1. Aiming at new energy, Stellantis implements chip supply guarantee and battery expansion
The world-renowned car company Stellantis (which owns Dodge, Peugeot, Citroen and other brands) recently announced that it is working on a strategy aimed at managing and ensuring the long-term supply of important chips to prevent possible future shortages. In addition, Stellantis began to cooperate with Infineon, NXP, ON Semiconductor and Qualcomm’s strategic partners to improve the technology of its electrification platform STLA.
So far, Stellantis has signed a semiconductor supply agreement of 10 billion euros by 2030, covering silicon carbide MOSFETs, MCUs and SoCs.
In order to support the development of its own pure electric vehicles, Stellantis recently signed a memorandum of understanding with Samsung SDI to build a second battery manufacturing plant in the United States under the existing StarPlus Energy joint venture. The plant is scheduled to start production in 2027, with an initial annual production capacity of 34 GWh, and a site has yet to be determined. Previously, in 2022, the two companies announced that they would spend $2.5 billion to build a battery factory with an annual capacity of 33GWh in Kokomo, Indiana.
2. Dongfeng Motor takes the lead in creating 3 car-level chips
According to Dongfeng Motor’s official account, the Hubei Provincial Auto-Grade Chip Industry Technology Innovation Consortium, formed by Dongfeng Motor and 8 enterprises, institutions and universities, has been committed to realizing the complete independent definition of automotive-grade chips since its establishment more than a year ago. Design and manufacture, packaging and testing, and controller development and application.
The consortium recently announced that it has made some achievements in key core technologies, completed the design of the first domestic MCU chip based on RISC-V instruction-level architecture, and realized the first tape-out of three domestic blank car-grade chips, and produced inventions. More than 50 patents and integrated circuit layouts.
During the “14th Five-Year Plan” period, Dongfeng Corporation formulated a strategy for the development and application of localized chips in the fields of automotive central gateways, smart cockpits, automatic driving, and power control, and is expected to realize full control of powertrain, chassis, body, and new energy. cover.
3. In response to AI needs, TSMC has decided to expand production of CoWoS packaging
According to Taiwan Business Times, the AI boom has pushed up TSMC’s CoWoS advanced packaging production capacity. It is understood that the Zhuke Administration Bureau has officially issued a letter a few days ago, agreeing that TSMC will acquire about 7 hectares of land in the Zhuke Tongluo Park. TSMC will spend 90 billion yuan to build the latest CoWoS advanced packaging and testing plant in China. It is expected that the construction of the plant will be completed by the end of 2026, and mass production will begin in the third quarter of 2027.
TSMC President Wei Zhejia said frankly at the conference on the 20th that the increase in demand for artificial intelligence is a positive trend for TSMC. It is predicted that in the next five years, it will grow at an annual growth rate of close to 50% and account for about 10% of revenue. Therefore, CoWoS advanced packaging The sooner the production capacity is built, the better.
4. The start of production of TSMC’s Arizona plant in the United States is expected to be delayed until 2025
According to foreign media reports quoted by TechWeb, TSMC’s $12 billion fab in Arizona, USA, has officially started construction in 2021, and equipment began to move in at the end of last year. The plant initially planned to introduce a 5nm process, and later announced an upgrade to 4nm, with production scheduled for 2024.
But even if TSMC increases investment in Arizona and upgrades the manufacturing process of the factory, the challenge of building a factory in the United States has not been eliminated, and the shortage of technical talents will also affect their production progress. Liu Deyin, chairman of TSMC, revealed at the meeting that it is expected that the mass production of the 4nm process at the Arizona plant will be delayed until 2025.
5. Supply chain: iPhone 15 initial stocking fell by more than 8% year-on-year
According to the Science and Technology Board Daily citing Taiwan’s Electronic Times, Apple’s supply chain sources said that the stocking of iPhone 15 components is not as strong as in the same period in 2022. It is estimated that the initial stocking volume is only about 83-85 million units, a year-on-year decrease of more than 8%. Familiar with the camera module industry revealed that the stocking of the iPhone 14 series in the same period in 2022 is relatively active, such as the estimates given by VCM and plastic parts, almost all of which meet the standards.
6. Hua Hong Semiconductor, the second largest foundry in China, is about to land on the Science and Technology Innovation Board
According to the announcement issued by Hua Hong Semiconductor, the application of Hua Hong Semiconductor Co., Ltd. for the initial public offering of 407,750,000 RMB ordinary shares (A shares) and listing on the Science and Technology Innovation Board has been reviewed by the Listing Review Committee of Shanghai Stock Exchange (hereinafter referred to as “SSE”) Passed and registered with the China Securities Regulatory Commission.
Hua Hong Semiconductor is the world’s leading specialty process foundry company, and also the foundry company with the most comprehensive feature process platform coverage in the industry. It can provide customers with products ranging from 0.35 microns to 65/55 nanometers and other process nodes. Provide wafer foundry and supporting services including embedded/stand-alone non-volatile memory, power devices, analog and power management, logic and radio frequency and other diversified characteristic process platforms.