Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix recently disclosed the orders and development of their High-Bandwidth Memory (HBM) products and have released optimistic comments for standard DRAM and HBM prices.
With the rise of AI, SK Hynix has successfully developed a new mobile NAND Flash solution called ZUFS (Zoned UFS) 4.0, targeting on-device AI applications.
With the rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI), the NAND flash market is experiencing significant growth. This has reignited the competition between Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix for dominance in the 3D NAND market, and their rivalry in stacking more than 400 layers of 3D NAND is expected to intensify further in 2025.
Wuhan Xinxin Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (XMC) has begun the IPO process. However, the pure-play foundry faces a challenging journey as it seeks to differentiate itself in a fiercely competitive market dominated by numerous players engaged in mature node manufacturing in China.
Memory manufacturer Micron Technology expects memory prices will continue climbing throughout 2024 and that pricing will increase significantly in the coming quarters.
Suppliers of Power Management ICs (PMICs) may encounter challenges in bolstering their sales momentum for DDR5 PMICs in the coming years, due mainly to the market penetration of DDR5 being constrained by the rapid rise of High Bandwidth Memory (HBM), according to Global Mixed-mode Technology (GMT), a PMIC specialist based in Taiwan.
Micron Technology announced to invest in engineering and operation centers in Mexico on May 10 that it will hire at least 100 workers by the end of 2024.
Introspect Technology, a Canadian private company, introduced its M5512 GDDR7 Memory Test System, which is designed for testing GDDR7 memory controllers, GDDR7 physical layers, and GDDR7 SGRAM chips, less than one month after the graphics memory specification was announced in March 2024.
The US will triple its domestic semiconductor manufacturing capacity from 2022—when the CHIPS and Science Act (CHIPS) was enacted—to 2032. The projected 203% growth is the largest projected percent increase in the world over that time, according to a recent SIA report.
Micron Technology has announced the availability of the Crucial series LPCAMM2, an innovative form factor for next-generation notebook memory that incorporates LPDDR5X mobile memory to enhance the performance of notebooks intended for professionals and creators.
As a subsidiary of SK Hynix, SK Hynix System IC is reportedly in the process of selling its equity in Wuxi, China. It is anticipated that in the future, SK Hynix System IC Wuxi will still retain a 50.1% equity stake, while Wuxi Industry Development Group (WIDG) will hold 49.9%. Operational control will remain in the hands of South Korean entities.
Samsung Electronics recently decided to form a 100-person team to invest in the research and production of 10nm seventh-generation 1d DRAM. Facing rapid catch-up from competitors such as SK Hynix and Micron, Samsung aims to advance its research to regain a technological lead.
Samsung Electronics reportedly plans to dedicate separate development teams for next-generation High Bandwidth Memory (HBM) products, HBM3E and HBM4, to strengthen its competitiveness in the HBM market. Whether this strategic initiative will allow Samsung to outpace competitor SK Hynix in mass production is drawing industry attention.
Since the official shipment of the extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography machine in 2017, ASML has sold about 200 units of EUV equipment, critical to manufacturing advanced chips.
Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix are locked in fierce competition in the High-Bandwidth Memory (HBM) market, with attention turning to Nvidia, the leader in Artificial Intelligence (AI) semiconductors. Recently, Nvidia has been interacting frequently with the two South Korean manufacturers, which is seen as an effort to stimulate price and technological competition.
Memory module maker Adata Technology has reported a 17-fold surge in net earnings in the first quarter of 2024, along with record highs for its operating profits and gross margin.
SoftBank Group Corp. is in talks to acquire Graphcore Ltd., a struggling British semiconductor startup once valued at $2.8 billion, according to people familiar with the deals.
AP Memory Technology, specializing in customized IoT RAM and other DRAM memory, saw a sequential fall in operating profits of approximately 63% in the first quarter of 2024 owing to seasonality. However, the company remains optimistic about its business prospects for the second half of 2024.
Samsung Electronics reportedly intends to use metal oxide resist in the Extreme Ultraviolet (EUV) exposure process of new generation DRAM products. Metal oxide resist belongs to the new generation photoresist, with higher resolution than chemically amplified resist and better impedance performance in etching.
DRAM and NAND flash prices are unlikely to trend downward in the next two quarters, according to Gerry Chen, president of memory module company Team Group.
SK Hynix reportedly designated its M17 factory site as another new DRAM production base soon after announcing in late April its investment in the M15X DRAM plant in Cheongiu, South Korea, aiming to start production before the completion of the Yongin semiconductor cluster to ensure sufficient capacity for next-generation DRAM, including High Bandwidth Memory (HBM), for AI applications. SK Hynix, however, has denied the report.
Winbond Electronics, a manufacturer of specialty DRAM and flash memory, sustained operating losses throughout the first quarter of 2024, including a NT$464 million (US$14.4 million) net loss attributable to the parent company and NT$0.11 per share loss.
Silicon Motion Technology, a NAND flash device controller specialist, has boosted its revenue forecast for this year after reporting a stronger-than-expected first quarter.
