Selling-Ware celebrates 30 Years: The Best Partner in the Semiconductor Industry

Semiconductor distributor Selling-Ware’s 30th-anniversary golf tournament and banquet, originally scheduled for today (15th), has been described as an alternative semiconductor summit and has drawn significant attention and anticipation from customers and suppliers. Chairman Fan Wen-ying stated that in consideration of the COVID-19 pandemic, the event will be postponed to a later date in the middle of the year.

Taiwan has developed its semiconductor industry for over 30 years, achieving remarkable success in areas ranging from front-end wafer fabrication to packaging, testing, and applications, as well as upstream IC design. Founded in 1990, Silicon-Link has played a vital role by introducing semiconductor equipment and materials that meet customer needs in response to technological advancements and market evolution, securing its place in the 30-year history of Taiwan's semiconductor development.

Selling-Ware Chairman Fan Wen-ying (seventh from left) stated that the company's sales and technical service team is a powerful elite force in the industry, making Silicon Link a pivotal semiconductor distributor. Photo provided by Silicon Link Enterprise.

Keeping pace with the industry

Set a record of zero losses

After graduating from National Chiao Tung University, Fan Wen-ying joined Wanbang Electronics, which was then renowned as the "talent training center" of the domestic semiconductor industry. Three years later, he started his own business with 2 million NTD. Initially employing only three people, the company generated annual revenue of over 2 billion NTD at its peak. Longjiang Road in Taipei was the birthplace of Siliconic. After several relocations, the company purchased a factory in the Hukou Industrial Park in 2000 and moved into the Tai Yuen Hi-Tech Industrial Park in 2010, marking a significant turning point in its development. Fan Wen-ying stated that over the past 30 years, the company has developed close partnerships with customers and original manufacturers. In addition to its contributions to the industry, it has never recorded a loss, fulfilling its ultimate responsibility to its shareholders.

In the 1980s, the semiconductor industry had already become the mainstay of Taiwan's industrial development, establishing a global reputation during the economic peaks of 1994 and 1995. Founded in 1970, Universal Microelectronics was the nation's first LED manufacturer and the predecessor of Walsin Technology. At that time, Winbond Electronics focused on SRAM production, attracting widespread attention with earnings per share exceeding NT$16. Prominent figures such as Hu Ding-hua, Chairman of Macronix and the first director of ITRI’s Electronics Research and Service Organization, and former NCTU President Chang Chun-yen, were among the investors in Universal Microelectronics. Many who once worked at the company later became titans of the semiconductor industry, including prominent leaders like John Hsuan, F.C. Tseng, and Liu Ying-ta. Fan Wen-ying feels deeply honored to share this common professional lineage.

Adjust operations

Targeting 5G process applications

Fan Wen-ying recalled that Siline supplied 4-inch and 6-inch silicon wafers to UMC at the time and followed its transition into 8-inch wafers as a major customer. TSMC, the world's third-largest semiconductor manufacturer known as Taiwan's "Mountain Protector of the Nation," was founded a full seven years later than UMC. Siline caught the express train of semiconductor development 30 years ago; its capital grew eightfold and its assets reached hundreds of millions, giving it strength comparable to listed companies and qualifying it for an IPO. Unfortunately, due to the nature of its products, Siline did not become a major supplier for TSMC. Currently, packaging and testing materials account for 70% of its revenue, but the company has been actively adjusting in recent years, aiming to increase the share of process equipment to 50% and leapfrogging toward the active development of 5G-related advanced process applications.