Penang state boasts Malaysia's most comprehensive semiconductor ecosystem, and the state government remains committed to collaborating with the federal government to attract investments in the semiconductor industry, including IC design. The state government will also make strategic investments to bolster the semiconductor ecosystem and its supply chain in the region, according to Penang Chief Minister Chow Kong Yeow.
Samsung Electronics reportedly intends to use metal oxide resist in the Extreme Ultraviolet (EUV) exposure process of new generation DRAM products. Metal oxide resist belongs to the new generation photoresist, with higher resolution than chemically amplified resist and better impedance performance in etching.
Malaysia's Johor state has emerged as a main hub for data center construction in the country, attributed to its proximity to Singapore, relatively, inexpensive land, water, and electricity resources, and the ongoing China-US trade conflicts, all of which are attracting more multinational corporations to establish operations there.
Following investments from Stellantis in 2023, Chinese EV manufacturer Leapmotor is reportedly preparing to enter the Indian market. However, the company's plans could encounter obstacles due to India's cautious stance on investments from China.
Aiming to secure orders for Nvidia's next-generation High Bandwidth Memory (HBM) and regain its market-leading position, Samsung unprecedentedly mobilizes over 400 "semiconductor aces," including top executives and employees,
The first year of the AI PC era saw major Chinese manufacturers like Lenovo and Huawei aggressively positioning themselves in the AI PC market to capture higher market shares. Looking at the Chinese market, the second half of 2024 is expected to see a replacement wave for PCs, driven not only by the advent of AI PCs but also because domestic PC purchases made 2-3 years ago are approaching their replacement cycle.
According to the Economic Times, Hindu Business Line, and EE News Europe, India-based Mindgrove Technologies, backed by Peak XV Partners, announced the launch of what it claims is India's first commercial high-performance System on Chip (SoC) for IoT devices.
To catch up with the global image sensor market leader Sony, Samsung Electronics will strengthen cooperation with Taiwan-based pure-play foundry United Microelectronic Corp. (UMC) to adopt the "fab-lite" strategy to outsource partial capacity to UMC and enhance production efficiency while improving price competitiveness.
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella recently concluded his Southeast Asia tour, during which he visited Indonesia, Thailand, and Malaysia, and met with government leaders. From Nadella's itinerary and Microsoft's announcements, it can be observed that Microsoft is bullish on the development potential of AI in Southeast Asia and is accelerating local data center infrastructure construction and digital talent cultivation.
Gallium Arsenide (GaAs) foundry Advanced Wireless Semiconductor Company (AWSC) has seen a surge in orders for flagship smartphone chips from manufacturers such as Qualcomm, boosting its sales performance.
SK Hynix reportedly designated its M17 factory site as another new DRAM production base soon after announcing in late April its investment in the M15X DRAM plant in Cheongiu, South Korea, aiming to start production before the completion of the Yongin semiconductor cluster to ensure sufficient capacity for next-generation DRAM, including High Bandwidth Memory (HBM), for AI applications. SK Hynix, however, has denied the report.
Samsung SDI and Stellantis have been building a joint battery plant in the US to produce the South Korean company's sixth-generation prismatic battery, P6.
The semiconductor industry is witnessing significant shifts influenced by geopolitical considerations. One recent case exemplifying this trend is King Yuan Electronics's (KYEC) sale of 90% equity in its China subsidiary Jinglong Technology (Suzhou) for approximately CNY48.85 billion (about US$675 million).
The US Department of Treasury will grant EV makers a two-year extension for restrictions on some hard-to-trace battery materials, including China-dominated graphite. The move was welcomed by automakers while upsetting some US politicians.
