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February 26
- Taiwan Treats Semiconductor Industry as 'Souvenir' for the U.S.
➀ The Mainland Affairs Office of the State Council held a regular press conference on February 26th.
➁ A journalist asked about U.S. President Trump's recent statement on Taiwan taking away the U.S. chip business and his warning to Taiwan.
➂ The spokesperson, Zhu Fenglian, commented on the concerns and doubts in Taiwan regarding TSMC becoming 'U.S. TSMC'.
➃ Zhu emphasized that the Taiwan region's semiconductor industry and leading enterprises are treated as a 'door-opener for seeking independence through external forces' and even as 'a gift' handed over to the U.S., leading to growing opposition among Taiwanese citizens and enterprises.
- Wenye 2024 Net Profit Reaches New High: 9.1 Billion New Taiwan Dollars!
➀ Wenye's revenue and net profit reached historical highs in 2024, benefiting from the merger of Fuzheng Electronics.
➁ The consolidated revenue for the full year was NT$95.94 billion, an increase of 61% year-on-year.
➂ The consolidated operating profit was approximately NT$15.26 billion, up 86% year-on-year.
➃ The consolidated net profit after tax was NT$9.11 billion, an increase of 127% year-on-year.
- Chongqing's 'NVIDIA' Emerges from Despair
➀ Chongqing-based AI chip company Xiangdiexian has emerged from a financial crisis after securing a new round of funding from Anfu Technology and several venture capital firms.
➁ The company, founded by Tang Zhimin, a strategic scientist in the field of computer system and processor chip design, had previously raised over 2.5 billion yuan in five funding rounds.
➂ However, the company faced difficulties due to a failed bet agreement and layoffs affecting over 400 employees. Now, with the new funding, the company is looking to rebuild and strengthen its position in the AI chip industry.
February 25
- In-Depth Analysis of Third-Generation Semiconductor Materials: Silicon Carbide and Gallium Nitride
➀ The development history of semiconductor materials, from the first generation to the third generation;
➁ The unique physical properties of silicon carbide (SiC) and gallium nitride (GaN), such as wide bandgap, high breakdown field, high electron mobility, and excellent thermal conductivity;
➂ The market landscape of SiC and GaN, including market size, key players, and application areas.
- High NA EUV Lithography Machine Achieves Significant Milestone
➀ Intel announced that the first two of the cutting-edge lithography machines are being produced in its factory, with early data showing they are more reliable than earlier models.
➁ Intel used ASML's high numerical aperture (NA) lithography machines to produce 30,000 wafers in a quarter, which can produce thousands of computing chips.
➂ Intel plans to use the High NA machines to help develop the so-called 18A manufacturing technology, which is scheduled for mass production later this year with the next generation of PC chips.
- Shanghai Semiconductor Equipment Manufacturer Makes Major M&A Move!
➀ Shanghai's Zhizhen Technology plans to acquire the controlling stake of Weidong Jinglin, a professional electronic material supplier, through a combination of issuing shares and paying cash.
➁ Zhizhen Technology, a high-tech enterprise focusing on semiconductor equipment, has been actively involved in capital operations since its listing.
➂ Weidong Jinglin, founded in 2006, is a key supplier of electronic materials and has been preparing for an IPO.
- High NA EUV Lithography Machine Achieves Significant Milestone
➀ Intel has begun production with the first two of ASML's advanced lithography machines in its factory, showing early data indicating increased reliability over earlier models.
➁ Intel, which became the first chip manufacturer to receive these machines last year, plans to use them to develop 18A manufacturing technology for mass production later this year.
➂ Imec has demonstrated the first electrical yield results from 20nm spacing metal lines patterned using High NA EUV single patterning technology, showing good electrical yield and fewer random defects.
- Tianyue Advanced Announces Record SiC Revenue and Production Capacity
➀ Tianyue Advanced reported a net profit of 180 million yuan from SiC, achieving a turn-around from losses;
➁ The company's SiC sales volume exceeded 250,000 pieces in the first nine months of 2024, with an annualized production capacity of 460,000 pieces;
➂ Tianyue Advanced plans to build 8-inch SiC production lines and new overseas production bases.
- Fujian Entrepreneur's Chip Business Boosts Wealth by Over 200B in Half a Year
➀ Deepseek's popularity has ignited excitement in the secondary market for edge AI, boosting the stock prices of companies like Rockchip.
➁ Rockchip's founder Li Min's wealth has surged to 10 billion yuan, with a direct and indirect shareholding of 42.3361% in Rockchip, valued at about 32.9 billion yuan.
➂ Rockchip has transformed from audio and video chips to AIoT chips, becoming one of the most diverse AIoT product line vendors in China.
February 24
- Intel 18A Process Ready for Tape-Out
➀ Intel has announced that its Intel 18A process, the final and most important in its 'four years, five nodes' plan, is ready for tape-out in the first half of this year;
➁ The 18A process represents a significant breakthrough for Intel's IDM 2.0 strategy and is seen as a key signal for the revitalization of Intel Foundry Services (IFS);
➂ The 18A process will introduce several advanced semiconductor technologies, with a 30% increase in chip density and a 15% improvement in performance per watt compared to Intel's 3nm process;
➃ Intel plans to apply the 18A process to the upcoming Panther Lake laptop processors and Clearwater Forest server CPUs;
➄ The ribbonFET full-gate transistor and PowerVia backside power supply technology are the two major breakthroughs of the 18A process;
➅ The ribbonFET transistor achieves a full-gate (GAA) architecture, providing finer control of current flow and reducing power consumption and leakage;
➆ PowerVia backside power supply technology changes the logic of chip wiring, making the power supply path for transistors more direct and improving power supply efficiency;
➇ Intel's next-generation mobile processor Panther Lake and desktop processor Nova Lake will be based on the Intel 18A process, with the server CPU Clearwater Forest also planned for release in the first half of 2026;
➈ Intel will also cooperate with external chip design companies to customize chips, such as Amazon and Microsoft.
- 重磅！三星与长江存储合作
➀ Samsung has chosen to use China's NAND manufacturer YMTC's patented technology starting from V10 (10th generation);
➁ YMTC, the earliest to apply hybrid bonding to 3D NAND, has a strong patent accumulation in related technology;
➂ Samsung Electronics has signed a licensing agreement with YMTC for 3D NAND hybrid bonding patents, avoiding patent risks and accelerating technological development.
- Intel 18A Ready to Take the Lead Over TSMC and Samsung
➀ Intel has officially launched the introduction of its most advanced 18A process technology and claims it is 'ready';
➁ The 18A process is expected to enter mass production in mid-2025, with the Panther Lake processor from the Core Ultra 300 series as the first to use it, which is expected to be launched in the second half of this year;
➂ Compared to the Intel 3 process node, the 18A process improves performance per watt by 15% and chip density by 30%;
➃ Intel 18A uses RibbonFET GAA transistor technology for precise current control and improved performance per watt, minimum voltage operation, and electrostatic performance;
➄ The PowerVia背面供电 technology of Intel 18A can improve density and utilization rate by 5% to 10% and reduce resistance power drop, thereby improving ISO power performance by up to 4%;
➅ Intel 18A is expected to enter mass production in the second half of 2025, potentially leading the industry by nearly a year over TSMC's N2 process.
February 23
- Chinese Companies Place Orders for South Korea's 4nm!
➀ Samsung Electronics' 4nm advanced process yield has approached 80% and recently received ASIC foundry orders from Chinese companies.
➁ The new management team has adjusted the strategy, no longer chasing the forefront competition, and focusing on winning customers with high yield.
➂ The popularity of the AI development platform DeepSeek has ignited the enthusiasm of Chinese technology companies to develop AI ASICs, with Samsung's price and capacity advantages becoming a key driving force for orders.
- South Korea's Semiconductor Technology Almost Entirely Behind China, Say Media Reports
➀ According to a survey report by KISTEP, South Korea's majority of semiconductor technologies have been surpassed by China.
➁ South Korea's level in high integration and low impedance storage chip technology is 90.9%, lower than China's 94.1%.
➂ South Korea's level in high-performance, low-power artificial intelligence chips is 84.1%, still not reaching China's 88.3%.
➃ South Korea's power semiconductor level is 67.5%, while China's is 79.8%.
➄ Both South Korea and China are at 74.2% in advanced semiconductor packaging technology.
➅ South Korea's semiconductor industry has made significant achievements in the past few decades, especially in the field of storage chips.
➆ China's semiconductor industry has developed rapidly in recent years, surpassing South Korea in many key technology areas.
February 22
- What Ren Zhengfei, Lei Jun, and Others Discussed at the Private Enterprise Dialogue?
➀ President Xi Jinping held a symposium with entrepreneurs from various fields across the country to discuss the development of private enterprises under the new situation;
➁ Ren Zhengfei, CEO of Huawei, expressed his confidence in China's rise and discussed Huawei's 'backup plan 2.0';
➂ Lei Jun, CEO of Xiaomi, spoke about Xiaomi's recovery and commitment to high-end development and AI technology application;
➃ Wang Chuanfu, Chairman of BYD, highlighted the achievements of China's new energy vehicle industry and the importance of innovation;
➄ Liu Yonghao, Chairman of New Hope Group, discussed the vitality of traditional industries and the importance of confidence;
➅ Yu Renrong, Chairman of Weilai Semiconductor, analyzed the increasing domestication rate in supply chain and the strong driving force of upstream and downstream development;
➆ Wang Xingxing, CEO of UST, emphasized the importance of innovation and the contribution of young people to national innovation.
- Huang Renxun's First Response to DeepSeek! (With Real Record)
➀ DeepSeek's R1 model sparked a major response in the tech industry, causing NVIDIA's stock to fall 16.79% and its market value to lose $90 billion, a record in American financial history.
➁ Huang Renxun, NVIDIA's CEO, praised DeepSeek as a major advancement in artificial intelligence but had not publicly responded to the issue until Thursday.
➂ Huang Renxun addressed the misunderstanding among investors about DeepSeek's progress in the AI field, which led to an incorrect reaction in the market to NVIDIA's stock.
- The Future of EUV Technology: Prospects for Brightness
➀ The demand for advanced node chips supporting AI is growing rapidly, putting pressure on the industry to meet demand;
➁ EUV lithography technology is critical for manufacturing these chips, and its stability requires continuous investment and improvement;
➂ The ongoing research and development in various aspects, from new photoresists to more powerful light sources, aims to improve the cost-effectiveness of EUV.
- LPDDR5 Speed Boost: A Massive Leap!
➀ Samsung's LPDDR5-Ultra-Pro further solidifies its position in the LPDDR6 domain.
➁ Samsung has introduced an extension to the LPDDR5 specification at the ISSCC, raising data transfer rates to 12,700 MT/s (12.7 GT/s) through the addition of four-phase self-calibration and AC coupling transmitter-receiver equalization.
➂ The fastest LPDDR5X by Samsung features a 12,700 MT/s data transfer rate and is a 16 Gb memory IC with an industry-standard voltage of 1.05V, manufactured using the company's fifth-generation 10nm-class DRAM manufacturing process.
- The Storage Market: Another Winter Approaching?
➀ The storage market, including NAND and DRAM, has been severely impacted since the third quarter of 2021, with DRAM prices falling by 57% and NAND prices by 55%;
➁ The market began to recover in the second half of 2023, driven by the rise of AI and the demand for HBM in AI chips;
➂ However, the warm season did not last long, and the storage market seems to be facing another winter at the beginning of 2025;
➃ NAND prices are expected to remain low in the first half of 2025, but SSD shipments are expected to increase in the second half due to growing demand for AI servers;
➄ DRAM prices are also expected to decline significantly in the first quarter of 2025, mainly due to weak consumer demand and excess supply of DDR4 memory modules;
➅ The DRAM industry is expected to shift its focus to DDR5 and HBM in the future, as these technologies are becoming increasingly important in data centers and AI applications.
February 21
- Over 3Billion Yuan in Funding for 12 SiC Companies
➀ Since January2025, SiC industry has seen continuous funding, with 2 more companies receiving a new round of funding totaling over 500 million yuan.
➁ As of February 21, 12 SiC companies have completed funding this year.
➂ Pinnacle Semiconductor has completed nearly 500 million yuan in A2 and A3 rounds of funding, focusing on R&D, supply chain, and global market layout.
➃ Sun Yang Electronics has completed B round of funding, aiming to enhance R&D efforts and product competitiveness.
➄ In 2025, a total of 12 SiC companies have received funding, with a total amount of nearly 3 billion yuan.
- A Unicorn Failing Before IPO: The Downfall of a Tech Giant
➀ Zongmu Technology, a leading intelligent driving company, has fallen into a state of shutdown, leaving over 700 employees unemployed.
➁ The company has struggled with employee wage issues since November 2024 and has seen high-level management departures.
➂ Despite securing 9 rounds of financing totaling 2.247 billion yuan, Zongmu Technology has failed to turn a profit, leading to its current predicament.
- FD-SOI, Advancing to 7nm
➀ The traditional CMOS process faces challenges due to the limits of photolithography and the need for new technologies to maintain further development.
➁ FinFET has become the mainstream choice for semiconductor devices, pushing the development of semiconductor processes to 7nm, 5nm, and even 3nm.
➂ FD-SOI, once overlooked, is gaining prominence due to its unique technical characteristics and advantages.
➃ FD-SOI technology is growing rapidly, with the global market size expected to increase from $930 million in 2022 to $4.09 billion in 2027.
➄ FD-SOI technology has advantages such as higher performance, lower power consumption, and better radio frequency performance.
➅ FD-SOI technology is particularly suitable for low-power devices such as mobile phones and IoT.
➆ The development of FD-SOI technology has been driven by key players in the semiconductor industry, with the industry actively promoting the technology's development and expanding its application boundaries.
February 20
- Samsung Suddenly Calls 2000 Executives!
➀ Samsung Group has recently initiated a special leadership training program for all senior management personnel at home and abroad, focusing on the themes of 'crisis breakthrough' and 'organizational management'.
➁ The program aims to gather approximately 2000 senior executives from all subsidiaries, including Samsung Electronics, for a special training session on 'reviving the spirit and values of Samsung'.
➂ The training, which is taking place at the Samsung Human Resources Development Institute in Gyeonggi Province, is a rare move by Samsung to conduct a large-scale training for all senior management for the first time in nine years.
February 19
- Semi-conductor Giants in Japan and South Korea Plan to Shut Down and Sell!
➀ South Korea's Magnachip Semiconductor is seeking to sell after failing to close a $1.4 billion acquisition deal with China's Zhi Lu Capital in 2021 due to U.S. intervention.
➁ Magnachip's stock has been declining due to the long-term downturn in the global display industry, with its market value now at $150.7 million and expected sale price at $27.3 million.
➂ Sumco, a Japanese silicon wafer manufacturer, plans to stop silicon wafer production at its Miyazaki factory by the end of 2026, transforming it into a factory for producing single crystal ingots.
- CoWoS Under Pressure as FOPLP Emerges
➀ The rise of CoWoS has brought significant revenue to TSMC, threatening leading packaging factories like ASE and Amkor.
➁ TSMC's Q1 earnings forecast indicates an increase in advanced packaging, dispelling concerns about decreasing CoWoS demand.
➂ TSMC plans to increase CoWoS capacity to meet customer demand, with expected revenue contribution growing from 8% in 2024 to 10% in 2025.
➃ FOPLP, a new packaging technology, offers higher I/O density, better electrical performance, and larger packaging sizes, challenging the dominance of CoWoS.
➄ FOPLP's market is expected to grow significantly, with a projected CAGR of 32.5% over the next five years.
➅ Major players like TSMC, Samsung, and AU Optronics are actively involved in FOPLP development.
➆ Challenges for FOPLP include achieving high yields and establishing standards.
- Intel Insider: Giving Wafer Fab Control to TSMC Would Be a Terrible Mistake!
➀ An Intel insider, Joseph Bonetti, disputes recent rumors about Intel's struggles and its potential partnership with TSMC, arguing that Intel is making significant progress in semiconductor manufacturing.
➁ Bonetti highlights Intel's 3nm and 2nm process technologies, noting that Intel 3 is already in production and the next-generation Intel 18A is nearing completion.
➂ He emphasizes Intel's lead in High-NA EUV lithography, which is crucial for 1nm-level advanced processes.
➃ Despite financial difficulties, Bonetti believes Intel Foundry will prove itself with its products and attract major customers like Microsoft and Amazon.
➄ He warns against giving TSMC control over Intel's wafer fabs, emphasizing the potential damage to Intel and the US leadership position.
- Expert in Chips Returns to China: Once Involved in Developing 3 Apple M-Series Chips
➀ Dr. Wang Huanyu, a professor at Huazhong University of Science and Technology, has returned to China to join the School of Integrated Circuits as a professor and Ph.D. supervisor after working at Apple Inc. in the United States.
➁ Wang obtained his bachelor's degree from Huazhong University of Science and Technology in 2014, his master's degree from Northwestern University in the United States in 2015, and his Ph.D. from the University of Florida in 2021.
➂ Wang's research focuses on hardware security design of integrated circuits and EDA automation. He has worked and interned at companies such as Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Qualcomm, and Synopsys in the United States.
February 18
- Will DeepSeek Impact Wafer Demand?
➀ The impact of generative AI will lead to a sharp increase in DRAM wafer demand.
➁ DeepSeek, a Chinese AI startup, has released a large-scale language model (LLM) called DeepSeek-R1, which is comparable to OpenAI's GPT-4.
➂ DeepSeek's R1 was developed in just two months at a cost of 5.6 million US dollars, a fraction of what other companies spend.
➃ The rise of smartphones is an example of disruptive innovation, replacing PCs in the market.
➄ The growth of AI servers, especially those with AI semiconductors, is expected to drive the demand for advanced node logic and DRAM wafers.
➅ The demand for DRAM wafers is expected to soar as generative AI becomes more prevalent.
➆ The global wafer demand is projected to increase significantly due to various factors, including government subsidies and the rise of AI.
- Domestic Semiconductor Companies: New Trends
➀ The domestic semiconductor industry, particularly analog chips and MCUs, is experiencing rapid development and a trend towards mergers and acquisitions.
➁ Companies like Gigadevice and South芯 Technology are acquiring smaller firms to expand their product lines and enhance their technological capabilities.
➂ The integration of MCU and analog chips is becoming a major trend, with companies like Naxin Micro and Xinyuan Microcontroller Semiconductor collaborating to offer comprehensive solutions.
February 17
- Jonah Alben: The Key Figure Behind Nvidia's Success in China's Chip Design
➀ Jonah Alben, Nvidia's GPU Senior Vice President, is a key figure in Nvidia's success in the Chinese AI computing market.
➁ Alben was appointed by Huang Renxun to maintain local business after the U.S. government began to limit Nvidia's exports to China.
➂ Alben's approach involved lowering the performance of Nvidia's top products to meet compliance requirements.