Consumer demand for higher audiovisual quality is driving the evolution of technologies behind LCD displays. Specifically, mini-LEDs, with their superior contrast and color gradation performance, have emerged in the field of display backlights. With a strong R&D foundation in the field of mini-LED technology, Macroblock recently launched a series of mini-LED backlight driver ICs that correspond to various LCD display sizes. According to Chris Chen, Macroblock backlight product manager, the company can help clients create the most suitable products tailored to the needs of different groups in the market.Chen further stated that while the earliest backlighting in LCD displays used cold cathode fluorescent lamps (CCFL), companies later switched to LED-backlit for their purer white lights that enhance the color gamut of the display. In recent years, breakthroughs in mini-LED technology have also led to companies attempting to adapt mini-LEDs to be used as backlight despite the higher costs. The newest iPad Pro released by Apple in April 2021 also uses this technology, anchoring the status of mini-LEDs in the backlight market.By looking at the actions taken by Apple and other companies, Chen mentioned that mini-LEDs may well become the mainstream technology for LCD display backlighting, driving an increase in market demand accordingly. In response to this trend, Macroblock has released a series of backlight driver IC solutions for small- to medium-sized and medium- to large-sized LCD displays.Chen also pointed out that small- to medium-sized LCDs tend to be found on consumer products like laptops and tablets with limited interior space and shorter product development cycles. Therefore, the Macroblock MBI6322 integrates peripheral components like the built-in switch (MOSFET) into a single unit. The integration simplifies the internal PCB design, reduces the overall cost, and lowers the error rate during PCB mounting. Another benefit of a design with more integrated wiring and layering is that it cuts down on the PCB layout review time during product development. Furthermore, engineers can choose from commercially available timing control ICs or bridge ICs compatible with the MBI6322 to control the dimming signals of the mini-LED panels without the need for an MCU, keeping the small- to medium-sized LCD displays thin and elegant.Besides driver ICs with integrated MOSFETs, Macroblock also offers designs without this integration. This type of design can be further divided into two other types based on whether the driver IC itself still controls the external MOSFET. The MBI6334 and MBI6353 are two types of driver ICs that can control the external MOSFETs. The MBI6334 is the same as the MBI6322 in that they are primarily used to control the backlighting in small- to medium-sized LCD displays without the need for an external MCU, saving potential software coding time. The MBI6334 also utilizes rectangular BGA packaging and is compliant with the Video Electronics Standards Association's (VESA) recommended regulations for timing control circuit boards of laptop, making it a perfect fit for narrow PCBs. On the other hand, the MBI6353 is primarily used in medium- to large-sized LCD displays. Its high-current tolerant design makes it suitable for lighting boards with a large number of LEDs connected in parallel such as TVs, PIDs, monitors, etc.There is also the MBI6328 which has external MOSFET that is not controlled by the driver IC. The MOSFET is instead controlled by a MCU. Macroblock is currently working with various MCU manufacturers to ensure smoother product development. The MBI6328 is a driver IC suitable for medium- to large-sized LCD displays with more than 1,000 dimming zones that allow displays to provide ultra-fine HDR effects. Moreover, the high voltage tolerance of the MBI6328 allows it to be used when multiple backlight LEDs are connected in series.Lastly, Chen indicated that Macroblock not only has a strong R&D foundation regarding mini-LED backlighting, the company is also working with Elan Microelectronics to build a complete industry ecosystem. With support from partners in different fields, Macroblock plans to expand the applications of its mini-LED backlight driver ICs to areas like vehicles, laptops, and tablets. The company also provides comprehensive after-sales services to help customers shorten their development time and create high-quality LCD displays that meet market demands.Chris Chen, Macroblock backlight product manager, pointed out that mini-LEDs will become a mainstream technology for LCD display backlightingMacroblock's mini-LED backlight driver ICs are designed for various LCD display sizes and can help clients create the best productsDifferent LCD displays require special backlight driver ICs with varying designs

Although wireless technology has become the communication medium of choice for many types of technology products in recent years, wired communication remains the preferred choice for data transmission, thanks to its stability and bandwidth advantage. Communication standards such as HDMI, PCIe, USB, etc have become essential specifications for all kinds of electronic devices in daily life. Therefore, the compatibility of wired communication standards has become a key focus of product design.Tony Wang, director of the Signal Integrity Business Unit at Integrated Service Technology Inc (iST), would especially like to remind industry players that in the current Internet era, poor consumer experiences tend to get quickly amplified. He recommends that a thorough suite of compatibility tests should be conducted early on in development to reduce subsequent processing costs.Wired communication has long been an essential technology for modern life, found everywhere from single devices to whole systems. Whether it is HDMI for TVs, PCI-e as a bridge for information transmission within electronic platforms, or USB as the most popular and constantly evolving standard, they are all technologies indispensable for system operation. In addition to the above three standards, DisplayPort, DisplayHDR, MHL, SATA, etc are also crucial in the modern technology industry. However, Wang points out that while most of the above-mentioned standards are generally compatible and stable, there are still a few standards with suboptimal compatibility that can result in decreased stability as the number of connected devices increases. In addition, given that there are so many brands of equipment in the market, it is still difficult to ensure that wired communication standards between different brands are perfectly compatible with each other. As stated previously, consumers will leave negative comments on the Internet if they find that the connection quality of their device is poor, impacting the marketing of the product and the reputation of the brand. To solve this problem, iST offers a comprehensive suite of testing for connectivity signal integrity.Comprehensive Testing Ensures Product CompatibilityAccording to Wang, iST's verification analysis and testing services include focused ion beam (FIB) circuit editing, engineering sample preparation, failure analysis, signal integrity test, material analysis, reliability test, chemical analysis/consultancy, etc. For example, wired signal compatibility verification is a type of connectivity signal integrity test for which iST has a dedicated lab and team and covers a wide range of products, from consumer devices to IT systems. In addition to tests for the seven types of wired communication standards mentioned above, iST can also issue certifications for four of those standards: Display Port, DisplayHDR, HDMI, and MHL. For product analysis, iST also offers testing services for everything from ports and PCBs to laptops, desktops, televisions, etc.On the other hand, because the compatibility of wired communication protocols involves an extensive range of issues, iST offers testing services for all six phases of a product's life cycle. During the first phase of IC development, IST can test different versions of each standard to help customers fix errors and edit the IC to ensure the chip's functional integrity. The second phase is the integration of the IC application platform, where IST can provide various testing instruments and environments to help customers develop IC designs for the system integration platform. The company's team and lab can also perform system development assessments. During the board-side system signal quality verification in phase three and reliability test in phase four, iST can assist customers with testing both the stability and integrity of the product's signal.Phase five is compliance testing for various types of standards to certify that products meet specification requirements. Wang explains that standards like HDMI and DisplayPort have specifications set by their respective associations, and products must meet these requirements to be approved to use the logo of these standards. iST can provide testing for most of the standards currently available in the market.Lastly, phase six tests are for interoperability between branded equipment. Wang says that due to multiple brands of equipment coexisting in the market, compatibility issues between products will lead to poor user experience and causing the aforementioned negative comments on the Internet. Companies are therefore encouraged to focus on compatibility tests before product delivery to avoid potential negative press from affecting the sales of the product.iST's Extensive Industry Experience Allows for the Most Optimal Testing and Analysis ServicesWang points out that due to a multitude of brands and standards existing on the market, it is difficult to cover all wired communication standards. The scope of iST's testing service includes not only mainstream standards but also newer standards or standards with limited application areas. If a customer needs to test a standard that iST does not yet provide, the company will use its extensive experience to quickly grasp the key assessment points of the standard and build a suitable platform to complete testing in a short period of time.Even though iST possesses comprehensive capability for testing and verifying standards, what can clients do to ensure the smoothness of the subsequent processes? Wang says that the client should first internally define the product's key features and then have iST work with departments in the client's company to develop a testing plan. While this sort of planning can take more time than the subsequent testing itself, the process is bound to help with ensuring the compatibility of the product once it hits the market.Generally speaking, large brands usually have their own standard testing plan, and IST's extensive experience in this field can help clients meet the testing requirements of these brands. At the same time, iST is also equipped with a combination of new and existing equipment to optimize the efficiency of the testing process. In addition to offering testing programs for large brands, iST's experience in the field can also aid small and medium-sized manufacturers. iST understands from experience the most commonly seen and difficult to solve obstacles these companies may encounter, and knows precisely how to solve these obstacles. For example, although large equipment manufacturers tend to globalize their product specifications, they still make specific adjustments for different sales regions. Companies must fine-tune their product design to successfully connect with them. Therefore, before establishing a test program, IST will look to understand the client's marketing region and then make recommendations to modify the testing program accordingly such that test items with the highest relevancy are selected to improve product compatibility.Wang concluded by noting that many device functions require connectivity to another device. For this reason, the compatibility of wired communication standards has become a key factor in determining the quality of the user experience for electronic devices. iST has an established relationship with various major associations in charge of setting industry standards and has even been commissioned by some of them to provide education and training to Taiwan's electronic equipment manufacturers. In the future, iST will continue to enhance its analysis and testing services as well as provide training courses to help Taiwanese manufacturers optimize their products.Tony Wang, director of the Signal Integrity Business Unit at iST, points out that compatibility greatly influences the consumer experience and is an area that brands must do more to analyze and test.

TSMC is gearing up expansion of its capacity in response to strong demand from diverse sectors. According to the foundry's CEO, TSMC will invest a total of US$100 billion in capacity expansion through 2023. In the car industry, Foxconn has made yet another move to expand its reach in the electric vehicle sector. Foxconn and Thailand's PTT have just signed an MoU for forming a JV for the production of EV in Thailand. The importance of Southeast Asia for the global supply chain is growing fast. Austria-based AT&S has just disclosed a plan to set up an ABF substrate production base in Southeast Asia.TSMC stepping up advanced process capacity expansion: TSMC will be stepping up its advanced process capacity expansion through 2023, according to company CEO CC Wei.Foxconn to form electric vehicle JV with Thailand's PTT in 2H21: Foxconn Technology Group (Hon Hai) will form a joint venture with PTT, Thailand's majority state-owned oil and gas company, in the second half of 2021 as part of their memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed for cooperative production of electric vehicles (EV) in the Southeast Asian country.AT&S to set up ABF substrate production base in Southeast Asia: AT&S has disclosed plans to invest EUR1.7 billion (US$2.07 billion) to set up a new production base for ABF substrates in Southeast Asia to satisfy the needs of its major HPC chip clients.

With AMD and Nvidia debuting their new gaming GPUs, the DIY PC market particularly the high-end segment is poised to grow in the second half of the year when the latest flagship graphics cards hit market shelves. In the handset market, Apple is keen on pushing 5G mmWave technology. Over 50% of the shipments for the next-generation iPhones to be launched later this year will come with mmWave support. And TSMC has unveiled its tech development in an online symposium.New GPUs to drive DIY PC market growth in 2H21: The upcoming availability of new-generation GPUs will be stimulating the do-it-yourself PC market particularly the gaming PC segment in the second half of 2021, according to industry sources.Over 50% of next-gen iPhones to support 5G mmWave technology: More than 50% of Apple's next-generation iPhone devices slated for launch in the latter half of 2021 reportedly will support 5G mmWave technology, according to industry sources.TSMC unveils N6RF, N5A and new 3DFabric technologies: TSMC at its ongoing technology symposium held online has unveiled its latest innovations in advanced logic technology, specialty technologies, and the additions of its 3DFabric advanced packaging and chip stacking technologies.

The amounts of capex set by Korea's top-three telecom operators, SK Telecom (SKT), Korea Telecom (KT) and LG U+, in 2021 and 2022, respectively, will be higher than those seen in 2020, according to Digitimes Research.The three telecom operators will see their capex increase significantly in 2021-2022, because they are accelerating the rollouts of their 5G networks that will be sufficient to cover all areas of the country by year-end 2022.The number of 5G service subscribers in Korea reached 14.48 million in the first quarter of 2021, up 20% from a year earlier.The three firms managed to add over 2.6 million new 5G service subscribers in the fourth quarter of 2020 and the first quarter of 2021, respectively, thanks to the increasing availability of 5G phones, Digitimes Research observed.SKT had 6.736 million 5G service subscribers by the end of the first quarter of 2021, accounting for the largest 46.6% share. But SKT also saw its ARPU for all of its mobile users decline in the first quarter compared to the level of a year earlier.On the other hand, LG U+ experienced declines in its 5G service subscribers in first-quarter 2021 but saw its mobile ARPU rise during the period.Accumulated capital spending of the three firms totaled KRW1 trillion (US$800 million) in first-quarter 2021 and is poised to increase gradually from the second quarter onward.However, the three telecom operators are likely to face bottlenecks for the rollouts of 28GHz mmWave base stations and fail to reach the goal of setting up 45,000 mmWave base stations by year-end 2021.

The number of Chinese makers in Apple's top-200 supplier list for 2020 is comparable to that of Taiwanese firms. But industry observers believe Taiwanese suppliers' manufacturing flexibility still give them some advantage in the Apple supply chain over their Chinese competitors. GigaDevice, who in 2020 unseated Taiwan's Winbond Electronics as the sole NOR flash supplier for Apple's AirPods, is eyeing a bigger share in the TWS device market. The annual IT tradeshow Computex has kicked off its 2021 edition - a month-long virtual event.China makers gaining weight on Apple top-200 supplier list: China-based makers have been gaining presence in the Apple's supply chain, with 12 new makers from the country entering the vendor's newly released top-200 supplier list for 2020, compared to six newcomers from Taiwan.GigaDevice eyeing bigger share in TWS earbuds market: NOR flash chipmaker GigaDevice is reportedly ramping up its output at Hua Hong Semiconductor, eyeing a bigger share in the TWS earbuds market segment.Computex 2021 kicks off month-long virtual show: Computex 2021 kicked off on May 31, with firms presenting their latest innovations and products in a month-long virtual tradeshow.

Because of the coronavirus pandemic, investors in Thailand have turned their investment targets to enterprises in the stage of growth, resulting in a reduction in number of loans to startups in 2020 to 30 from 2019's 41, but the overall investment amount still went up from US$109 million in 2019 to US$364 million in 2020, according to a report by Techsauce.Techsauce CEO Oranuch Lerdsuwankij believes Thailand will have its first unicorn startup by the end of 2021 and it may stimulate more entrepreneurs to form startups for Thailand's food/agriculture, health technology and education industries.Thailand's startups have obtained a total of US$845 million in investments since 2012 and the pandemic has caused several startups devoted to developing technologies for tourism to suffer from serious losses.

Rising popularity of electric vehicles (EV) has grabbed global attention. Poised to replace internal combustion engines, EVs are considered the new trend in the era of sustainability. A storm of competition ignited by Tesla, is brewing in the EV market, with traditional US and European automakers are pushing into in-house battery development and manufacturing with an aim to secure bigger cost advantages in the coming decades.Europe-based Volkswagen Group, BMW Group and Porsche as well as US-based Ford Motor and GM all look to gain more control over their in-house battery production capacity and tap the benefits of independent R&D after having experienced the COVID-19's impact on the global chip supply chain. By controlling costs, capacity and technology, they are gearing up for EV market competitions in the coming decades while minimizing potential impact and uncertainties coming from relying solely on third parties for supplies.Ford CEO Jim Farley pointed out that the company is committed to learn from the COVID-19 crisis. The company is taking this opportunity to revamp its supply chain to eliminate vulnerabilities down the road. This is especially relevant not only to semiconductors, but also battery cells.Currently leading in in-house developed and manufactured EV batteries among US and European automakers, Volkswagen held the Power Day event, which shared a similar concept to Tesla's Battery Day, in mid-March for the first time. At the event, the company unveiled its new in-house developed batteries with detailed specs as well as the roadmap for expanding its capacity for the batteries. The Germany-based automaker plans to build six EV battery factories in Europe over the next 10 years either independently or via partnerships. The six factories will together generate a total capacity of 240GWh.Volkswagen aims to gradually reduce battery production costs by 30-50% in a bid to help the company mass produce EVs at lower costs. This will allow Volkswagen to gain a ground to compete against Tesla, which is expected to set its EVs at prices of US$25,000 and lower.Volkswagen is also adding battery production lines at its existing factories. At full capacity, its Braunschweig, Germany plant will be able to assemble up to 500,000 EV batteries a year for models based on Volkswagen's modular electric drive (MEB) architecture and 100,000 EV batteries a year for non-MEB-based models. That is a total annual battery output of 600,000 systems.Volkswagen's subsidiary Porsche will soon start to purchase battery modules from Volkswagen and has a plan to build a battery plant in Germany as well. Porsche CEO Oliver Blume noted battery cells are a core technology for the German car industry, and Porsche wants to play a pioneering role in this.Ford and BMW, on the other hand, are accelerating their own development of solid-state batteries. BMW promises a prototype EV powered by solid-state batteries by 2025. Ford announced in late April its new research and development center – Ford Ion Park – with a goal to improve battery technologies, test-optimized battery manufacturing techniques and vertical-integrated battery into future EV production. Ford is poised to produce its own battery cells by 2025 to power a new generation of longer-range and lower-costing EVs.BMW and Ford both invested in Solid Power, a Colorado-based startup that focuses mainly on producing solid-state batteries, for its US$130 million Series B investment round in late April. The investment is giving Solid Power a push in producing full-scale automotive batteries, increasing associated material output and expanding in-house production capacities. Volkswagen also has a stake in Bill Gates-backed automotive battery startup Quantumscape with a goal to drive forward the joint development of solid-state battery technology.BMW and Ford aim to utilize Solid Power's low-cost, high-energy all solid-state battery technology in forthcoming EVs. Solid Power plans to ship 100Ah cells to BMW and Ford for automotive qualification testing by 2022. Its production lines are now churning out 20Ah all solid-state batteries.GM unveiled its proprietary Ultium battery technology jointly developed with LG Chem in 2020, which is set to drive battery cell costs below US$100/kWh. GM also announced in late April its US$1 billion investment to build new battery production lines at its Ramos Arizpe plant in Mexico, which are scheduled to be up and running in the second half of 2021. The batteries will power EVs that GM will start producing at the same factory complex by 2023.

As electric vehicle (EV) development becomes a global effort, batteries that play a vital role to EVs' cost-performance ratios are a focus to manufacturers with ambitions to expand in the EV market. Both traditional and new automakers have considered battery technology development and production capacity to be importance to their overall planning. Automakers across Europe, America, Japan, Korea and China are actively engaging in battery solution research and production line build-up.Taiwan's ICT foundationTaiwan's battery industry may not be backed by well-known brands and abundant natural resources. Nevertheless, a large part of Taiwan-based battery suppliers have been assembling battery modules for Taiwan's ICT industry. For example, Simplo, Dynapack and Celxpert with a long-term focus on manufacturing battery modules for consumer electronics such as notebook only started to set foot in EV battery solutions in recent years.Aside from battery module assemblers, Taiwan also has upstream suppliers of anode and cathode materials including CoreMax, Mechema, Aleees, E-One Moli and Formosa Lithium Iron Oxide Corporation for supplying anode materials and China Steel Chemical and Chang Chun Group for cathode ones.Although these suppliers may provide materials to customers producing batteries based on different technologies, their materials are mainly used in ternary lithium-ion batteries and lithium iron phosphate batteries that use LFP and LFPO for anode.Tesla's rising popularity has spurred a wave of demand for ternary lithium-ion batteries, while the company's decision to adopt LFP batteries for its EVs for China has also surprised the supply chain. However, these are all "current" developments of the battery industry.Batteries for future EV applications are expected to feature higher energy density, faster charging and discharging time, lighter weight and friendlier costs. Whether lithium-ion batteries and LFP batteries can maintain their leading positions at the moment in the EV market still remains to be seen.The battery of next generationIt has been about 30 years since the world's first lithium-ion battery was commercialized. Based on past experience, the battery industry sees a new generation of core technology about every 30 years. As such, both market newcomers and industry veterans that are eyeing EV opportunities are closely watching the direction of next-generation battery development.Most manufacturers have high hopes for solid-state batteries to replace lithium-ion batteries. Solid-state batteries use solid electrolyte instead of liquid one to significantly reduce the risks of short circuits and accidents. By packing higher-power anode and cathode, solid-state batteries also enable higher energy density, allowing them to outperform ternary lithium-ion batteries in terms of charging time, working temperature and cell longevity.In view of the multiple benefits of solid-state batteries, Toyota, Volkswagen, Nissan and GM are all engaging in the development of solid-state batteries. Foxconn, the initiator of the MIH Open Platform Alliance, reiterated its plans to introduce demo solid-state battery products by year-end 2021 and launch commercialized solid-state batteries by 2024.ProLogium, another Taiwan-based supplier that is pushing development of solid-state batteries, is already working with China-based FAW Group, Enovate Motors, NIO and Aiways.Some manufacturers pointed out that it is rather late for Taiwan that lacks natural resources to invest in lithium-ion battery development at this moment and believe Taiwan should establish its presence in the EV sector via effort toward developing next-generation batteries.It will be difficult to catch up with or compete against international manufacturers that have long been devoted to lithium-ion battery development if Taiwan only now starts to build its own patent portfolio from scratch. Taiwan should also seek joint development opportunities from international manufacturers. By leveraging Taiwan's accumulated experience and technological strength in the ICT sector to help expand the applications for solid-state batteries, Taiwan-based battery suppliers still have a shot at establishing market presence.Comparison of different EV batteriesBattery typeEnergy density (Wh/kg)Power density (W/kg)SafetyLongevity (Cycles)Costs (US$/kWh)Ternary230~260MediumMedium1,000LowLTO80~100HighHigh8,000HighLFP150~170HighHigh2,000LowResin solid state300~320MediumHigh1,500LowLithium-metal350~400LowLow<300MediumSource: ITRI, compiled by Digitimes, April 2021

The car industry, hit hard by chip shortages, has been scrambling for foundry capacity support. UMC's latest US$3.5 billion fab expansion project has already obtained pre-payment commitments from chip vendors, the latest reportedly being NXP. Notebook vendors do not expect demand to weaken much in 2020, with current notebook supply remaining far short of demand amid serious component shortages. For Acer, PC sales are booming, but its non-PC business has seen even stronger growth.NXP is yet another vendor striking long-term deal with UMC: NXP Semiconductors is another chip vendor which has struck a long-term deal with United Microelectronics (UMC) under which the pure-play foundry will have some of its newly-established production capacity reserved for the customer for as long as six years, according to industry sources.Global top-5 notebook brands expect 2022 shipments to remain stable: Global top-5 notebook brands, not including Apple, expect demand for notebooks to stay robust in the second half of 2021 and believe notebook shipments are unlikely to experience a major drop in 2022, according to sources from the related upstream supply chain.Acer non-PC business booming: Acer has seen its non-PC business grow significantly recently along with its booming PC sales, according to company chairman Jason Chen