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February 23
- 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.
- 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 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.
- 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.
- Over 500 Million Yuan in Investment: Two GaN Projects Accelerate Progress
➀ Two GaN projects in China and India have made significant progress;
➁ Bo Wei Integrated's GaN project is expected to be completed by the end of 2025, with an investment of approximately 2.5 billion yuan;
➂ The project is mainly for GaN microwave circuit research, development, and sales, applying to high-tech fields such as 5G communication;
➃ India's government has allocated 33.4 billion rupees for GaN technology research, and the first GaN power transistor has been developed by a multidisciplinary faculty group at the Indian Institute of Technology.
- Nanjingwei Focuses on SoC, Making Another Move
➀ Nanjingwei's revenue from signal chain products accounted for more than half of its total revenue in the first half of 2024, reflecting the company's focus on this product line.
➁ Nanjingwei has launched the NovoGenius series SoC, aiming to become an international analog chip giant.
➂ The NSUC1610 SoC is designed for automotive applications such as electronic water valves and electronic expansion valves, providing an integrated solution for motor control.
- Eindhoven: VCSEL and DML Innovations in Data Transmission
➀ The exponential growth of data traffic in cloud computing, high-definition video streaming, 5G connectivity, and AI computing requires innovative solutions to handle increasing data volumes with low latency and high reliability.
➁ VCSEL transceivers based on MMF are favored for short-distance transmission due to their low cost and power consumption. However, MMF dispersion limits data rates over 100G.
➂ Eindhoven has achieved 56 Gbps transmission over 500m MMF using 980 nm VCSELs, optimizing modal bandwidth to 14.2 GHz·km.
➃ The research also focuses on wafer-scale heterogeneous integration for high-speed interconnects, improving thermal management for laser diodes.
➄ InP membrane DMLs with PPR characteristics show potential for short-range communication systems, offering small footprint, high energy efficiency, and high modulation bandwidth.
➅ The analysis of laser performance reveals the importance of phase optimization for achieving smooth response and expanded bandwidth.
February 16
- The Father of China's Chip Etching Machine: Forever 38 Years Old!
➀ Yu Zhiyao, the founder of Micro-Epsilon, has made it his mission to break through the bottleneck in China's semiconductor industry.
➁ His company, Micro-Epsilon, has become the fourth-largest etching machine company in the world, fully capable of supporting China's needs in this field.
➂ With the industry's first dual-machine etching equipment technology, Micro-Epsilon has set the concept of 'picometer' processing accuracy and achieved etching precision below 100 picometers.
- TSMC's Annual Dividend Reaches 31.2 Billion New Taiwan Dollars, Average Employee Exceeds 440,000 RMB!
➀ TSMC's board approved the 2024 employee performance bonus and salary (dividend) totaling 140.59 billion New Taiwan Dollars (about 31.2 billion RMB);
➁ TSMC's 2024 annual revenue is about 2.894 trillion New Taiwan Dollars, with a year-on-year increase of 33.9%, and a net profit after tax of 1.1732 trillion New Taiwan Dollars;
➂ TSMC provides services to most leading chip developers, including Apple, Qualcomm, and MediaTek.
- Semiconductor Industry: The Great Shift
➀ TSMC faces challenges due to Trump's tariffs and the potential for additional taxes from the US government.
➁ The Taiwanese semiconductor industry is under pressure to establish more fabs in the US.
➂ Taiwanese fabs like TSMC and United Microelectronics Corporation are struggling with the dual pressures of US tariffs and competition from Chinese mainland fabs.
➃ Taiwanese fabless companies like MediaTek are adapting to geopolitical risks and exploring new markets.
➄ South Korea's semiconductor industry is facing challenges from Chinese competitors and US tariffs.
➅ Both Taiwan and South Korea are seeking a balance between technological innovation and supply chain security.
- Broadcom and TSMC Consider Splitting Intel: A Groundbreaking Potential Deal
➀ Broadcom and TSMC are considering a deal with Intel to split the company, with Broadcom interested in Intel's chip design business and TSMC focusing on Intel's factories.
➁ Broadcom has been closely monitoring Intel's chip design and marketing business and has held informal discussions with advisors, but this could only happen if a partner is found for Intel's manufacturing business.
➂ The potential transactions, which were unimaginable before Intel's recent troubles, could result in the disintegration of Intel.
- High-Tech Warning: Qualcomm in Jeopardy!
➀ Qualcomm is facing multiple competitive pressures from MediaTek's rising share and NVIDIA's entry in the smartphone chip market.
➁ In the server CPU market, Arm's cross-industry competition is squeezing Qualcomm's market share.
➂ In the automotive cabin chip field, MediaTek and Intel's strong performance pose a threat to Qualcomm.
➃ TSMC's advanced manufacturing process technology supports chip design companies and challenges Qualcomm.
➄ Qualcomm's CFO expects the overall market to remain flat or grow in single digits by 2025.
➅ Qualcomm's CEO emphasizes the commitment to reaching a non-smartphone business revenue target of $22 billion by fiscal year 2029.
February 15
- Ideal Car's Silicon Carbide Module and Electric Drive Project Launched with Over 1.2 Billion Yuan Investment
➀ Ideal Car announced the completion of its self-developed silicon carbide power chips and the mass production of self-developed and self-produced silicon carbide power modules and the new generation electric drive units at their Suzhou semiconductor and Changzhou electric production bases.
➁ These three core technologies will be gradually integrated into Ideal Car's pure electric models, with the first pure electric MPV model MEGA launching in 2024, equipped with Ideal's self-developed SiC module and 800V high-voltage platform.
➂ Ideal Car aims to achieve a total sales volume of 700,000 vehicles in 2025, a 40% increase from 2024, with a significant portion of the increase expected to come from pure electric models.
- Nvidia GB300 NVL72: Potential Abandonment of Supercapacitors and Its Impact on Musashi's AI Server Business
➀ Nvidia has removed supercapacitor shelves from its GB300 NVL72 design due to technical and mass-production challenges.
➁ The decision may influence CSPs' future adoption of supercapacitors.
➂ Nvidia is exploring alternative energy storage capacitors for power shelves.
➃ Musashi's goal to reach 6.5 million units annually by 2026 is being monitored.
- Infineon's 200mm SiC Milestone
➀ The majority of SiC devices are currently produced on 150mm wafers, with larger wafers posing significant challenges.
➁ Infineon has made significant progress in its 200mm SiC roadmap, releasing the first products based on advanced 200mm SiC technology in the first quarter of 2025.
➂ These products manufactured in Austria, provide top-tier SiC power technology for high-voltage applications such as renewable energy, trains, and electric vehicles.
- Flash Memory Breaks Through 400-Layer Barrier
➀ Samsung Electronics is releasing a 1Tbit 3D NAND flash memory with storage cell layers up to 400+ layers, achieving a memory density of 28.2Gbit/mm2 using TLC method.
➁ Kioxia and Western Digital's joint development team is reporting a 1Tbit 3D NAND flash memory with 332 layers, with a memory density of up to 29Gbit/mm2.
➂ SK Hynix has developed a 2Tbit 3D NAND flash memory with 321 layers, using QLC method multi-value storage.
➃ Samsung is currently developing the 9th generation 3D NAND with 286 layers and is working on 400-layer technology.
➄ SK Hynix is exploring the potential of manufacturing 3D NAND at ultra-low temperatures, aiming to produce new generation products with over 400 layers by 2025.➅ Kioxia plans to mass-produce 3D NAND storage devices with over 1,000 layers by 2031.
➆ The journey towards 1,000-layer 3D NAND involves multiple improvements in manufacturing processes, including vertical, horizontal, and logical aspects.
- Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Considers Acquiring Majority Stake in Intel's Factory
➀ Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) is considering acquiring a majority stake in Intel's factories, following a request from the Trump administration to promote US manufacturing and maintain technological leadership.
➁ The negotiation is in the early stages, and the specific structure of potential collaboration has not been determined yet.
➂ The arrangement may involve allowing major US chip design companies to invest and securing support from the US government.