Brand notebook vendors have cut back orders with suppliers in 2022, particularly orders for Chromebooks, and have also revised downward annual shipment targets, according to sources at IC design houses.

Power management IC suppliers, including those engaged mainly in the consumer electronics field, continue to see their supply remain constrained, according to industry sources.

Ofuna Technology has enjoyed a strong pull-in of orders from ABF substrate suppliers looking to carry out their capacity expansion projects, according to the Taiwan-based company specializing in mechanical drilling services and metal cutting equipment.

Wireless telecommunications has escaped the worst effects of the semiconductor shortage, and that semiconductors for cellular infrastructure equipment will continue to dodge significant shortages going forward. In addition, availability of chips for Wi-Fi access points and cellular phones will continue to improve through 2023, Strategy Analytics said in its recent report.

International IDMs including Infineon and STMicroelectronics continue stepping up production of automotive, industrial control and networking chips to meet ever-rising demand, outsourcing more backend operations for such chip solutions to partners in Taiwan, according to industry sources.

China-based pure-play foundry Semiconductor Manufacturing International (SMIC) has reported first-quater 2022 sales, but omitted a revenue breakdown by manufacturing process nodes as it had usually disclosed previously.

Taiwan's first-tier IC design houses Novatek Microelectronics and Realtek Semiconductor are seeking more capacity support from foundry partners TSMC and UMC to fulfill new orders from new clients that are bolstering their growth despite a decline in demand for consumer chips, according to industry sources.

Fingerprint sensor IC design house Egis Technology is making efforts trying to return to operating profits, according to the company.

In 1984, Intel decided to exit the DRAM business, which marked the start of technology diversion between memories and logic IC. In hindsight, Intel's decision made sense. Memories and logic IC are very different in terms of design, manufacturing processes, equipment deployment, and market characteristics. It is common sense that a company should focus on pursuing excellence in one specific direction.

Optimistic about getting approval under India's chip incentive scheme, Vedanta has started to find customers before building its chip plant, while Ather Energy, one of the few electric two-wheeler vendors not caught in recent fire incidents in India, has received India's government funding.

Silicon Motion Technology will not change its trade mark or operating strategy after being acquired by US-based broadband communication chips supplier MaxLinear, as both companies will operate independently after the deal is completed, according to Wallace Kou, president and CEO of the Taiwan-based vendor of NAND flash controller chips.