Customers are pushing companies to move to DDR3.

Memory packaging and testing firms Powertech, Formosa and Walton estimate DDR3 will contribute 90 per cent of their overall DRAM shipments by the end of next year. Currently it makes up half of their shipments.

Powertech chairman DK Tsai plans to step up investment in high-speed testers for DDR3 chips and expand NAND flash chip capacity. Formosa said that spending for 2010 will mainly focus on purchases of high-speed testers, and capacity expansion for memory packaging and LED chips. Walton said it will add 10 more sets of high-speed testers, which do not include 5593 ones, for a total of 17 sets by the end of 2010.

DDR3 is forecast to account for 90 per cent of Walton's overall DRAM revenues at the end of 2010, up from 20-30 per cent.