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Friday 3 November 2023
AUO CEO Frank Ko on acquisition of BHTC
Panel giant AUO is targeting the automotive industry by acquiring BHTC, the company's first international acquisition. Frank Ko, CEO and president of AUO, admits his company was "quite jittery" when the acquisition was first announced, with automakers looking forward to AUO becoming a Tier 1 supplier.
Thursday 2 November 2023
Li Keqiang leaves one wondering the 'could-haves' in Chinese semiconductor development
"This might be one of the most advanced chips in the world," an official from the Belgium-based Interuniversity Microelectronics Centre (Imec) reportedly informed then-Chinese Premier Li Keqiang as he inspected a wafer during his 2018 visit to the semiconductor research institute. Three years before the visit, in June 2015, both Li and then-Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel partook in a signing ceremony that saw Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation (SMIC), Huawei, Imec and Qualcomm co-investing to bring SMIC's 14nm process into volume production by 2020.
Tuesday 31 October 2023
Scottish rocket startup offers taxi-like satellite launch services as SpaceX alternative
In the dynamic landscape of space exploration and satellite deployment, Scottish-based startup Skyrora is making waves and offering a unique perspective. At the forum of TASTI 2023 organized by the Taiwan Space Agency (TASA), Skyrora emphasized the evolving launch industry and the pivotal role played by small startups. Volodymyr Levykin, Skyrora's CEO, unveiled that Skyrora set to make its first orbital launch early in 2024.
Tuesday 31 October 2023
Government incentives for developing semiconductor industry (1): applicable stages and effects
During the reorganization of global supply chains, opportunities are being created for countries that are semiconductor markets in which system manufacturers are based. Semiconductors, as the most critical component and device in systems, have become the subject of import replacement efforts that countries with system manufacturing capabilities are eager to undertake.
Monday 30 October 2023
EV tear-up findings of China auto chip localization: Q&A with UBS tech analyst Jimmy Yu
A recent UBS Evidence Lab's tear-up activity on a BYD Seal electrical vehicle showed that a high level of import substitution in automotive chips is taking place at China EV brands, and the trend is evident in the power semiconductor sector, said Jimmy Yu, China technology analyst, UBS Securities.
Wednesday 25 October 2023
Andrew Ng: GPU procurements need to be converted into revenue
AI expert Andrew Ng visited Taiwan at the end of September for a 4-day trip. Before leaving, he sat down for an interview with DIGITIMES and discussed his views on US tech giants, the trend of AI PCs, opportunities and challenges in the GPU market, and more.
Tuesday 24 October 2023
How to interpret China's investigations into Foxconn?
The Chinese state-owned media Global Times reported recently, citing sources, that the Chinese tax authorities have conducted audits of Foxconn Group in Guangdong and Jiangsu, among other regions, while the natural resources department has initiated investigations into Foxconn's land use in Henan and Hubei. From the perspective of the industrial supply chain, in the short term, this event is unlikely to have a direct impact on Foxconn's business. However, for many foreign enterprises with operations in China, including Foxconn's future plans, it could potentially have long-term and profound effects.
Monday 23 October 2023
IQE CEO Americo Lemos: Taiwan to serve as key base for compound semiconductors in Asia
UK compound semiconductor firm CEO Americo Lemos said that IQE is aiming to establish Taiwan as an important development base for compound semiconductors in Asia to overcome the changing geopolitical and supply chain restructuring challenges, and expects to increasingly use Taiwanese wafer foundries for gallium arsenide (GaAs) and gallium nitride (GaN).
Friday 20 October 2023
Can synchrotron radiation be used as lithography machine light source?
The light generated by synchrotron radiation is produced when charged particles are accelerated by an electric field, unlike lasers that generate coherent light using transitions between atomic energy levels. The wavelength of the light produced by synchrotron radiation can be controlled and designed, ranging from far-infrared to hard X-ray, approximately from tens of micrometers to 0.01 nanometers. This range is sufficient to meet the wavelength requirements for silicon-based semiconductor processes.
Friday 20 October 2023
Tenstorrent's vision for the AI Revolution: Conversation with Chief CPU Architect Lien Wei-han
In a rapidly evolving technological landscape, the convergence of artificial intelligence (AI) and hardware is reshaping how people perceive computing and its potential applications. Lien Wei-han, the chief CPU architect at Tenstorrent, an innovative Canadian AI startup that has the potential to challenge Nvidia, AMD, and Intel in AI chips and now building its AI servers, shared intriguing insights into the AI revolution and the role hardware plays in enabling it in an exclusive interview with DIGITIMES Asia.
Thursday 19 October 2023
Taiwan-based Profet AI poised to scale up in Asia
Manufacturing is the cornerstone of many Asian countries. Profet AI helps manufacturers improve efficiency by empowering their employees with AI. The Taiwan-based AI software developer has launched an ambitious plan to expand in Asia, especially China, Japan and Vietnam.
Friday 13 October 2023
US's tentative restrictions on RISC-V will harm itself the most, instead of China
Bipartisan efforts in the US Congress are trying to push the Biden Administration to take action in restricting US individuals or companies from exporting RISC-V technologies to China. US entities will be required to obtain export permits from the Department of Commerce (DoC) before collaborating with Chinese entities on RISC-V technology projects, according to sources. This will be the first time the United States imposes export control on open-source software in the name of "national security."
Friday 13 October 2023
Easing US export controls won't reverse dwindling foreign capital in Chinese chip production
On October 9, the South Korean presidential office issued a statement stating that it had received notice from the United States that Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix's China-based factories are designated as "verified end users" (VEU). As a result, they will not require additional approval processes for importing US chip equipment. Following the news, it was reported that TSMC has also received a similar one-year extension. Nevertheless, in the future, the growth of semiconductor production capacity in China is no longer dominated by foreign investments, but primarily driven by that of China.
Wednesday 11 October 2023
Supermicro highlights AI as next industrial revolution; foundation of new era lies with digital data creation, storage, and processing
In 2024, the semiconductor sector will face several major changes. At the forefront of these changes are innovations in high-performance computing (HPC) and AI server supply chains. DIGITIMES will spotlight these transformations at the "2024 Next-Gen Intelligence Symposium" on November 3, 2023. The event will feature insights from DIGITIMES' senior analysts and industry experts from Supermicro, with the aim to offer a deep understanding of Asia's supply chain dynamics and the evolving tech landscape.
Friday 6 October 2023
How did Huawei design its Kirin 9000S chip without American EDA tools?
Huawei's success in having its self-developed SoC produced with 7nm technology by SMIC, China's largest wafer foundry service provider, stunned the world. Since Huawei is unable to access EDA tools from US companies, how did they design the new chip? Are made-in-China EDA tools any good?
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