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Recent #national security news in the semiconductor industry
➀ The UK Space Agency (UKSA) has achieved a record six-month period for contract wins involving the European Space Agency (ESA).
➁ The agency highlights a significant increase in funds for ESA programmes, with an additional £112 million (€134 million) in contracts for the UK space sector between June 2022 and December 2024.
➂ The UK now receives 99p back in contracts for every £1 invested, after overheads, marking an improvement from the previous 93p.
➀ The expansion of TSMC's fabs in Arizona raises concerns in Taiwan about the potential loss of its 'Silicon Shield';
➁ TSMC has assured Taiwan that it will maintain the most advanced technology in Taiwan and that the foreign fabs are not the most advanced;
➂ The Taiwan government's approval is required for TSMC's foreign investments above $45.5 million.
➀ China has decided to impose export controls on tungsten, tellurium, bismuth, molybdenum, and indium-related items to safeguard national security and interests and fulfill international obligations related to non-proliferation.
➁ The announcement requires exporters to apply for licenses from the Ministry of Commerce in accordance with relevant provisions of the Export Control Law of the People's Republic of China and the Regulations on the Export Control of Dual-Use Items.
➂ These metals are of significant strategic and industrial value, widely used in various industries and considered as important strategic resources.
➀ The U.S. Senate's Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations finds the Department of Commerce's efforts to enforce bans and sanctions against Russia and China inadequate due to underfunding. ➁ The investigation reveals the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) lacks resources to effectively enforce export controls and must rely on voluntary compliance from chipmakers. ➂ Despite sanctions, high-tech American chips are still found in Russian drones and missiles, and sanctioned firms create new entities to import American tech.
➀ The Biden administration has launched a formal investigation into Chinese-made legacy semiconductors; ➁ The investigation highlights concerns over China's expanding dominance in this sector; ➂ The U.S. Commerce Department's investigation could lead to new restrictions on Chinese imports.
➀ The Biden-Harris administration is investigating China's production of mature process semiconductors under the 301 trade law, citing national security threats and reducing U.S. dependence on these chips.
➁ The U.S. Trade Representative's office is initiating a 301 investigation to review China's targeting of mature semiconductors as a dominant position and its impact on the U.S. economy.
➂ The U.S. is investing in the entire semiconductor supply chain, including upstream materials like silicon carbide and wafers, with billions of dollars in private sector investments.
➀ The Biden-Harris administration is investigating China's production of mature process semiconductors under the 301 trade law, citing national security threats and reducing U.S. dependence on these chips.
➁ The U.S. Trade Representative's office is initiating a 301 investigation to review China's targeting of mature semiconductors as a dominant position and its impact on the U.S. economy.
➂ The U.S. is investing in the entire semiconductor supply chain, including upstream materials like silicon carbide and wafers, with billions of dollars in private sector investments.
➀ Ed has aspirations to become the CEO of Intel after serving as a junior minister; ➁ His strategy focuses on enhancing America's national security through IC manufacturing excellence; ➂ He proposes a strategy of developing new processes and building fabs for global superiority, with international partnerships and control over output.
➀ Intel's initial promises under Pat Gelsinger were ambitious but execution has been lacking; ➁ The company faces challenges with a bloated workforce, risk-averse culture, and a lagging AI strategy; ➂ Intel's investments in process technology have not yielded significant results, and the company must make hard choices about its future.
➀ The US imposes trade restrictions on 140 companies involved in technology trade with China, including SMIC and Huawei. ➁ Three Chinese semiconductor equipment manufacturers are also targeted. ➂ Products from Samsung, Hynix, and Micron are banned. ➃ The move is part of the Biden-Harris administration's targeted approach to hinder China's indigenous production of advanced technologies. ➄ New rules are established to stop the export of products containing US components to China.
➀ Cisco has issued a notice to suppliers to strictly enforce the provision of chip origin certificates, requiring products to be free of China-made chips;
➁ The standard for COO certification has been upgraded from the final packaging location to the production site of the chips and masks, to ensure no 'origin washing';
➂ Cisco's network communication equipment involves national security considerations, necessitating strict tracing of chip origin;
➃ Dell, another PC manufacturer, has also planned to stop using China-made chips by 2024;
➄ HP, another PC manufacturer, is transferring some production capacity out of China, with the exclusion of China-made chips in the supply chain still under evaluation;
➅ The exclusion of China-made chips by US manufacturers could have a severe negative impact on local supply chain vendors in China;
➆ If US manufacturers want to retain the Chinese market, they may not require the exclusion of China-made components in products sold in China.
➀ South Korea's ETRI has developed a new technology to detect and track illegal drones; ➁ The technology, known as EO/IR-linked radar, is designed to enhance public safety and national security against unauthorized drone activities; ➂ ETRI has transferred the technology to Samjung Solution for commercial use.
➀ The new regulations will take effect from January 2, 2025, targeting investments in China in semiconductors, quantum, and AI technologies that may pose a national security threat;
➁ The U.S. government has been strictly limiting the export of advanced semiconductors to China and has enhanced the review of inward direct investments from China by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS);
➂ The restrictions will include acquisitions of Chinese enterprise shares and joint ventures in targeted areas, as well as investments in advanced semiconductor companies and quantum research facilities in China.
➀ Current Western export controls have slowed China's progress in advanced logic, but are not perfect or infallible.
➁ Loopholes in restrictions include offshore manufacturing, end-use workarounds, and renaming/reclassifying technologies.
➂ Huawei's fab network poses a national security concern, exploiting sanctions and advancing domestic semiconductor supply chains.
➃ WFE suppliers' lobbying for relaxed controls is refuted by strong business performance and long-term market share impacts from domestic Chinese firms.
➄ Suggestions for improving export controls include expanding the entity list, aligning ally restrictions, tightening supply chain restrictions, and improving enforcement.
➀ DJI files a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Defense; ➁ The lawsuit challenges the designation as a 'Chinese military company'; ➂ DJI claims it operates independently and has no military affiliations.
➀ Micron Technology is investing $50 billion in U.S. memory chip manufacturing; ➁ The investment is supported by a $6.1 billion grant from the CHIPS and Science Act; ➂ The goal is to strengthen domestic memory chip production and U.S. economic and national security.
➀ The UK government has decided to invest £20 million in a gallium arsenide semiconductor factory in Durham County to prevent it from closing or falling into foreign hands; ➁ The factory, located in Newton Aycliffe, is the only facility in the UK capable of manufacturing gallium arsenide semiconductors and was previously owned by Coherent, an American supplier; ➂ The factory supplies critical components to the UK military, including radar power amplifiers for the Royal Air Force's Typhoon fighter jets; ➃ The government's intervention aims to maintain the defense supply chain, support employment in the North East, and protect key military technology.
➀ Intel is set to receive up to $3 billion in funding for the Secure Enclave program; ➁ The program aims to bolster the trusted production of advanced chips on Intel's 18A process technology for U.S. government use; ➂ Intel's partnership with the DoD dates back to 2020 and includes contributions to the SHIP program.