Global chipmaker Samsung Electronics Co. is predicted to raise capital spending by 120 percent in the second half of this year, according to a market researcher IC Insights on Tuesday.

Two other semiconductor heavyweights -- Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. and Intel Corp. -- are also forecast to increase their capital spending in the second half, joining a race to boost production lines for vertical NAND memory chips and non-memory chips for smartphone applications. 


IC Insights expected Samsung to spend $7.5 billion in facility investment in the second half, compared with $3.4 billion in the first half of this year.

TSMC is predicted to spend $6.5 billion in the second half, up 92 percent from the January-June period this year.

Intel is forecast to spend $5.8 billion in the second half, up 61 percent from the January-June period, according to IC Insights.

Samsung officials have said the company will focus on expanding production lines for vertical NAND memory chips.

But Samsung's total capital spending for the semiconductor business this year is likely to fall 15 percent on year to $11 billion, according to the market researcher. (Yonhap)