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The first 0.13-micron Radeon 9600/9600 Pro series graphics chips from ATI Technologies, featuring the RV350 core, may be in tight supply until August, due to a low yield rate at Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), ATI’s add-in-board (AIB) clients said.

ATI declined to comment on the news, and TSMC’s media contacts could not be reached by phone.

Supply of the top-end Radeon 9800, featuring the R350 core, and low-end Radeon 9200 chips, both made on the 0.15-micron process, have not been affected, according to sources.

In the fourth quarter of 2002, supply of ATI’s Radeon 9500 chips was tight due to insufficient orders to TSMC.

ATI will not increase production of Radeon 9600 chips, as it will replace the RV350 core with the RV360 around September, sources said. ATI will also later replace the R350 core with the R360 in its top-end line.

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Source: DigiTimes