Author page description
October 20
- Salary Exposure for American Chip Engineers
IEEE-USA
➀ The average salary for U.S. engineers and other IEEE members increased by about 5% from 2022 to 2023, according to the IEEE-USA 2024 Salary and Benefits Survey.
➁ The median salary for circuit and equipment engineers is the highest, at $196,614, followed by communication ($190,000) and computer/software technology ($181,000).
➂ The median salary for professors is $190,000, associate professors is $118,000, and assistant professors is $104,500.
- Nvidia and Google Embrace RISC-V
hpcwire
➀ Nvidia and Google are discussing the use of RISC-V architecture at the RISC-V Summit;
➁ Nvidia has been using RISC-V CPU architecture for nine years and will have a 20-minute keynote speech at the summit;
➂ Google employees, including Cliff Young, the designer of TPU, will discuss the advantages of RISC-V in AI chips;
➃ RISC-V is gaining influence as companies seek cheaper and faster CPU design methods;
➄ Apple is also using RISC-V microcontrollers in its M series CPUs;
➅ RISC-V is trying to capture a market tired of proprietary options like x86 and ARM;
➆ Omdia predicts that by 2030, the shipment of RISC-V processors may reach 17 billion, with about 46% for automotive use;
➇ RISC faces challenges such as security issues and political concerns;
➈ Alibaba has released a new chip for embedded devices with many new security extensions;
➉ Some companies have discussed selling RISC-V chips, but manufacturing issues will not be widely discussed at the summit.
- The Future Development of GPUs
半导体行业观察
➀ Nvidia's Ian Buck discusses the shift from focusing on single chips to integrated systems;
➁ The transformation of data centers into AI factories due to the rise of AI;
➂ The increasing power and cooling requirements of GPUs and Nvidia's involvement in the Coolerchips project.
- ReRAM: The Preferred Alternative to Flash Memory
Designing Electronics
➀ ReRAM is becoming the preferred alternative to flash memory due to its cost, complexity, power, and performance advantages.
➁ ReRAM is finding its place in power management ICs, IoT, MCU, and edge AI applications.
➂ ReRAM offers inherent security for secure applications and is poised to become a cornerstone for neuromorphic computing.
- Inside the Failure of Intel's Itanium: Revealed by a Former Engineer
tom'shardware
➀ The article reveals the internal details of the failure of Intel's Itanium processor;
➁ It discusses how Intel's insistence on releasing x64 versions of Itanium CPUs could have led to victory in the x86-64 domain over AMD;
➂ The article highlights the importance of backward compatibility in the PC market and how Itanium's pure 64-bit architecture hindered its market performance;
➃ It describes the role of former Intel Chief x86 Architect, Robert Colwell, in the development of the Pentium 4 CPU and the challenges he faced with Intel's management.
- Learning Notes: Solidigm SSD Product Knowledge Points
Unknown
➀ Solidigm, previously known as Intel, is a leading brand in the NAND solid-state drive industry, acquired by Intel and SK Hynix in 2020.
➁ The product naming rules of Solidigm are explained, using the example of a data center-oriented SSD.
➂ Advanced features of Solidigm's enterprise SSDs are highlighted.
➃ The product roadmap for PCIe NVMe includes U.2 form factor, increasing capacities, and the introduction of PCIe 5.0 products.
➄ The roadmap for SATA SSDs focuses on system drives with lower capacities and the continuation of SATA and M.2 form factors.
- The Military Prospects of Brain-Computer Interface
《瞭望》新闻周刊
➀ Brain-computer interfaces offer multiple military applications, such as health monitoring, neural regulation, sensory expansion, telepathy, lie detection, human modification, and experience downloading;
➁ The concept of 'Centaur warfare,' which refers to human-machine collaboration, is gaining traction in the current US military strategy, with brain-computer interfaces being a key technology;
➂ 'Neuro warfare,' a new combat concept that aims to gain a military advantage through the dominance of the brain and nervous system, is gaining momentum in the US military.
October 19
- Negative Development Process Characteristics and Simulation Difficulty Analysis
Unknown
➀ The characteristics of negative development process are discussed, including high spatial imaging contrast and suitability for making grooves and contact holes.
➁ The effect of KrF wavelength compared to ArF wavelength and the change in imaging performance with line/space ratios are analyzed.
➂ The tolerance of NTD process in making low CD patterns and its application in specific structures are highlighted.
- Using Large Area Analysis to Improve Semiconductor Yield
semiengineering
➀ Design Rule Check (DRC) is a technology used in the chip design process to ensure high yield manufacturing of devices.
➁ Advanced semiconductor technology nodes have increased the number and complexity of DRC rules, making traditional 2D DRC ineffective.
➂ Lam Research's SEMulator3D platform is used for 3D modeling and rule-based metrology of semiconductor devices.
➃ Large Area Analysis (LAA) is a powerful concept in semiconductor engineering research.
➄ LAA can help engineers develop the best semiconductor processes using a limited number of experimental wafer runs.
➅ SEMulator3D can identify 3D device failures such as shorts, opens, and material excess problems.
➆ The output of LAA includes rule-based metrology, fault identification, and defect maps.
➇ LAA can save wafer and mask costs and accelerate yield improvement curves.
- Countdown to Three Years: Where is the国产 Database 100% Replacement?
第一新声
➀ The development of domestic databases has gone through several key periods, from breaking the monopoly to the "hundred-battle" era;
➁ The replacement rate of domestic databases in the finance industry is not high, with non-core systems around 40%;
➂ The main challenges for domestic databases include high migration costs, open-source database risks, and an imperfect ecosystem.
- A Ten-Year Journey of a RF Engineer — Who's Life Is Not Confused
射频通信链
➀ The author reflects on his first year in the RF industry, feeling lost and aimless, and his struggle to learn and adapt.
➁ After the second year, he decides to change his job and starts working in a射频 company, improving his skills and finding direction.
➂ He transitions to the whole machine industry and aims to become a RF leader, working hard and achieving his goal.
➃ After becoming a RF leader, he faces another period of confusion and seeks to deepen his understanding of product design and communication protocols.
➄ He continues learning and eventually finds his next career goal — becoming a product director or technical director.
➅ The author emphasizes the importance of hard work and learning, leaving the rest to destiny.
- Bull Market Speculation Directions
Original 标哥看科技 芯科技风向标
➀ The manufacturing industry and technology are crucial for China's future development;
➁ In the manufacturing sector, excess profits are earned through high-margin products;
➂ In the technology sector, high profits are used to support wafer fabs and photolithography machines;
➃ How to create a positive feedback loop? For every million-dollar luxury car sold by Huawei, it equals one less luxury car sold in developed countries like Europe and the US, and high-level engineer positions shift from Europe, the US, and Japan to China; Huawei (high-tech) and its high-margin manufacturing sector are the directions for this bull market.
- Intel: The Decline of an Empire
Unknown
➀ Intel is facing accusations of product vulnerabilities and security breaches, with China's Cybersecurity Association suggesting a cybersecurity review of its products sold in China.
➁ Intel's revenue has been declining, with a significant portion coming from the Chinese market.
➂ The company has been struggling with the competition in the CPU market and the lack of growth in new markets like AI chips.
➃ Intel's manufacturing technology has fallen behind, leading to increased costs and decreased performance compared to competitors like TSMC.
➄ Intel's market value has halved, and the company is facing challenges in new business expansion.
- Kioxia's Struggles: The Rise and Fall of a Semiconductor Giant
半导体行业观察
➀ Kioxia, a major Japanese NAND Flash manufacturer, has postponed its IPO plan due to investor demands for lower valuation.
➁ Kioxia's parent company, Bain Capital, aimed to use the IPO to recoup investments and inject new capital into the company.
➂ The company's market value has dropped significantly from its peak of $30 billion to around $5 billion in just three years.
- Arm Plans to Bypass ARM Technology and Sell IP Directly to Chinese Customers!
Xinzhi Xun
➀ Arm is reportedly attempting to provide IP licenses directly to Chinese customers to bypass its joint venture in China, ARM Technology (China) Co., Ltd. (Arm China), leading to strained relations between the two companies.
➁ Arm established its wholly-owned subsidiary in China in 2002 and planned to sell 51% of its shares to Hillhouse Capital in 2016 to address regulatory requirements and develop products for the Chinese market.
➂ Arm and Hillhouse Capital formed a joint venture, ARM Technology, in 2017 to accelerate Arm's global strategy and support China's IC industry. ARM Technology has developed its own processor IP and other products, which could compete with Arm's IP.
- How to Become the Best VC in Silicon Valley? The Answer: Organize Events
硅星人Pro
➀ The Silicon Valley tech scene is buzzing with events, with A16z being a prominent name in the Tech Week.
➁ A16z organizes a variety of events, including discussions, workshops, and investor meetings, to connect tech professionals and investors.
➂ A16z's approach to media and content creation has helped it become a key player in the tech venture capital community.
➃ A16z's partners, including Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz, have become influential figures in the tech industry.
➄ A16z actively participates in promoting its investment portfolio and supporting emerging technologies.
- What is NPU? Everything You Need to Know
半导体行业观察
➀ NPU stands for Neural Processing Unit and acts as a hardware accelerator for AI.
➁ NPU complements CPU and GPU, handling tasks like edge AI.
➂ NPU is designed for high throughput and parallel workloads, such as neural networks and machine learning.
➃ NPU is increasingly used in consumer devices like laptops and PCs, as well as in cloud-based systems.
➄ The rise of NPU is driven by the importance of edge intelligence and the need for local data processing.
- Understanding the Strengths of NVIDIA's BlueField-3 DPU
IT技术分享-老张
➀ The logic relationship between network cards, smart network cards, and DPUs;
➁ The reasons for the emergence of smart network cards and DPUs;
➂ The advantages of DPU over smart network cards;
➃ Product information of NVIDIA's BlueField-3 DPU;
➄ On-chip system layout of BlueField-3 DPU;
➅ Typical application scenarios of BlueField-3 DPU;
➆ Example of BlueField-3 DPU in VMware private cloud;
➇ NVIDIA's DPU roadmap.
- DustPhotonics' L3C Technology
Unknown
➀ DustPhotonics is an Israeli silicon photonics chip design company founded in 2017, having raised $96 million in funding and launched the first commercial 1.6T silicon photonics optical engine in September 2023.
➁ The L3C technology, or Low Loss Laser Coupling, is introduced as a method for reducing coupling losses in optical links.
➂ The technology involves the design of auxiliary waveguides for alignment on PIC and laser chips, and uses a feedback control mechanism to align the chips without the laser chip being powered.
October 18
- Insider Thief Steals TSMC Chips!
Unknown
➀ A TSMC employee stole 9,980 IC semiconductor chips, selling them for 710,000 New Taiwan Dollars to individuals in the secondary market;
➁ The employee was also caught stealing nearly 1,000 storage chips from his former employer, Quanta Computer;
➂ The court sentenced the thief to 2 years and 6 months in prison and ordered him to pay TSMC 1.4 million New Taiwan Dollars in compensation.
- Huawei Mate70 to Adopt Side Capacitive Buttons, Screen Fingerprint Suppliers Suffer
Unknown
➀ Huawei Mate70 is rumored to feature a side capacitive fingerprint button instead of under-screen fingerprint technology;
➁ The change is expected to impact suppliers like Goodix Technology and OFILM, which supply fingerprint modules;
➂ The Kirin chip for Mate70 is said to be close to 7nm performance and includes features for eye tracking and gesture recognition;
➃ The new phone's cost is estimated to be about 30% higher than Apple's iPhone, but with a lower price tag;
➄ Suppliers such as BOE and TCL Huaxing are likely to supply displays, while Xinwangda is expected to provide batteries;
➅ The phone may go on sale as early as the end of this month.
- EUV Mask Technology: Prospects, Development, and Innovations
Unknown
➀ The article discusses the role of absorber materials in high-NA EUV lithography and their impact on imaging.
➁ The development of EUV mask technology is driven by multi-beam mask writers, with Intel and Infineon among the key players.
➂ The European Mask and Lithography Conference 2024 highlighted advancements in EUV technology, including high-NA EUV, e-beam mask patterning, AI applications, and advanced lithography resins.
- Why Has Hanwenji's Market Value Surpassed 100 Billion Yuan After Seven Consecutive Years of Losses?
市值观察
➀ Hanwenji's stock price surged to a historical high, surpassing 140 billion yuan in market value, during the recent A-share bull market.
➁ Despite the company's consistent losses and declining revenue, the market's enthusiasm for Hanwenji is driven by its AI chip technology and the rise of AI and domestic substitution trends.
➂ Hanwenji, as a domestic AI chip leader, faces challenges such as funding and supply chain issues, but also has significant growth potential in the AI chip market.
- Investment Exceeds 2.6 billion RMB: 3 New SiC Projects Added in China
Weixin Official Accounts Platform
➀ Three new SiC projects have been added in China with a total investment exceeding 2.6 billion RMB;
➁ Juexin Semiconductor has signed an agreement to build a new SiC production line in Anhui Chizhou;
➂ Yun Shang Semiconductor is progressing with the construction of its SiC production base in Hubei Laohuakou;
➃ Lepu Technology's integrated circuit equipment research and manufacturing base project is expected to be completed by the end of the year, involving SiC-related equipment.
- Some Thoughts on Current Venture Capital Investment Terms
钛媒体创投家
➀ Redemption terms in venture capital investments, their intention, boundaries, and misunderstandings are discussed.
➁ Performance ratchet clauses, their purpose, and the misuse in the industry are analyzed.
➂ The importance of not forcing enterprises or founders to the brink of ruin with redemption terms is emphasized.
- Intel Selling Altera Stake for $17 Billion
芯东西
➀ Intel is seeking investors to acquire a minority stake in its programmable chip subsidiary Altera, valuing it at around $17 billion;
➁ This move comes after Intel has faced significant stock price declines and a long-term decline in market share;
➂ Intel's CEO Pat Gelsinger had previously stated that the business was a core part of Intel's future development, but the company is now considering a sale.
- China's Second 28nm Logic Chip Manufacturer: Jinghe Integration Passes Verification
微信公众号
➀ Jinghe Integration's 28nm logic chip has passed functional verification and successfully powered on a television;
➁ The company's 28nm logic platform supports the development of various application chips, including SoC, ISP, TCON, Codec, and WiFi chips;
➂ Jinghe Integration plans to further optimize the efficiency and low power consumption of the process platform to meet the market demand for high-performance, high-stability chip design solutions.
- SK Group Plans to Sell Two Departments for Nearly 5 Trillion
芯三板
➀ SK Group is accelerating the sale and integration of its electronics business, preparing to sell its semiconductor special gas department and FCCL (flexible copper clad laminate) department, with an estimated total sale price of nearly 5 trillion KRW.
➁ SK Nexilis, known for producing copper foil for lithium-ion batteries used in electric vehicles, plans to sell its FCCL department for about 1 trillion KRW, attracting interest from several private equity funds and strategic investors.
➂ SK Specialty, a global leader in the production of special gases used in semiconductor and display panel manufacturing, is expected to be sold to South Korea's private equity firm Hahn & Company for an estimated 4 trillion KRW.
- The Uncertainty of OCS Optical Switching Market
微信公众号
➀ The adoption of OCS optical switching in AI data centers can significantly reduce power consumption, costs, and latency, but the market is still in its early stages with great uncertainty in its development trend.
➁ Google's OCS structure for AI is simpler compared to the unblockable WSS optical switching in trunk ROADM, but it is a blocking structure that requires overall port traffic switching.
➂ The choice of OCS type for AI reconstruction depends on the requirements for reconstruction speed and scale. Larger mechanical structures can be used for large-scale exchange without high-speed requirements, while smaller arrays of MEMS, liquid crystal, or piezoelectric technologies can be chosen for lower-scale applications.
- 3nm, The Hottest Technology in Chip Industry
半导体行业观察
➀ TSMC's 5nm process contributed 32% of its revenue in the third quarter of 2024;
➁ The 3nm process, since its mass production in 2022, has significantly contributed to TSMC's revenue;
➂ Major chip manufacturers, such as Apple, Qualcomm, and NVIDIA, are racing to adopt the 3nm technology for their new products;
➃ TSMC is leading the 3nm market due to its high yield rate and advanced technology, with a significant revenue contribution in the third quarter of 2024;
➄ The rising demand for AI chips is driving the adoption of advanced processes like 3nm, due to the increasing complexity of AI models and the need for high performance and energy efficiency.