LTCC device maker ACX expects revenues to hit record high in 4Q09

Advanced Ceramic X (ACX), a Taiwan-based manufacturer of multilayer ceramic devices and LTCC (low-temperature co-fired ceramic) modules for wireless communications, expects its revenues to hit a new high in the fourth quarter of 2009 after reaching a record high of NT$298 million (US$9.23 million) in the third quarter, according to company president CH Chien.

Gross margin stood at 52% in October and will average over 50% in the fourth quarter, Chien said.

Handset and Bluetooth applications contributed 47% to the company's revenues for the first three quarters of 2009, compared to 40% for all of 2008, Chien noted.

Currently, about 30-35% of ACX's handset applications, including filters and antenna modules, are shipped to MediaTek, which are incorporated into chipset solutions before shipping to clients, Chien revealed.

Shipments of WiMAX-enabled LTCC parts and modules contributed another 5-10% to total revenues, and WiMAX shipment volumes are likely to grow 50% in 2010, Chien projected.

ACX is also competing for orders from China-based handset makers. In addition to supporting WCDMA and CDMA EV-DO technologies, ACX has begun small-volume shipments of LTCC parts for trial production in TD-SCDMA handsets, Chien said.