Taiwan-based IC substrate suppliers Unimicron Technology, Nan Ya Printed Circuit Board (NPC) and Kinsus Interconnect Technology all ended the first half of 2020 with double-digit revenue increases, mainly driven by strong demand for ABF substrates for processing high-end server and networking chips,...

The outlook for the handset market in second-half 2020 remains highly uncertain and messages coming from the supply chain have been rather mixed. Samsung's upstream partners have disclosed that Samsung is rather cautious about placing...

Taiwan-based MOSFET chipmakers including Advanced Power Electronics, Excelliance MOS, Niko Semiconductor and Sinopower Semiconductor are gearing up for volume shipments for new PCs and notebooks powered by new-generation processors in the third quarter, according to sources from the upstream supply...

Taiwan's flexible PCB makers Zhen Ding Technology and Flexium Interconnect, and flexible CCL supplier Taiflex Scientific are all gearing up to ready new capacity in the second half of 2020 to support shipments for new iPhones, according to industry sources.

Handset mainboard makers such as Compeq Manufacturing and CCL suppliers including Elite Material (EMC) still expect a pick up in seasonal demand in the second half of 2020 with better visibility for shipments to Apple, though Chinese vendors have yet to provide clear estimates for their demand, according...

Samsung Electronics appears to have become cautious about placing component orders for its upcoming Galaxy Note 20 5G lineup, showing concerns about the prospects of the global smartphone market amid the coronavirus pandemic, according to sources from Taiwan's handset supply chain.

Chinese makers of passive components have been keen on capacity expansions for high-end MLCC capacitors, providing lucrative business opportunities for Taiwan's equipment makers, according to industry sources.

Niche-type CCL provider Ventec International, after seeing its revenues for June and first-half 2020 revenues fall on year, expects a gradual rebound to normal in the second half of the year on new orders for high-frequency CCL materials for antenna boards and specialty materials for semiconductor...

Copper clad laminate (CCL) specialist Iteq will ramp up output at its new plant in in Jiangxi, China seeking to achieve full capacity utilization in August to meet strong demand in the peak season , according to the company.

Though there is still uncertainty lying ahead because of the coronavirus pandemic, fabless IC designers are still anticipating a seasonal pick-up in demand from end market segments includign 5G phones. The IC designers are requesting...

Passive components maker Yageo saw its second-quarter revenues climb 34.4% sequentially to NT$13.47 billion (US$457.7 million), thanks mainly to improvement in factory utilization rates in China.

Taiwan-based diode maker Eris Technology is expected to gain more business opportunities from display, 5G and ESD (electrostatic discharge) applications in the second half of 2020 and beyond and see more wafer support from its affiliate Yea Shin Technology, according to industry sources.

Taiwan's major CCL makers including Elite Material (EMC), Iteq and Taiwan Union Technology are all moving to expand their capacity for high-frequency, high-speed CCL materials to meet strong demand for server, networking and 5G infrastructure applications and further strengthen their revenue growth...

PCB maker Apex International has reported revenues surged 21.5% on year to NT$2.98 billion (US$101.4 million) in the second quarter of 2020, and revenues for the first half of the year rose 5.8% to NT$5.59 billion.

Taiwan-based optical component suppliers have seen shipments for 5G base station and other applications start gaining momentum thanks to an acceleration of 5G infrastructure construction in China, according to industry sources.

TSMC has also developed InFO_SoW (system-on-wafer) technology mainly for processing supercomputing AI chips. Demand for such extremely costly chips may be limited, but TSMC looks to commercialize the InFO_SoW technology in two years....

Taiwan's PCB makers have turned cautious about their shipments for non-Apple handset applications in the second half of the year as most Chinese vendors have yet to give clear shipment estimates so far although traditional seasonal demand should still arrive, according to industry sources.

As demand for locally-developed CPUs and GPUs in China continues rising amid the US trade sanctions against Chinese IT enterprises, Taiwan-based IC substrate suppliers are expected to see more orders from China-based chipmakers in the next few years, according to sources from the upstream supply cha...

In the competitive smartphone maket, product differentiation is one of the crucial factors to attract customers. Handset vendors are now looking to customized chips to achieve such production differentiation, with Xiaomi reportedly working...

Taiwan's Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) is urging international material and equipment makers to invest in Taiwan where demand for semiconductor equipment, especially from the wafer foundry sector, is expected to surge in the next few years.

Thin-film optical filter maker East Tender Optoelectronics has seen clients in Japan, China and the US begin testing optical filter samples for 6G communication, as optical filers for communication applications usually require 5-6 years to develop.

PV conductive paste maker Giga Solar Materials will merge with Exojet Technology, a maker of conductive paste for passive components, PCBs and touch panels, with the former to be the surviving company.

Taiwan's flexible PCB makers Zhen Ding Technology and Flexium Interconnect reportedly have entered the supply chain of Apple's upcoming mini LED-backlit iPad Pro and MacBook series and will compete with their South Korean peer Young Poong Electronics for a higher shipment ratio for flexible boards...

Taiwan-based Eternal Materials continues to utilize as high as 90% of its dry-film photoresist production capacity, thanks to brisk PCB demand for base stations, servers, notebooks and games consoles.

The emerging market for silicon carbide (SiC) and gallium nitride (GaN) power semiconductors is forecast to pass US$1 billion in 2021, energized by demand from hybrid & electric vehicles (EV), power supplies and photovoltaic (PV) inverters, according to Omdia.