Booming demand for PCs and phones squeezes tech supply chain

TAIPEI -- For the sales representatives at chip contract manufacturer United Microelectronics, this is usually the busiest season -- time to chase after customers and fill the order books for next year. But this year the situation is just the opposite: UMC's customers are scrambling for supplies.

Companies from Intel, the U.S. tech giant that sources manufacturing of Wi-Fi and power chips to UMC, to MediaTek, a leading mobile chipmaker, and Realtek, a key provider of Bluetooth and Wi-Fi chips, are all asking UMC for more support, two people familiar with the matter said.