TSMC seeing more orders from China-based AI chip suppliers
Despite intensifying tension between the US and China that may lead to more restrictions on AI GPUs against China, China-based AI chip design houses are expanding their chip orders for TSMC's 7nm process since the first quarter of 2023.
Samsung sees DRAM output fall to 2-year low
Samsung Electronics has seen its average monthly DRAM output fall to a two-year low, and is expected to sustain its production reduction strategy till 2024 and slow down investment in memory equipment before market demand recovers, according to media reports from South Korea.
China IC self-sufficiency push heaps pressure on Taiwanese firms operating in China
The United States has imposed export restrictions on key Chinese companies, including Huawei and ZTE, curbing their own development of semiconductors and access to outside supplies. However, the recent shift of these Chinese companies from "de-Americanization" to "localization" of their supply chains may exert pressure on some Taiwanese IC design firms, according to industry sources.
China's semiconductor talent supply faces structural imbalance
As the global semiconductor industry faces a shortage of talent, the latest survey has exposed an even more pronounced talent shortage in China's semiconductor manufacturing sector.
Intel offers customized AI processors to China, backed by major Chinese AI server providers
As the US seeks to tighten export controls on AI chips to China, Intel held a press conference in Beijing on July 11, announcing the launch of the deep learning processor Habana Gaudi 2 in the Chinese market. This processor can be used to accelerate AI training and inference tasks. Chinese AI server giants, such as Inspur, New H3C, and xFusion, are expected to release server products featuring the Gaudi 2 processor.
Chinese IC equipment maker AMEC wins lawsuit against Lam Research
China's leading semiconductor equipment maker Advanced Micro-fabrication Equipment (AMEC) recently has announced its winning a final court judgment in Shanghai in a lawsuit involving the infringement of ion etching equipment-related technologies and trade secrets against US-based equipment vendor Lam Research.
Intel's customized Gaudi 2 chips for China very likely to be made by TSMC 7 nm process
Intel unveiled its Gaudi 2 China Special Edition deep learning processor in Beijing on July 11 and received almost unanimous praise from Chinese media outlets. In addition to mentioning the most significant advantage of Gaudi 2 over Nvidia's AI GPUs lies in its "higher price/performance ratio," the Chinese media emphasized that the launch of Gaudi 2 brings an alternative to Nvidia for training large language models (LLMs) in China, challenging Nvidia's monopoly of the AI training market.
TSMC likely to post over 10% revenue growth in 3Q23
TSMC will likely post an over 10% sequential revenue increase in the third quarter of 2023, when the pure-play foundry's fab utilization rate will return to more than 80%, according to industry sources.
I saw "de-globalization" at Semicon China (Editorial)
At Semicon China 2023, held June 29 to July 1 in Shanghai, several opening keynote speeches revolved around the topics of globalization and de-globalization. I happened to be on the spot, personally experiencing the current atmosphere of the Chinese semiconductor industry under the impact of geopolitical tensions.
