TSMC reported consolidated net revenue of over NT$236 billion (US$7.3 billion) in April 2024 while Apple's iPhone deliveries slowed and the company still experiences the aftereffects of a strong earthquake in Taiwan on April 3.
Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp. expects its average selling price to fall this quarter as chipmakers increase capacity, raising the alarm about growing price competition in the global market.
The US will triple its domestic semiconductor manufacturing capacity from 2022—when the CHIPS and Science Act (CHIPS) was enacted—to 2032. The projected 203% growth is the largest projected percent increase in the world over that time, according to a recent SIA report.
In a recent move aimed at bolstering national security measures, the US Commerce Department's Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) has added 37 entities to the Entity List under the Export Administration Regulations (EAR), including 22 from the People's Republic of China (PRC). What is noteworthy is that quantum technology is specifically mentioned for adding the new Entity List.
Compared to TSMC, Samsung Electronics, and even Intel Foundry, which have moved into sub-7nm advanced processes, GlobalFoundries (GF), which announced in August 2018 that it would indefinitely shelve its sub-7nm development, still has a chance to enter the AI market pie. Is there still a chance for GF to get a piece of the AI market pie?
Japan's semiconductor foundry startup Rapidus, now on a mission to mass produce 2nm chips by 2027, is developing advanced packaging and chiplet technologies, with a particular focus on interposer technology crucial for connecting chips with substrates. However, Rapidus is also tackling the challenge of improving production yield to win more advanced-packaging customers.
According to SMIC's financial results, it reported rising sales in the first quarter but saw worsening profits due to intensifying competition in China, particularly in commoditized products like DDI and CIS. SMIC reiterated its commitment to build fabs, with depreciation pressures expected to mount further.
Backend house ChipMOS Technologies has made upward revisions to its capex for the second half of 2024 in response to strong demand for high-end Display Driver ICs (DDI), according to the company.
Taiwan-Asia Semiconductor Corporation (TASC), in its transition from optoelectronic sensing, reported a post-tax loss of NT$38 million in the first quarter of 2024.
Lam Research announced a plan to include India-based suppliers in the global semiconductor equipment ecosystem, the second move by the company in less than a month to develop a chipmaking ecosystem in India.
Yung-chung Kao, the chairperson of compound semiconductor manufacturer IntelliEPI, expressed that the market for Gallium antimonide (GaSb) wafers is rapidly expanding.
According to Tata Elxsi's press release, the company announced a collaboration with Arm to offer advanced solutions on the latest Arm-based chips, which will help Automotive OEMs and tier-1s fast-track their transition to Software-Defined Vehicles (SDVs)
Intel confirms that one of its customers' export license was revoked and would impact its second-quarter sales in 2024 to fall to the lower range between its US$12.5-13.5 billion projection for the quarter, according to a document submitted to the US Security Exchange Commission.
Since the official shipment of the extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography machine in 2017, ASML has sold about 200 units of EUV equipment, critical to manufacturing advanced chips.
Hung-chang Hsieh, CEO of the IC distributor Alltek Technology, stated that in recent years, the increase in interest rates has led to higher financial costs and changes in industry trends.
Tata Electronics reportedly shipped packaged chip samples to potential customers in several countries. It is in the final stages of tape-out for chips in 28-65nm, indicating the progress the Indian national champion and front-runner in India's chipmaking indigenization made since its chip ambition.
Arm's recent financial report highlights a boost in sales and profits thanks to a rebound in the smartphone market, particularly in China, and the rising demand for Arm-based chips in data centers.
Chinese mature-node foundries collaborate with the country's domestic IC design firms, including MCU businesses, to provide capacity support and offer competitive pricing, according to industry sources.
TSMC has already seen utilization rates for its 3nm family climb to more than 95%, and with strong demand from customers, including Apple, for its N3E process, capacity supply at the 3nm node will fall short, according to industry sources.
SoftBank Group Corp. is in talks to acquire Graphcore Ltd., a struggling British semiconductor startup once valued at $2.8 billion, according to people familiar with the deals.
Taiwan's prowess in semiconductors cannot be underestimated, exceeding even that of Intel, and the 10-year NT$300 billion Taiwan Chip-driven Industrial Innovation Program (TCIIP) approved by the Executive Yuan will further solidify Taiwan's position at the forefront of the semiconductor industry, according to Frank Huang, chairman of the Powerchip Semiconductor Manufacturing Corp (PSMC).
Pure-play foundry United Microelectronics (UMC) has reported April revenue increased 8.7% sequentially to a 16-month high of NT$19.74 billion (US$608.3 million).
Business Finland, the government organization for innovation funding and trade, travel, and investment promotion, has recently brought some of the country's leading quantum technology companies and research organizations to Taiwan.
