Procomp struggles on amid cash crunch
Struggling Taiwanese GaAs device manufacturer Procomp Informatics is continuing to make some III-V products, despite the problems caused by its recent financial difficulties.
According to a Procomp employee, the company is still making PHEMTs and HBTs, as well as some LEDs and 650 nm laser diodes for DVD applications.
However, with the company s chairwoman Sophie Yeh currently the subject of an investigation into alleged financial misdemeanors (see related story), the manufacturing process appears to be under severe strain.
Compound Semiconductor.net has learned that the chief problem is the acquisition of raw materials, particularly the substrates, metalorganics and MBE sources that are crucial for device manufacture.
Making the operation particularly tough is the insistence by most materials suppliers that Procomp deals in cash.
"Almost all the vendors want to deal with Procomp by cash only," the company source said. "What we can do is keep the major production continuing as efficiently as possible, using the minimum production capacity and manpower to make the most valuable products."
Procomp has been forced to lay off a number of employees involved in MBE and MOCVD production already, with some engineers asked to leave as recently as last Friday.
