➀ A secretive American startup named Substrate has emerged with the aim of challenging ASML and TSMC in the semiconductor industry.
➁ Substrate has developed a new chipmaking machine that uses particle acceleration for lithography, a crucial process for etching microscopic circuitry onto silicon wafers.
➂ The company aims to compete with ASML, whose equipment is currently the only option for making advanced processors.
➀ The US has imposed export restrictions on semiconductor firms targeting China since 2018, aiming to hinder China's chipmaking ambitions.
➁ Chinese chipmakers are innovating by pushing the limits of technology, such as using multi-patterning and hardware-software fusion.
➂ Huawei's Ascend 910C chip demonstrates the potential for innovation, offering 800 teraflops compared to Nvidia's 2,500 teraflops.
➃ The strategy involves using less advanced technologies like DUV systems to compensate for foreign restrictions.
➄ Concerns remain about the long-term feasibility of this approach due to physical limitations of current technology.
➅ China is also exploring the use of less precise number representations in AI chips to optimize performance.
➀ TSMC's Chairman Hou expects rare earth reserves to remain stable in the short term;
➁ TSMC is taking steps to reduce its reliance on China for rare earth materials;
➂ The shift reflects broader geopolitical concerns in the semiconductor industry.
➃ Hou emphasizes the importance of securing adequate green energy supply and power stability for the semiconductor industry;
➄ He highlights the role of EUV equipment in energy efficiency and the need for expanding Taiwan's talent pool.
➀ Chinese researchers have developed an EUV light source platform that operates at internationally competitive parameters, a breakthrough for the domestic production of advanced chips;
➁ The team, led by Lin Nan, has achieved world-class results in photolithography research using a solid-state laser-driven approach;
➂ The platform, based on a solid-state laser, has reached more than half of the conversion efficiency rate of commercially available CO2 laser-driven light sources, surpassing previous international benchmarks.
➀ The paper highlights control design aspects of wafer scanners in the semiconductor industry;
➁ Discusses challenges in control design to meet increasing demands on accuracy and speed;
➂ Covers mechatronic systems including light source generation, optical and metrology systems, and reticle and wafer stage systems;
➃ Addresses control challenges such as rejection of high-frequency aliasing disturbances, large-scale state reconstruction, vibration control, and thermal modeling.
➀ Infineon and Innosilicon have announced a strategic collaboration for 8-inch GaN wafer manufacturing, potentially reshaping the power semiconductor industry.
➁ The partnership aims to enhance GaN power solution performance and supply chain resilience, with a focus on widespread application in consumer electronics, data centers, automotive, and industrial power systems.
➂ The collaboration will leverage the manufacturing capacities of both companies, with Innosilicon using Infineon's overseas and vice versa, to expand the GaN product portfolio and market supply capabilities.
➀ GlobalFoundries has been in contact with UMC regarding a potential merger, exploring a partnership two years ago but without progress.
➁ The proposed merger aims to create a larger wafer fabrication company, ensuring the supply of mature process chips in the US and investing in R&D.
➂ UMC and GlobalFoundries rank fourth and fifth in the wafer fabrication market with 5.5% and 4.7% shares respectively in Q4 2024.
➃ The combined revenue would reach $3.7 billion, potentially surpassing Samsung to become the second-largest wafer foundry after TSMC.
➄ Both companies have complementary process technologies and a production footprint across three continents.
➅ The merger faces challenges such as antitrust reviews by regulatory departments and handling agreements with Intel.
➆ UMC responded to the rumors by stating that there are no ongoing merger cases.
➀ Intel has announced that three members of its board of directors will not seek reelection, shifting the board's focus to a more high-tech industry-oriented one.
➁ The departing directors have backgrounds in healthcare and academia, and their departure is seen as a move towards deeper tech expertise.
➂ The new board composition includes a stronger emphasis on industry-specific knowledge, which may help Intel regain its competitive edge.
➀ The global market growth of electric vehicles (EVs) is slowing down, leading to layoffs in the semiconductor industry.
➁ Infineon, the world's largest semiconductor power company, plans to lay off 1400 people and adjust the positions of another 1400.
➂ The rise of Chinese manufacturers, such as BYD, is also impacting the industry, with companies like Renesas Electronics delaying investments.
➀ Multiple SiC companies, including Yangjie Technology, Chongqing Tianke, Tuopu Electronics, and Zhonghengwei, are collaborating to advance the research and production of SiC products.
➁ Zhonghengwei Semiconductor has signed a strategic cooperation agreement with Xinhua Semiconductor to focus on SiC wafer manufacturing and module packaging, aiming to achieve a full-chain technical closed loop.
➂ Chongqing Tianke, Pengjin High-tech, and Shangyangtong Technology are working together to develop power device processes based on 8-inch epitax wafers.
➃ Yangjie Technology has signed strategic cooperation意向s with Puxing Electronics and Hantiancheng to create an efficient SiC supply chain.
➄ Tuopu Electronics and Pu Zhou City Industrial Bank have established a joint venture to focus on ultra-high-voltage SiC power chip projects.
➀ SoftBank announced a significant acquisition, purchasing US server CPU company Ampere Computing for $6.5 billion in cash, expected to be completed by the second half of 2025;
➁ Ampere, founded by former Intel executives in 2017, specializes in designing chips for Arm architecture servers and has early customers like Microsoft, Google, ByteDance, and Tencent;
➂ Despite facing financial challenges with three years of cumulative losses of nearly 14 billion RMB, Ampere's technical strength and market potential attracted SoftBank's attention.
➀ Chen Liwu, 65, has been appointed as the new CEO of Intel, marking the first time in Intel's 57-year history that a Chinese has held the position.
➁ Chen is known as the 'Father of Chip Venture Capital' and has founded Walden International, managing over $3 billion in capital and investing in over 500 companies, including many semiconductor companies.
➂ Intel has faced challenges such as declining revenue and market share loss in recent years, prompting the appointment of Chen to lead a strategic shift.
➀ A multi-billion yuan chip merger between Huizheng Technology and Yunying Valley was terminated due to price disagreements.
➁ Yunying Valley, founded by a Harvard graduate, has been focused on semiconductor display chip design and has attracted numerous investors.
➂ The merger failure highlights the challenges in the exit strategy for startups in the semiconductor industry, with many seeking IPOs as an alternative.
➀ Lip-Bu Tan has been appointed as Intel's new CEO, succeeding Pat Gelsinger;
➁ Tan has a strong background in semiconductor and software, and has previously served as CEO of Cadence Design Systems;
➂ Tan emphasizes the importance of engineering and aims to turn around Intel's business.
➀ The CHIPS and Science Act, aimed at strengthening U.S. semiconductor manufacturing, is under threat of repeal by the Trump administration.
➁ The Act has already attracted nearly $450 billion in private investment from leading companies, raising concerns about the impact of its repeal on the U.S. chip market.
➂ Political hurdles and legal obligations make the repeal process complex and challenging.
➀ Liu De-yin has joined Micron Technology's board of directors, bringing his extensive experience in the semiconductor industry to the company.
➁ Liu's impressive career at TSMC, where he rose to the position of chairman, has provided him with a wealth of experience in management and technology.
➂ Micron expects Liu's expertise to help the company expand its business and capitalize on growth opportunities in the semiconductor industry, particularly in the areas of data centers and edge computing.
➀ Shanghai's Xinxiangwei Microelectronics Co., Ltd. plans to purchase the controlling rights of Shenzhen Aoxiesheng Technology Co., Ltd. through issuing shares and paying cash;
➁ Xinxiangwei is a leading domestic display chip supplier and has established good cooperative relations with major panel manufacturers and display module manufacturers;
➂ The acquisition is part of Xinxiangwei's strategy to expand its business through external growth, following its establishment of a new display industry acquisition fund.
➀ The investor community is in a state of uncertainty about Intel's future;
➁ TSMC's preference for building its own fabs over taking over Intel's has raised concerns;
➂ The US administration's view on Intel's capability to be a leading-edge domestic supplier is questioned.
➀ SMIC announced a new investment of 7.5 billion US dollars (about 54.4 billion RMB) to expand production, aiming to challenge the global chip industry's status quo.
➁ The funds will be used for capacity expansion in mature processes like 28nm, technology breakthroughs in advanced processes below 7nm, and enhancing the domestic semiconductor industry's self-sufficiency.
➂ SMIC's goal is to not only become a second TSMC but to create an independent semiconductor supply chain free from US dependence.
