Although US sanctions have significantly slowed down the development of China's semiconductor industry towards the advanced nodes, it is not the time to be content that China is lagging behind the US in semiconductor technologies.
The governments of Europe, the US, Japan, and China see quantum computers as a long-term strategic investment project. With the support of stable and long-term funding, the related start-up investments grew at an annual rate of about 20% between 2021-2023, according to CB Insights.
Chang Wah Technology (CWTC), a major supplier of IC lead frames, held its earnings call on April 23 in conjunction with its parent company Chang Wah Electromaterials (CWE), during which CWTC manager Su Shuang-Fu noted that the company is prepared to seize the initiative as the market recovers, as signs of a rebound in demand have been appearing since the second half of 2023.
Key semiconductor material distributor Chang Wah Electromaterials (CWE) has announced new pricing for epoxy molding compounds effective from the third quarter of 2024, due to a weak Japanese Yen.
Taiwan's PCB and semiconductor equipment manufacturers are poised to enhance their footprint in Southeast Asia by establishing manufacturing operations or bolstering their customer base in the region.
Apple has disclosed its supplier list for fiscal year 2023. Nan Ya PCB, the second-largest provider of IC substrates, re-entered the supply chain after an extended absence.
Japanese IC substrate manufacturer Shinko Electric Industries has announced that due to poor sales of its main product, flip chip packaging substrates, the upcoming fiscal report for the fiscal year 2023 (April 2023 to March 2024) will see a comprehensive downward revision in both revenue and profit. This marks the second downward revision for Shinko Electric.
Yageo, a Taiwanese passive component maker, anticipates its customers will finish inventory adjustments in the first half of 2024, despite ongoing global uncertainties.
Topco Scientific Company (TSC) chairman J.W. Kuo, who is also Taiwan's Economic Minister-designate, said at the opening ceremony of the company's new quartz plant in Putzu, Chiayi County, that current orders for quartz components are accumulating fast that it takes the company nearly 20 months to fulfill.
Allied Circuit (ACCL) is optimistic about its prospects for the second quarter of 2024, pointing to a rise in server market order visibility from 4-6 to 8 weeks. Customers' pulling of products has also increased dramatically in volume, according to the server PCB specialist.
Copper-clad laminate (CCL) manufacturers are confident about the demand for AI applications as they actively delve into the supply chain for AI servers.
Taiwan's Ministry of Finance (MOF) released preliminary import and export trade statistics for March 2024 and found that under the strong global demand for AI servers, Taiwan's overall exports showed significant growth despite the decline in IC exports.
Worldwide sales of semiconductor manufacturing equipment edged down 1.3% to US$106.3 billion in 2023, from an all-time high of US$107.6 billion in 2022, according to SEMI.
With new energy and semiconductor components as its two major operating engines, Taiwan's Win Win Precision Technology is looking to advanced light storage and smart energy management solutions, as well as semiconductor innovations to bolster its growth momentum in 2024 and beyond, according to chairman Davis Chen.
Taiwan's PCB and IC substrate market will first stagnate before seeing a sharp increase in 2024, according to Maurice Lee, chairman of the Taiwan Printed Circuit Association (TPCA).
China's production capacity in mature semiconductor processes has continued to grow with the substantial financial backing of the government. For power semiconductor manufacturer Force-MOS, the company has been avoiding the cutthroat price slashing in China's electric vehicle (EV) market, and as MOSFET wafer shipments held steady in the first quarter of 2024, order volumes are expected to remain at the same level reaching into the second quarter.
Operations at Taiwan-based PCB and OSAT companies have returned to normal after a 7.2-magnitude earthquake hit the island on April 3. As Taiwan becomes a critical IC production hub worldwide, industry players advocated forming a partnership with Japanese companies to mitigate risks caused by natural disasters.
At Embedded World on April 9, SiFive, Inc., the pioneer and leader of RISC-V computing, unveiled its new state-of-the-art RISC-V development board, the HiFive Premier P550.
WT Microelectronics (WT Micro) announced that it has officially completed its acquisition of Future Electronics. This is the biggest M&A project in the history of Taiwan's semiconductor industry. The move made WT Micro the world's top semiconductor distributor by market share.
