1. TSMC, Bosch, Infineon, and NXP will jointly build a fab in Germany
TSMC, Bosch, Infineon, and NXP jointly announced a few days ago that they plan to jointly invest in a European semiconductor manufacturing company located in Dresden, Germany, and will use 12-inch wafers to meet the future capacity needs of the rapidly growing automobile and industry. The project is planned under the framework of the European Chip Act, and the final investment amount has yet to be determined.
The fab plans to have a monthly production capacity of 40,000 12-inch wafers, and will introduce TSMC’s 28/22nm planar CMOS process and 16/12nm FinFET process. The fab is planned to start construction in the second half of 2024 and mass production by the end of 2027.
The joint venture will be held 70% by TSMC, and 10% each by Bosch, Infineon and NXP. Support, the fab will be operated by TSMC.
2. It is reported that TSMC and World Advanced Technology have lowered the price of 8-inch OEMs, with a maximum drop of 30%
According to the fast technology report, news from the supply chain shows that TSMC and its subsidiary World Advanced recently lowered the foundry price of 8-inch wafers, with a maximum drop of 30%.
However, TSMC’s move shows an unusual significance. As the largest wafer foundry in the industry, TSMC’s pricing is also the highest, and at the beginning of this year, it was still rumored to increase prices against the trend. Now it can’t stand the market trend and wants to cut prices, which means that chips The bear wind in the market will continue for some time, and it will not be relieved until at least 2024.
3. SK Hynix showcased the world’s first 321-layer NAND flash memory sample
SK Hynix announced on August 9 that it has officially become the first company in the industry to develop NAND flash memory with more than 300 layers after the release of 321-layer 4D NAND samples. On the 8th local time, at the 2023 Flash Memory Summit held by SK Hynix in Santa Clara, California, USA, it announced the progress of the development of 321-layer 1Tb TLC 4D NAND flash memory and displayed samples developed at this stage.
SK hynix announced that it will further improve the 321-layer NAND flash memory and plans to start mass production in the first half of 2025. The 321-layer 1Tb TLC NAND is 59% more efficient than the previous generation 238-layer 512Gb. The company hopes to use these products that can achieve world-class leading performance to fully meet the needs of customers who pursue high performance.
4. Global semiconductor sales in the second quarter fell by 4.7% from the previous quarter
The Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) released the latest statistics on August 4, pointing out that global semiconductor sales in the second quarter of this year totaled US$124.5 billion, a year-on-year decrease of 17.3% and a month-on-month decrease of 4.7%; sales in June were US$41.5 billion, a month-on-month increase of 1.7% %.
John Neuffer, President and CEO of SIA, said that although global semiconductor sales in 2023 still lag behind last year, revenue in June increased for the fourth consecutive month and achieved a steady quarter-on-quarter growth, which provided the market with continued rebound in the second half of the year. Brings optimism.
5. Qualcomm stopped program development, affecting the prospect of Intel foundry
According to relevant news quoted by IT Home, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo released the latest research report, saying that the latest survey shows that Qualcomm has stopped developing the Intel 20A chip, which means that the R&D and mass production of Intel 18A face higher uncertainties and risks.
Ming-Chi Kuo pointed out that after the advanced manufacturing process enters 7nm, the high-end orders of the first-line IC design industry are more important to the foundry. The design capabilities, order specifications, and order sizes of first-line IC design manufacturers can significantly improve the technical strength of foundries compared with ordinary orders. This is also the key to TSMC’s lead over other competitors. cause of significant impact.
6. Renesas will acquire cellular IoT technology company Sequans
Renesas announced a few days ago that it has signed a memorandum of understanding with Sequans, a cellular IoT technology company, to acquire the latter in cash. The transaction is valued at approximately US$249 million and is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2024. The acquisition of Sequans is the latest move by Renesas to expand its connectivity product offering through strategic acquisitions, following Renesas’ acquisitions of Dialog, Celeno, Panchronics and others.
Upon completion of the transaction, Renesas will integrate Sequans’ extensive cellular connectivity products and IP into its core product lineup, including MCUs, MPUs, analog and mixed-signal front ends. The acquisition will allow Renesas to immediately expand its coverage of the wide area network (WAN) market, including a wide range of data rates, and will also enhance Renesas’ already rich portfolio of personal area network (PAN) and local area network (LAN) connectivity products.
7. Wafer foundry GF’s revenue and net profit in the second quarter decreased year-on-year
According to the Science and Technology Innovation Board Daily, on the 8th local time, GlobalFoundries, a major wafer foundry, released its second-quarter financial report, with revenue of US$1.845 billion, a year-on-year decrease of 7%; net profit of US$237 million, a year-on-year decrease of 10%.
GlobalFoundries forecast third-quarter revenue of between US$1.83 billion and US$1.87 billion, lower than the average analyst estimate of US$1.88 billion; adjusted earnings per share are expected to be between US$0.46 and US$0.54, The median reading was $0.50, also below analysts’ forecast of $0.52.