A rare surge in advance ordering is occurring in the global semiconductor equipment supply chain. According to a November 3 report by South Korea's *Electronic News*, major global semiconductor equipment manufacturers such as Applied Materials, ASML, Lam Research, Tokyo Electron, and KLA-Tex are finalizing their 2028 equipment supply contracts, with some even beginning discussions about 2029 orders. Investment in AI infrastructure is driving global chipmakers to simultaneously expand capital expenditures at wafer fabs, extending equipment delivery cycles by more than double the normal rate, with some equipment delivery times exceeding two years. Previously, chipmakers typically initiated contract negotiations 6-12 months before equipment deployment, with deliveries completed within 3-6 months of order placement. Now, equipment supply capacity has become a bottleneck for capacity expansion, with companies like TSMC, Micron, and Intel securing key equipment in advance. While equipment manufacturers are expanding capacity and shortening installation and commissioning times, they are still struggling to meet demand. Industry insiders predict this trend of early order securing may continue until 2030.
