Breaktime, a startup operating an AI-based online publishing platform that integrates content for readers, will tap markets in Southeast Asia such as Vietnam, Thailand and Indonesia in 2021, according to company chairman Eric Yeh.The platform focuses on content of words or texts currently and will extend to video and podcast, Yeh said.The platform uses technological tools to analyze reader behavior and perference for content creators, Yeh noted.By virtue of big data analysis and AI algorithms, the platform integrates various content for efficient publishing to hike browsing rates and matches content with appropriate advertising to bring in revenues, Yeh indicated.Breaktime is a subsidiary of Foxconn Electronics (Hon Hai). Earlier in 2020, Breaktime became a Google Certified Publishing Partner.Breaktime chairman Eric YehPhoto: Ninelu Tu, Digitimes, November 2020

Tight capacity has already sent pure-play foundries raising quotes for the 8-inch segment by 10-15% in fourth-quarter 2020, and further rises are expected in 2021. Demand for 8-inch and smaller silicon wafers is also rebounding. Prices are also sharply rising for ABF substrates after a fire disrupted productiin at a major supplier, and now delivery time for ABF substrates could extend to as long as three quarters. Eight-inch foundry quotes to rise up to 40% in 2021: Pure-play foundries including Globalfoundries, United Microelectronics (UMC) and Vanguard International Semiconductor (VIS) have raised their 8-inch foundry quotes by 10-15% in the fourth quarter, with the quotes set to rise by another 20-40% in 2021, according to industry sources.Demand for 8-inch and smaller silicon wafers rebounds: Semiconductor-grade silicon wafer makers, mainly GlobalWafers, Formosa Sumco Technology (FST) and Wafer Works, have seen demand for 8-inch and smaller models sharply rebound since mid-November 2020, according to industry sources.Tight ABF substrate supply pushing up prices, lead times: Tight ABF substrate supply has not only pushed up prices by 30-40% but also prolonged delivery lead time to a maximum of three quarters, according to industry sources.

Smart deliveries of components and materials to production lines will facilitate the entire manufacturing process and is therefore the first step to running smart factories, according to Kirin Chen, general manager for logistics equipment maker Axis-Group.If deliveries are not well organized, workers may have to spend much time waiting for the arrival of components and materials, leaving machines idle, and significantly reducing production efficiency, Chen said.There is large room for improving component/material delivery, Chen noted. For example, AGVs (automated guided vehicles) are adopted to replace manual delivery of components/materials and AGVs can be further combined with IoT technology to track the delivery progress, Chen indicated.When land availability is limited, it is usual for factories consist of two or more floors, Chen said. This will pose challenges to smart component/material delivery, as manufacturing processes are disrupted when components/materials have to be vertically transported between different floors, Chen indicated.

Supply has barely been able to ctach up with demand in the semiconductor manufacturing sector, sending prices up to reflect tight capacity at foundry and backend houses. ASE Technology reportedly has decided to raise backend services quotes by 5-10% in first-quarter 2021. Leadframe makers have seen a strong recover in demand from the 5G and automotive sectors, with clear order visibility extending to second-quarter 2021. Demand for 5G phones is also picking up momentum, and to boost shipments for entry-level 5G phones some handset brands are mulling using plastic back covers to cut costs for their devices. ASE Technology to raise backend service quotes by 5-10% in 1Q21: Taiwan's top OSAT firm ASE Technology will hike backend service quotes by 5-10% starting first-quarter 2021 to reflect increased cost and tight capacity supply for some products, according to industry sources.Leadframe orders visibility till 2Q21 on strong auto, 5G applications: Taiwan's leadframe makers including Jih Lin Technology and SDI have seen clear order visibility through the second quarter of 2021 due to a significant recovery in demand for discrete power modules for automotive and 5G base station applications, according to industry sources.Plastic handset cases may stage a comeback on entry-level 5G phones: Some handset brands are mulling using plastic back covers for their 5G-enabled entry-level phones to boost shipments, according to industry sources.

HTC has signed an MoU with National Dong Hwa University in eastern Taiwan for setting up a VR talent cultivation center.HTC will provide expertise in commercial application of VR, and the university's Department of Computer Science and Information Engineering will be responsible for operating the center.The center's first project will be appliying VR to sight-seeing, arts, culture and education, with such VR content to be developed by students under professors' guidance, according to department chairman Chiang Cheng-chin.Along with fast growing use of 5G, demand for VR, AR, MR and XR will increase sharply, said HTC Taiwan president Darren Chen, adding HTC will enhance cooperation with the university by establishing a certification center for education and training regarding HTC Vive there.

For Chinese fabless IC vendors, tight foundry supply has been compounded by the fact that China-based SMIC has been blacklisted by the US. More Chinese IC vendors are now seeking support from Samsung for 14nm and above manufacturing processes. BT substrate supply has also become tight after a recent fire disrupted production at a major suppier, Unimicron. For ASE Technology, underlying the the recent supply-demand imbalance in the semiconductor sector are structural changes, apart from pandemic-driven needs. Samsung sees 14nm chip orders from China surge: Samsung Electronics has seen orders demanding 14nm and above processes ramp up from its China-based fabless clients recently, according to industry sources.Concerns rising over tight BT substrate supply for handset SoCs: Handset application processor vendors have expressed concerns about the supply of BT substrates that may fall due to the suspension of production at Unimicron Technology's fire-hit plant in northern Taiwan, and are moving to vie for more capacity support from other suppliers for 2021, according to industry sources.Pandemic-triggered structural changes: Q&A with ASE Technology COO Tien Wu: ASE Technology has turned optimistic about the IC backend industry prospects for the first half of 2021 with high capacity utilization to linger in diverse processes despite the coronavirus pandemic, according to company COO Tien Wu.

MediaTek is likely to report record sales for 2020, and the mobile SoC vendor is confident that its sales will grow further next year. MediaTek's chairman believes the global economy will recover and stimulate demand for handsets and termninal devices. For Taiwan's PCB makers, they may see more orders from Apple for flexible PCBs to be used in next-generation iPhones. And Semco reportedly plans to exit the rigid-flex PCB market segment, partly because demand from Apple may drop.MediaTek optimistic about 2021: MediaTek is confident its complete mobile SoC lineup will buoy its performance in 2021, according to company chairman Rick Tsai.Apple may rely more on Taiwan PCB suppliers in 2021: Apple is expected to ramp up flexible PCB (FPCB) demand for its 2021 devices, and is looking to work more closely with its Taiwan-based suppliers including Zhen Ding Technology, Compeq Manufacturing, Unimicron Technology and Career Technology, according to industry sources.Semco reportedly to exit rigid-flex PCB segment: Samsung Electro-Mechanics (Semco) reportedly will phase out its rigid-flex PCB (RFPCB) business in 2021 amid unfavorable factors on both the supply and demand sides, according to industry sources.

As part of its continuing efforts to tackle rampant drug abuse problems in the country, the Taiwan government looks to further drive anti-drug campaigns engaging citizens, families and schools. In particular, to enable first-line defense in schools, the Taiwan government works with the Taiwan advanced instrument development program to create easy-to-use, portable and cost-effective drug testing instruments to help the police and front-line anti-drug teams carry out on-site investigations.Four research teams participating in the program developed four instruments which make up a complete solution package for drug testing. The viable and commercializable solution package overcomes the challenges in identifying new types of illegal substances.Raman microscopy helps front-line law enforcement quickly identify illegal drugsAt crime scenes where suspicious substances are found, the police often have to make a preliminary assessment on whether the substances are actually illegal drugs to prevent problems of false accusations. False positive assessments are particularly what they want to avoid.Raman microspectroscopy is an effective way to identify new types of drugs with constantly changing chemical compositions. However, a Raman microscope costs about NT$500,000 (US$17,534), which is a financial burden to law enforcement. In view of this, the team led by Ji-Yen Cheng developed a simple Raman microscope based on cost-effective 2D CMOS sensors and the team's own patented curvature gratings. The team hopes to make its simple Raman microscope available around NT$100,000.A smart saliva drug testing system serves as a convenient alternative to conventional urine drug testsThe team led by Cheng-Ying Chou, an associate professor at the Department of Biomechatronics Engineering, National Taiwan University, developed a rapid saliva drug screening instrument that overcomes the disadvantages of urine drug tests. The smart testing solution can simultaneously identify multiple common illegal substances including amphetamine, heroin and ecstasy to allow a quick assessment of suspected drug abuse during a crackdown operation.Comprising a disposable saliva collection swab, a test kit and a portable analyzer device, the solution resolves the privacy concerns and inconveniences of traditional urine drug tests. It can also be customized to keep up with the changes in new types of drugs. It takes only ten minutes to complete multiple tests for different drugs. Not only can police officers obtain the test results in an instant but they can also print out the results for the test subject to verify and sign as evidence. This significantly reduces law enforcement officers' time and effort and expedites drug testing processes.Mobile terahertz (THz) scanner screens mail for campus drug preventionTo help combat drug trafficking through the mail network in the country, the team led by Yu-Tai Li at Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) incorporates THz imaging onto a portable biological imaging device to scan lightweight materials such as clothing, mails and plastics without radiation exposure.Comprising an automatic feeder, a sorting apparatus and a terahertz imaging device, the system automatically processes large amounts of mails loaded on a conveyor belt and screens out suspicious articles using AI-based image recognition, which are then further identified and sorted based on the types of contrabands. The entirely automated process can ease the burden on anti-drug teams and narcotics detection dogs that have to inspect enormous volumes of mails.Portable mass spectrometer and liquid chromatography system have tremendous market potentialLiquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LCMS) is essential to nearly all chemical analysis. It also serves as the critical final step in confirming drug addiction. However, these devices come with a typical price tag around US$1 million. The team led by Sinica academician Chung-Hsuan Chen is committed to developing an innovative portable LCMS that features with lightweight, easy-to-use,low-cost and capability to do in-situ real-time analysis. The team has also made portable liquid chromatography and portable mass spectrometer as two independent instruments that can be flexibly used by different types of fields and applications to obtain optimal marketability.The four different portable instruments performing particle analysis, microspectroscopy or antibody screening for drug detection can effectively and significantly reduce false negatives and false positives. Chen calls on the Taiwan government to legalize saliva drug testing to facilitate the commercialization of saliva drug testing solutions and attract investments. These innovative solutions are instrumental to drug prevention as they enable quick and efficient drug testing.Sinica academician Chung-Hsuan ChenJi-Yen Cheng, research fellow, Research Center for Applied Sciences, Academia SinicaCheng-Ying Chou, associate professor, National Taiwan UniversityPhotos: Sandy Du, Digitimes, October 2020

Demand for industrial automation and smart manufacturing in Vietnam has been growing fast due to surging foreign investment in the country's manufacturing sector, according to industry sources.Many manufacturers are relocating from China to Vietnam partly because of the convenience of transporting components/materials from China to Vietnam by land instead of by sea, the sources said.The coming of more manufacturers will push Vietnam towards industrial automation and smart manufacturing, according to Nguyen Quan, chairman for Vietnam Automation Association. The first priority is to help manufacturers introduce robots and AI-based smart manufacturing equipment to upgrade production, Nguyen said.

TSMC has seen strong demand for both of its advanced and mature manufacturing processes. Its 28nm node supply may become even tighter, as a Korean client is in talks with TSMC seeking to make its OLED driver ICs using the foundry's 28nm high-voltage process. In the semiconductor sector, power devices vendors are optimistic about demand from carmakers, bolstered by Infineon's upcoming capacity expansion in China targeting the EV market. And Chinese vendor Huawei is selling its Honor handset brand, as it seeks to survive the US trade ban.TSMC in talks for new orders for OLED driver IC: TSMC is in talks with a Korean client for manufacturing OLED driver ICs using the foundry's 28nm high-voltage process, according to industry sources.Taiwan power devices vendors upbeat about car applications in 2021: Taiwan's discrete power component supply chain players are optimistic that demand for automotive applications will pick up steadily in 2021 after staying stagnant for quarters, with their optimism bolstered by Infineon's increased focus on electric vehicles (EV) and upcoming capacity expansion in China, according to supply chain sources.Huawei to sell budget phone brand to mitigate impact of US trade ban: Huawei is selling its Honor brand smartphone business unit to a Chinese government-backed consortium, hiving off the entry-level handset arm to ensure the survival of its consumer business amid the US trade ban.