Amid US sanctions and the visit of US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo to China, Huawei's Mate 60 Pro, featuring the homegrown Kirin 9000s chip based on SMIC's N+2 process, has sparked much discussion. DIGITIMES Research believes the US may mount new policies to contain China's semiconductor development.
The MEMS and Sensors Forum, part of Semicon Taiwan 2023, was held on September 5. Keynote speaker Prashanth Doreswamy, president and CEO of Continental Automotive Components (India) Pvt., said the primary catalyst of automotive technology development has shifted from horsepower to chips. Next-generation cars rely on electronics to enhance their performance.
Huawei's unveiling of the Mate 60 Pro has shaken the industry. The company has demonstrated to the world, by producing a flagship smartphone featuring most components made or developed by Chinese companies, that it has to potential to be self-reliant and decouple from US technologies.
As generative AI keeps driving demand for high bandwidth memory (HBM), the global DRAM market landscape is also undergoing changes, with SK Hynix's global DRAM market share exceeding 30% in the second quarter of 2023, significantly narrowing the gap with Samsung Electronics and also unseating Micron Technology as the second largest vendor in the market.
China-based autonomous driving chip developer Horizon Robotics is showcasing solutions for smart driving and advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) powered by its Journey chip series at IAA Mobility 2023. The company said deliveries of the Journey chips are approaching four million units.
TSMC is currently constructing a new factory in Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan. Some office spaces have already been completed, and TSMC employees from Taiwan are gradually moving in.
Huawei's Mate 60 series of smartphones have hit the shelves of all e-commerce channels as well as Huawei's official website and stores in China on September 3. Orders from Huawei for producing Mate 60 Pro have reportedly reached 15–17 million units, and adding the other Mate 60 series of products, the volume can reach up to 20 million, according to sources. But Huawei did not comment on this.
US-based specialty glass supplier Corning reportedly plans to invest KRW 2 trillion (US$1.5 billion) to set up a bendable glass manufacturing plant in South Korea, targeting immense business opportunities from mobile phones, IT and automotive applications.
Passive components manufacturers have been adjusting their inventory since the fourth quarter of 2021. Sources said the industry is on the upswing from the lowest point, with the inventory generally returning to a healthy level. The demand will rebound gradually.
Following Nvidia and Intel's failed respective proposals to acquire Arm and Israel-based Tower Semiconductor, concerns arise about the prospect of significant mergers and acquisitions in the semiconductor industry in the future, which may force Samsung Electronics to change tack regarding its M&A strategy.
China's SiC crystal growth industry is witnessing exponential growth this year. Several factories have agreed to long-term partnerships with big-name international companies. The Chinese SiC industry has been flourishing for nearly a decade, thanks to government support.
Huawei's in-house developed chip architecture has piqued the market's interest, and the company may accelerate the development of non-handset chips, according to industry sources.
Western automakers are set to lose a fifth of their global market share due to the unstoppable rise of more-affordable, cheaper-to-produce Chinese electric vehicles, according to UBS Group AG analysts.
China is seeking to raise a $40 billion fund to bankroll investments in domestic chipmaking and research, Reuters reported, citing unidentified people familiar with the matter.
To solve the talent shortage problem, Samsung Austin Semiconductor and the University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin) announced in the Semiconductor Day event in early September to develop the talent pipeline to support the growing semiconductor ecosystem in Central Texas.
