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Pericom Semiconductor’s late-1990s growth came under leadership closely tied to the Hui family, but the company’s turnaround also depended on broadening its products, sales channels and customer base. Revenue reached $59.8 million in fiscal 1999 after a setback two years earlier. Diodes Incorporated later acquired Pericom, completing the deal in November 2015.
Was Pericom a family-run semiconductor company?
Pericom was a semiconductor company whose senior leadership and proposed board included several members of the same extended family. In 1999, Alex Chi-Ming Hui served as chairman, president and chief executive. His brother John Chi-Hung Hui and brothers-in-law Tay Thiam Song and Jeffrey Young were also being put forward as directors, according to EE Times’ 10 November 1999 report.
That family connection mattered to investors because a contemporary SEC filing discussed in the report identified dependence on a few key individuals, including the Hui brothers, as a risk. Pericom also relied on foundries for all of its silicon needs. Vice president of marketing Mark Downing said the company had consistently relied on foundries and had maintained a steady customer relationship with them.
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What did Pericom make?
Pericom developed digital, analog and mixed-signal integrated circuits. Its product areas included interface ICs, digital and analog switches, LAN switches and video switches. Those products served computing and data communications markets, among others, rather than tying the business exclusively to one kind of PC component.
#1 Best Overall
- AUTHENTIC BARE DIE APPEARANCE-- Displays the exposed structure of a semiconductor die before final packaging, providing a direct view of chip layout and microelectronic design features.
- INTEGRATED CIRCUIT REFERENCE SAMPLE --Features visible IC circuitry and semiconductor architecture, making it a useful reference piece for understanding chip manufacturing concepts.
- IDEAL FOR TECHNICAL EDUCATION --Suitable for engineering courses, electronics training, semiconductor learning and STEM activities where physical examples support technical instruction.
- DISPLAY AND PRESENTATION USE --Can be incorporated into technology exhibitions, laboratory displays, classroom demonstrations and microelectronics presentations.
- COLLECTIBLE TECHNOLOGY ARTIFACT-- Combines semiconductor engineering with visual appeal, making it suitable for collectors, electronics enthusiasts and technology-themed displays.
How did Pericom’s revenue change in the late 1990s?
Revenue rose over the period covered by EE Times, though growth was interrupted by a decline in fiscal 1997:
| Fiscal year | Revenue | Change or context |
|---|---|---|
| 1995 | $22.7 million | Historical comparison reported by EE Times in 1999 |
| 1997 | $33.2 million | Down 19.5% from $41.2 million in fiscal 1996 |
| 1998 | $49.2 million | Up from fiscal 1997 |
| 1999 | $59.8 million | Up from fiscal 1998 |
These are historical fiscal-year figures, not current financial results. The fiscal 1997 decline marked the setback after which Pericom increased product introductions and expanded its routes to market.
Rank #2
- AUTHENTIC SILICON SAMPLE: Real silicon wafer die sample featuring genuine wafer surface patterns, designed for semiconductor learning, research demonstration, and technology display purposes.
- NON-FUNCTIONAL SPECIMEN: This silicon sample is a display and educational specimen only. It is not an electronic component and does not perform computing or electrical functions.
- SEMICONDUCTOR EDUCATION USE: Suitable for classrooms, laboratories, engineering courses, STEM activities, and demonstrations of wafer structures and semiconductor manufacturing concepts.
- TECHNOLOGY DISPLAY ITEM: Ideal for exhibitions, science displays, collections, and demonstrations related to microelectronics and semiconductor technology.
- INDIVIDUAL PACKAGING: Each sample is separately packaged to help maintain surface cleanliness and reduce scratches during storage and handling.
Why was Pericom’s revenue rising?
It added products and responded to demand
Pericom introduced dozens of products after fiscal 1997, including more than 100 in fiscal 1999 and 20 in the quarter ended 30 September 1999. Demand strengthened for silicon-interface, digital and analog switch, LAN-switch and video-switch products as Internet and telecommunications activity expanded. Downing described lead times rising from two weeks to six weeks and then 12 weeks amid the upsurge, and said demand was broadly distributed across product areas.
It reduced its dependence on PCs
Pericom’s reported end-market mix shifted from a historical estimate of 75–80% PCs, 15% data communications and 10% multimedia to 55% PCs, 35% data communications and telecommunications, and 10% multimedia. The shift gave the company greater exposure to data communications and telecommunications while PCs remained its largest single category.
Rank #3
- Features a bare semiconductor die with visible IC and CMOS structures, providing a visual reference for semiconductor technology and microelectronics.
- Suitable for STEM education, electronics learning, engineering demonstrations and classroom teaching.
- Ideal for technology exhibitions, laboratory displays, science presentations, office displays and semiconductor collections.
- Designed for technology enthusiasts, students, educators and collectors seeking a physical semiconductor display specimen.
- Carefully packaged for display, presentation, storage and long-term collection. Intended for educational and decorative use only.
It diversified customers and sales channels
In fiscal 1997, IBM and Harris were among the customers contributing to a top-five customer concentration of almost 50% of revenue. By fiscal 1999, the top five represented 31%. Over the same period, foreign sales increased from 37% to 48%, and distribution sales increased from 36% to 57% of revenue. The expanded distributor network helped Pericom reach customers in Asia-Pacific, Japan and Europe.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What happened to Pericom?
Diodes Incorporated announced that it had completed its acquisition of Pericom on 25 November 2015. Under the terms announced, each Pericom share converted to $17.75 in cash. Diodes described aggregate consideration as approximately $413 million, including equity awards. Pericom common stock ceased trading on Nasdaq after the acquisition. The transaction broadened Diodes’ analog business, added mixed-signal connectivity products and brought Pericom’s timing product line into the company, according to Diodes’ completion announcement and its acquisition announcement.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- High-Clarity Acrylic Shell – Fully transparent for unobstructed internal structure viewing.
- Precision 3D-Printed Resin Core – Multi‑layer colored detailing accurately reproduces chip architecture.
- Compact Study Size – 80×80×30 mm, ideal for desktop display and hands‑on handling.
- Educational Focus – Designed for classroom instruction, university labs, science fairs, and tech exhibitions.
- Durable & Lightweight – Sturdy yet portable for repeated use in teaching environments.
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