Chinese foundries have prioritized orders from domestic customers, resulting in limited availability of fab capacity for others particularly Taiwan-based ones targeting the Chinese market, according to industry sources.
Benefiting from its High Bandwidth Memory (HBM) business, SK Hynix has experienced substantial revenue growth and forecasts a doubling of shipments in 2024. Regarding recent concerns about an "AI bubble" and "HBM oversupply," SK Hynix maintains an optimistic outlook.
The gaming OLED monitor recently launched by LG Electronics has reportedly sold out globally. Despite continuous production increases for said product, it remains "out of stock." The 31.5-inch UltraGear OLED gaming monitor is the world's first 4K OLED dual-mode gaming monitor. Since its launch, this monitor has been well-received by gamers in major markets like the US and Europe.
In display R&D, China's rapid development has garnered attention. While South Korea focuses on technology sectors like OLED and backplanes, China instead puts more emphasis on emerging sectors like Quantum Dot (QD) OLED and micro OLED.
Thailand's Ministry of Energy has announced that it will freeze electricity prices at THB4.18 (approximately US$0.12 ) per unit until the end of 2024. This decision aims to alleviate financial pressure on businesses and consumers amid a challenging economic environment.
Although China is still a long way from meeting international standards in the field of semiconductor equipment, it is entirely feasible for the country to achieve technologically advanced levels within the next five to 10 years, according to Gerald Yin, CEO of China's leading semiconductor equipment maker Advanced Micro-fabrication Equipment (AMEC).
In a forum hosted by the Korean Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) in Keiju, KCCI Chairman and SK Group chairman Chey Tae-won told participants that Nvidia's dominance in the AI business is unlikely to be shaken in 2-3 years. Still, the Silicon Valley company may face a round of challenges after the period as companies have yet to find profitable business models for artificial intelligence (AI) technologies. Some uncertainties might challenge Nvidia's leadership status.
According to data from the Kyushu Bureau of Economy, Trade, and Industry, from April 2021 to June 2024, there have been 100 new semiconductor-related investments announced or reported, covering areas such as semiconductor materials and logistics. Among these, TSMC's investment in Kumamoto Prefecture, Kyushu, stands out as the largest.
Nexchip is expanding into photomask production, aiming to achieve mass production by the fourth quarter. This move positions Nexchip as a full-service foundry, similar to TSMC and SMIC, and highlights the indigenization efforts of China-based chipmakers.
As the number of DRAM stacks in high bandwidth memory (HBM) increases, there will be new developments in Through-Silicon Via (TSV) materials, focus rings and debonding technology used in this field. Memory manufacturers Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix are reportedly collaborating with partners to develop these next-generation solutions.
Samsung and SK Hynix plan to invest KRW360 trillion (US$259.2 billion) and KRW120 trillion, respectively, to build 10 semiconductor fabs in Yongin, South Korea, making it the world's largest advanced semiconductor cluster. However, recent reports suggest that the Yongin cluster development plan may be disrupted due to insufficient power supply.
SK Hynix has reported revenue hit an all-time high of KRW16.42 trillion (US$11.8 billion) in the second quarter of 2024, when operating profits topped KRW5 trillion for the first time in six years.
US-based semiconductor solutions provider Qorvo has partnered with electronic design automation software and engineering services supplier Cadence Design Systems to help Vietnam boost the talent training efforts of the local semiconductor industry.
Under the current geopolitical climate, the trend toward localized production is set to continue for some time. Yet Hon Hai Precision (Foxconn) is seemingly bucking the trend, instead increasing its investments in new businesses in China. What factors lie behind this decision?
