Worsening DDR3 shortages are sending prices soaring and prompting some suppliers to increase DDR3 output to meet clients' demand. Samsung reportedly is also slowing down a plan of switching its focus for the low-density DRAM segment. Strong demand for DRAM has also resulted in a supply strain at memory probe card makers, whose delivery lead times have almost doubled. In China, SMIC reportedly has made major improvements to its 14nm FinFET process yield rates and is seeking to regain orders previously lost amid US trade sanctions.DDR3 memory shortage worsens: Global supply of DDR3 chips has fallen short of demand by at least over 30,000 wafers, which has been pushing up pricing for the memory, according to industry sources.DRAM probe card demand ramping up: Major memory probe card vendors in the US and Japan have seen a surge in demand from DRAM suppliers, with delivery lead times for their orders already extended to around 20 weeks from 12, according to industry sources.SMIC striving to regain chip orders: With the US trade restrictions on Semiconductor Manufacturing International (SMIC) reportedly easing, the China-based pure-play foundry is striving to regain orders particularly those for its 14nm FinFET process, according to industry sources.
Profet AI has introduced AutoML, an automated machine learning platform to enable makers to develop AI-based solutions for manufacturing processes and management, according to company founder and president Jerry Huang.AutoML is intended to simplify AI technology to facilitate manufacturers' development of AI-based solutions for in-house use, Huang said, stressing the platform serve the role of a virtual data scientist, and all users need to do is input data for the problem they need to solve and then let the platform guide them through the process of developing the solutions.AutoML can undertake PoC of AI models built based on the problems and scenarios to show feasibility of such models in one week, Huang indicated.Founded two years ago, the startup - peviously named JWI Intelligent Technology - has handled more than 50 problems proposed by manufacturers of SMT, PCBs, petrochemicals and other product lines, Huang said, adding an electronics manufacturer has adopted AI-based solutions developed using AutoML and has saved NT$3 million (US$105,630) in cost for precious metals a year and hiked production efficiency by over 12%.Profet AI currently focuses on the Taiwan market. Viewing that many manufacturers have been setting up factories in Southeast Asia, Profet AI plans to tap the market via SaaS (software as a service) business model.Profet AI finished pre-A round of funding by raising over NT$100 at the end of 2020, with AU Optronics (AUO), Hive Ventures and SVTI being major investors.Profet AI founder Jerry Huang (left) with his team Photo: Chloe Liao, Digitimes, March 2021
The world is aging. Taiwan is set to become super-aged by 2025 with one in five citizens being 65 or older. It is growingly important that an aging society bring can concepts and technologies of healthcare and preventive medicine into reality. In view of such needs, Canada-based biotech startup AltumView Systems leverages its expertise in image analysis systems, including sensors, data monitoring and warning, as well as system-level analysis, to help doctors, families and healthcare institutions with early detection of gait changes in older adults or loved ones to prevent the condition from worsening.Edge computing on the watch for senior health and safetyAccording to AltumView president and Simon Fraser University professor Jie Liang, aside from walking difficulties due to age-related degenerative changes, older adults also face problems such as sleep disorder, dementia and drug misuse and require constant attention. AltumView's Sentinare smart sensor uses AI-enabled sensor chips in edge devices to detect the user's movements and assess the risk of falling based on the user's face, gesture and relative position in the space. The analytic results can be provided to insurance companies and medical care institutions for discounts on insurance premiums and to help with treatment/rehabilitation decisions.Transmitting image data in the form of stick figures, AltumView's solution not only ensures information security and protects privacy, but it also saves a great deal of time and cost in the storage, transmission and processing of image data between the on-premise device and the cloud, a significant advantage compared to most other cloud-based image monitoring systems on the market. AltumView has been named a CES 2021 Innovation Awards Honoree for its Sentinare sensor. The system can also be used in telehealth, such as remote monitoring of patients with behavioral disorders.Launching first into the consumer market while engaging in collaboration with institutionsWith a focus on the senior care market, AltumView offers Sentinare at a low cost of US$200 to make its way into the consumer segment. Long-care institutions making volume purchases of Sentinare will be offered discounted prices. Liang also plans to make some of Sentinare's features available through a subscription plan, which is a popular business model in today's software service market.In addition to one-time sale and subscription model, AltumView looks to engage in collaborations with more healthcare institutions and expand their choices when incorporating innovative technologies. It also hopes to enhance the AltumView brand image and introduce its product to more families that need smart sensing solutions, allowing them a chance to know and evaluate the product and thereby make a purchase decision.AltumView expands brand presence and product applications with an aim to ease the burden of senior care for TaiwanTo help prepare for Taiwan's future super-aged society, Liang looks forward to working with more long-term care and homecare institutions in Taiwan by having Sentinare share the daily work of caregivers and raise their work efficiency and care quality. Furthermore, by making Sentinare available through wide-ranging sales channels, it is hoped consumers will have opportunities to gain in-depth knowledge on the diverse applications of AltumView's smart sensor.Founded in April 2016, AltumView employs a team of 16 professionals and 13 among them are engineers, including seven PhDs. It plans to start pre-A round funding in the near future.Additional information at www.altumview.com.AltumView President and Simon Fraser University professor, Jie Liang
Rising material prices are driving up production costs in many sectors, including notebook batteries. Vendors of notebook batteries are now mulling raising prices by 10-15%. ODM Pegatron expects its notebook shipments to decline in first-quarter 2021 as component shortages worsen. Pegatron has geared up efforts for the electric vehicle (EV) sector, but is taking a different path from Foxconn that has launched ambitious plans for EV development.Notebook battery suppliers to raise prices by 10-15%: Notebook battery module makers are poised to raise their quotes by 10-15% to reflect rising raw materials costs, according to industry sources.Pegatron expects seasonality to drag down 1Q21 revenue: Pegatron expects a seasonal slowdown in end-market demand to drag down its revenues during the first quarter of 2021.Pegatron, Foxconn differ in EV business strategies: Both ICT ODM Pegatron and EMS provider Foxconn Electronics (Hon Hai) have stepped into the electric vehicles (EV) sector, but they have different strategies.
To simplify medical testing and analytical processes has always been a major goal for medical technology innovations and precision medicine. Canada-based startup ViewsIQ provides digital pathology software platform - Panoptiq, which enables real-time digital data sharing to realize remote communication and connection for pathology consultations and make medical education and training more efficient.Digital pathology in 2021: High-value realization of digital technology + AIPanoptiq delivers the fastest real-time image sharing amongst all digital pathology software platforms on the market, according to ViewsIQ. Panoptiq can easily be mounted onto any existing microscope and presents the microscopic image in a range of magnification powers to assist medical professionals with remote education, consultation, diagnosis, communication and connection. It turns a new page for digital pathology in 2021.According to ViewsIQ CEO Kenneth To, it only requires simple software installation for ViewsIQ's solution to help pathologists and other medical specialists at remote locations quickly access comprehensive digital pathology innovations in real time and at a low cost. It also improves the traditional biomedical testing process wherein lab technicians need to examine the specimen one by one. Furthermore, ViewsIQ is working with GenerationsE, a startup also based in Canada endeavoring on AI-enabled pathology imaging analysis, to better integrate AI with digital pathology and create value-added healthcare innovations such as automating much of colorectal cancer screening.Expanding from North America into East Asia while tapping into the growing SaaS marketViewsIQ currently engages in partnerships with a number of pathology departments of medical universities in Japan and Taiwan and will continue to reach out to medical institutions in Asia. Now spanning across North America, its sales network will expand into Japan, Taiwan, China and other East Asian markets going forward. To pointed out that local connection is important to medical technology developers that look to expand market footprint. ViewsIQ will strengthen efforts on cultivating business relationships in these target markets.ViewsIQ markets a software as a service (SaaS) platform, of which the development cost is significantly lower compared to hardware devices, so it has an edge over its competitors that make hardware products both in terms of cost and ability to deploy en masse. To is optimistic about the sales potential and growth momentum of its SaaS platform in markets abroad.Seeking strategic partnerships for mutual market expansions in Taiwan and Canada while raising funds to drive technology advancesTo strengthen its connection with Taiwan's local medical industry ecosystem, ViewsIQ is in search of partnership opportunities with Taiwan-based biotech and healthcare companies in hopes of helping Taiwanese firms tap into the Canadian market and vice versa. In the meantime, it is also actively seeking sales channel partners in Taiwan and East Asia to keep driving digital pathology applications and developments in the region.To hopes to add marketing specialists and engineering professionals to the ViewsIQ team, currently comprising six members, and thereby move forward to seed-round funding. ViewsIQ stays committed to innovative research, continuing to drive advances in digital pathology.Digital pathology in 2021Photo: Company
Medical and high-tech professionals are making major efforts to solve significant medical needs to address the world's leading cause of death - heart failure (HF) disease. Many Taiwan-based teams are trying to provide heart care applications based on non-invasive hardware, software and pattern detection of machine learning technologies. Canada-based medtech startup HemoCath co-founder and CEO Eric Caron is commercializing the firm's Intelligent Heart Failure Monitoring Platform to optimize medication dosing and treatment reducing hospitalization and rehospitalization for HF patients.Minimally invasive medical innovation integrates micro-sensors, device, software, service and information securityHemoCath pulmonary artery catheter (PAC) with micro-sensors is inserted into a pulmonary artery through a vein in an upper arm to directly measure and monitor the pulmonary artery pressure (PAP) and the central venous pressure (CVP) - the two most important metrics for the treatment of HF. HemoCath PAC is less invasive, more accurate and easier to use than products currently on the market. Clinical studies have shown that PAP-guided HF management reduces hospital length of stay by 42% and 30-day readmissions by 58% compared to current standard of care (SoC) See: PubMed.gov and Circ Heart Fail.Total available market is estimated at US$8.2 billion globally - and keeps growing with the aging population. HemoCath's initial target market is the US. HemoCath PAC will initially be submitted for FDA clearance as a 510(K) Class II medical device.HemoCath PAC is integrated with cloud-based remote patient monitoring services incorporating Software as a Service (SaaS), AI and machine learning to provide medical assistance from cardiologists remotely. Patients may only need to pick up medication at pharmacies without having to go back to the hospital. Cloud-based remote HF patient monitoring and HF management will prevent relapse and reduce rehospitalization rate.Reduce hospital length of stay by 42% and 30-day readmissions by 58%, making more flexible and efficient use of medical resourcesAccording to Caron, HemoCath-guided HF management will allow patients to be discharged from hospitals one day earlier - savings to hospital of US$1,500 per HF admission. Pulmonary artery monitoring is achieved by HemoCath PA catheter (OD 1.3mm) integrating optical fiber micro-sensors (OD 0.27mm) connected via optical fibers to an optoelectronic control unit and back-end software.In search of partnerships with Taiwan's healthcare ecosystem and MEMS manufacturersScoring the highest on the Health Care Index, Taiwan's healthcare system has been ranked No. 1 in the world for years. HemoCath is seeking partnership opportunities with medical institutions in Taiwan to conduct clinical studies and obtain regulatory clearance to help more hospitals and patients. HemoCath is also in search of MEMS manufacturing partners to produce high quality and high volume optical fiber pressure micro-sensors in order to make HemoCath technology affordable to hospitals and healthcare systems globally. Currently, HemoCath micro-sensors are manufactured in low volume on 4-inch wafers by a prototyping semiconductor manufacturer.Founded in 2014, HemoCath has reached a number of milestones, including having its technology patented in key countries and preclinical trials showing safety and effectiveness. With a workforce of about six employees, including two full-time and three to four part-time workers, HemoCath is currently in pre-A round funding.HemoCath co-founder and CEO Eric CaronPhoto: Company
Ultracompact and low-cost perovskite laser with low energy consumption is an ultimate goal for monolithic all-optical integration, and a cross-country team has confirmed that the key is the development of the crystal-fiber/nanoperovskite hybrid architecture, according to Taiwan's Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST).This achievement was published in the journal, Advanced Materials, in February 2021.The team, with support from MOST, is led Chien-Chih Lai from the Department of Physics and Department of Opto-Electronic Engineering, National Dong Hwa University), and includes two other professors from Taiwan and another from UCLA.Green energy and on-chip photonics have been two of the fastest growing fields in science and technology, according to MOST. Metal-halide perovskites and fiber-based devices are both integral to the development of next-generation energy materials and all-optical photonic circuits. A leading-edge 5nm complementary metal oxide-semiconductor platform was demonstrated by TSMC with a large production batch. This success is expected to be extended to all-fiber photonic integration, thus realizing continuous-wave perovskite lasers in a fiber configuration is imperative.However, because of the well-recognized air and thermal instabilities of perovskites, laser action in a perovskite has mostly been limited to either pulsed or cryogenic-temperature operations. They have the shortcomings of significant complexity, high cost, and complicated setup, which do not meet the criteria of green energy. Pulse pumping also implies that the system is larger than existing fiber devices, requires more hands-on maintenance, and is less reliable, thus increasing the complexity of integration with silicon microelectronics.The joint research team has successfully developed the first realization of a direct diode-pumped ultralow-threshold continuous-wave room-temperature perovskite laser, which can be easily fabricated by coating MAPbI3 nanocrystallites onto a high-quality YAG crystal fiber. The atomically smooth crystal fiber not only serves as a perfect microcavity for ultralow-loss optical resonance but also facilitates heat dissipation toward robust laser devices, outperforming previously reported structures. Additionally, with the demonstration of this device on crystal fibers, the proposed and demonstrated approach relieves the constraints imposed by thermal instability and the pulsed pumping requirement. Moreover, this hybrid device is expected to be promising for color-tunable crystal-fiber-based perovskite lasers that are much simple and cost-competitive for monolithically on-chip silicon integration.
FSP has long been committed to providing a wide range of reliable power supply solutions to help realize the future of smart living. Comprising hundreds of software and hardware engineers throughout the world, the FSP team is capable of delivering comprehensive technical support and service to partners. Taking market mainstream standardized and smartized power supplies for example, FSP's portfolio of power supply products feature expandability, digital control and communication capability in addition to high power density, high efficiency and resistance to harsh conditions, making FSP the designated partner of leading international firms.Mature image recognition and NB-IoT technologies are parking lots in Taiwan growingly smart. Surveillance systems automatically identify license plates such that car owners no longer need to retrieve and keep the parking token/slip and parking lot operators can save tremendous management costs. In the future, such smart services coupled with 5G mobile communication will allow one control center to simultaneously monitor multiple parking lots and remotely respond to car owners' needs, for example, opening the barrier gate. In view of enormous 5G opportunities, a slew of IT device suppliers are foraying into the 5G white-box telecom equipment market, attempting to grab business from traditional telecom operators. According to CJ Chen, product R&D, director, FSP, 5G network equipment is developing toward open source and standardization while telecom equipment is developing in a way more like IT devices. Apart from traditional telecom equipment providers such as Nokia, a lot of network communication device manufacturers are introducing 5G-compliant white-box equipment developed based on open-source solutions and network function virtualization (NFV) concepts. However, in the intense 5G equipment competition, vendors must speed up time-to-market or else they will fail to capture the rare opportunity.TC Chu, senior manager, product and marketing, FSP, noted that 5G equipment must be able to process a large amount of data within a short period of time and thus imposes rigorous requirements on power supplies. FSP provides a full spectrum of power supply products for 5G equipment. Aside from offering network equipment manufacturers standard power supplies that are compliant with safety regulations, FSP also provides a certain level of customization under the premise of not affecting regulatory compliance certifications. This allows network equipment manufacturers to focus efforts on its own product R&D and accelerate time-to-market to grab preemptive 5G opportunities while reducing subsequent maintenance costs for their equipment.FSP spokesman Wen-Chun Yao commented that FSP's technological strength gives the company an edge over the competition and allow FSP to quickly put together a power supply solution suited to customer needs. FSP is also capable of accommodating manufacturers' needs for customization, shortening the time it takes for them to penetrate into new market segments."For example, a well-known network equipment manufacturer approached FSP for joint development of an outdoor router power supply. Not only must the product comply with AT&T / NEBS safety regulations and be lightning and fire proof but it also has to operate in the temperature range between -40 degrees and 65 degrees C," said Chen. "After understanding the customer's requirements, the FSP team quickly made slight customization to the existing 450W Slim Redundant power supply and provided an ideal solution that's exactly what the customer needs without affecting safety certifications." By enabling minor customization to its standardized products, FSP increases efficiency and reduces costs while demonstrating its robust R&D capability, allowing FSP to perfectly address market needs.To keep up with rapid IoT and smart service advances, for the past two years, edge computing is growingly adopted as an ideal solution to promptly responding to end devices. For example, AI-capable edge servers in a smart factory can detect product defects on the spot. As 5G services become widely available, FSP thinks data centers will develop into large-scale or even super-scale data centers that support cloud computing and small-scale data centers that support edge computing.Large-scale or super-scale data centers need power supplies that are scalable, centralized and automated, not only for the benefit of maintenance cost reduction but also for administrators to easily stay on top of equipment conditions through remote monitoring. Power supplies for small-scale data centers will trend toward miniaturization and smartization while featuring energy efficiency, resistance against harsh conditions, high power density, wide operating temperature range and lightning protection. According to Chen, targeting applications in wide-ranging operating conditions, FSP offers hundreds of standardized products which are all certified for compliance with multiple safety regulations. For a diversity of 5G equipment, FSP has prepared corresponding power supply solutions featuring water and dust resistance as well as modular design. Coupled with minor customization to FSP's complete range of products, FSP is able to satisfy every need of the industry.In consideration of the diverse requirements of 5G equipment, FSP will also engage in strategic alliances with upstream, midstream and downstream partners to jointly provide total 5G solutions and thereby tap into the massive 5G market.FSP engages in strategic partnerships to jointly provide total 5G solutions
The global NAND flash market may still be oversupplied, but with SSD prices set to rise due to severe controller chip shortages, NAND flash prices will stabilize and start rising in the second quarter. TSMC's revenue hit a seven-month low in February, but the sum still repesents a 14% rise on year. Compound semiconductor looks promising, and VPEC chairman Jian-Lian Chen recently told Digitimes in an interview that epi-wafer plays a crucial role in the development of compound semiconductor.NAND flash contract prices likely to rise in 2Q21: NAND flash contract prices are expected to stop falling and begin to rise in the second quarter, according to industry sources.TSMC revenue hits 7-month low: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) saw its February revenues fall 15.9% sequentially to NT$106.53 billion (US$3.76 billion), the lowest in seven months.Epi-wafer key to compound semiconductor: Q&A with VPEC chairman Jian-Lian Chen: Compound semiconductor catches global market attention with rapidly advancing 5G and Wi-Fi communication technologies and rising IoT trends. Following first-generation semiconductor materials including silicon (Si) and germanium (Ge) and second-generation compound semiconductor materials including gallium arsenide (GaAs) and indium phosphide (InP), third-generation compound semiconductor materials including gallium nitride (GaN) and silicon carbide (SiC) featuring high power density are taking center stage.
Foundry houses' attempts to expand 8-inch fab capacity to cash in on extremely strong demand have been prevented by limited suppluy of 8-inch equipment on the market. Chinese semiconductors firms are said to be willing to pay "unreasonably" high prices for second-hand 8-inch fab equipment, trying to outbid competitors. Component shortages have been marring production in many IT and semiconductor sectors. Samsung reportedly has told clients that short supply of controller chips has disrtupted its PCIe SDD productin. Despite the component shortages, notebook makers Wistron and Inventec still expect brisk shipments in first-quarter 2021.Eight-inch fab equipment still in hot demand: Foundries remain aggressive in purchasing 8-inch fab equipment and facilities including those from the secondhand market, according to industry sources.Controller supply constraints disrupting Samsung PCIe SSD shipments: Samsung Electronics has notified clients that production of its PCIe SSDs is being disrupted by tight supplies of controller chips, with the production unlikely to restore until May, according to market sources.Wistron, Inventec February notebook shipments remain brisk: Notebook ODMs Inventec and Wistron saw their shipments grow substantially in February 2021 compared to a year earlier, but decrease sequentially.
