath have been back in at least partial production for several weeks. But the most heavily damaged Renesas fab, the Naka fab located in Ibaraki prefecture, is still undergoing repairs. The facility produces automotive and general-purpose microcontrollers as well as SoCs.

 Renesas' current plan is to restart partial production at the Naka fab in June. The company hopes to begin shipping some parts made at the Naka fab again in August. By the end of October, Renesas hopes to have fully restored shipments of chips to pre-earthquake levels, partly through the use of third-party foundries Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Ltd. and Globalfoundries Inc., and transfer of production to other Renesas fabs. Wafer starts at the Naka fab are expected to return to pre-earthquake levels by the end of July.

 Manufacturing was previously restarted at four other Renesas front-end fabs and three back-end facilities that were knocked offline by the earthquake and its aftermath.

 Renesas recorded a special loss of 49.5 billion yen ($606 million) for the fiscal year associated with damage inflicted in the earthquake. This figure includes 43.1 billion yen ($527.8 million) for repairs to facilities and equipment. The company said it received 16 billion yen ($195.9 million) in insurance money to help offset the total cost of repairs and losses, which totaled more than 65.5 billion yen ($802.1 million). Damage to the Naka fab accounted for about 85 percent of the total loss, Renesas said.

 Renesas also recorded another special loss of about 67 billion yen ($820.3 million) for structural reforms in the wake of the earthquake. These reforms included shedding about 2,800 employees, including nearly 1,500 through an early retirement program, 600 with the sale last month of its chip fab in Roseville, Calif., and the move of about 700 employees to distributors and major shareholder companies. Another roughly 1,000 employees were transferred between different divisions of the company to streamline operations, Renesas said.

 Renesas reported sales for the fiscal year of 1.14 trillion yen ($14 billion). The company reported an operating income for the fiscal year of 119 billion yen ($1.46 billion).

 Renesas did not give a forecast for the current fiscal year, which closes at the end of March 2012. The company cited the earthquake, which it said has "brought uncertainty to market conditions." Renesas said it would provide a forecast for the year in July.

 Renesas also announced that it recorded a special loss of 9.8 billion yen ($120.2 million) on the loss of valuation in shares of its U.S. subsidiary, Renesas Electronics America Inc.