China RF front-end module startup Smarter Micro has secured approval to launch an initial public offering (IPO) on the science and technology innovation board (STAR) of China's Shanghai Stock Exchange (SSE).
Taiwan-based IC design houses particularly LCD driver IC firms continue to see their China-based handset clients decelerate their pace of orders, bracing for a potential cutback in the orders for the rest of this year, according to industry sources.
The emerging trend of vehicles going electrical and adopting ever-more automotive electronics has not only brought new growth opportunities for the entire automotive industry, but also enabled semiconductor makers to use more of their solutions to solve the resulting technical problems. Texas Instruments (TI), for instance, has recently launched two solid-state relay chips to improve power isolation in EVs.
China, the world's leading consumer of semiconductors, is undergoing a third semiconductor shift in tandem with the development of 5G, consumer electronics, and AI. Owing to the shift of the semiconductor industry – growing downstream demand, and strong support from the government, China's IC design industry has grown rapidly in recent years.
LED driver IC design house Macroblock expects to post a double-digit sequential revenue increase with high gross margin in the second quarter of 2022, driven by robust demand for high-end niche-market applications.
Samsung Electronics is reportedly mulling developing a new application processor series exclusively for its flagship smartphones, while having its existing Exynos chip series power midrange and entry-level phone models for other brands, according to industry sources. The Exynos series would compete against mobile APs from MediaTek and Qualcomm.
ASMedia Technology, an affiliate of Asustek Computer specializing in high-speed transmission chips, expects to see strong shipments of its USB 4.0 and power delivery (PD) controllers buoy its mid- and long-term revenue growth.
IC distributor WPG Holdings expects to post sequential revenue and profit drops in the second quarter of 2022, due to the impact of COVID-induced lockdowns in China on both its supply chain and end-market consumer electronics demand.
Qualcomm will soon roll out an enhanced version of its Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 mobile SoC built using TSMC's 4nm process technology, according to industry sources. Many are wondering if using TSMC's 4nm process will solve the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1's issues with overheating and performance.
Tejas Networks, an optical, broadband, and data networking products company under the Indian conglomerate Tata is open to more acquisitions and partnerships. Speaking to Digitimes Asia recently, Sanjay Nayak, CEO and MD of Tejas, explained that the goal was to gain access to technologies that would enable the company to reach out to target customers.
LCD display driver IC (DDI) prices, particularly those for handsets, are poised to fall further in the second quarter of 2022, and even handset-use OLED DDI prices are likely to fall slightly, according to industry sources in Taiwan.
Renesas Electronics has announced an integrated automotive ECU virtualization platform that enables designers to integrate multiple applications into a single ECU that are safely and securely separated from each other to avoid interference. The solution enables customers to adopt new electrical-electronic (E/E) architectures using MCU-based zone ECUs supporting multiple logical ECUs on one physical ECU, said the vendor.
Brand notebook vendors have cut back orders with suppliers in 2022, particularly orders for Chromebooks, and have also revised downward annual shipment targets, according to sources at IC design houses.
Power management IC suppliers, including those engaged mainly in the consumer electronics field, continue to see their supply remain constrained, according to industry sources.
Wireless telecommunications has escaped the worst effects of the semiconductor shortage, and that semiconductors for cellular infrastructure equipment will continue to dodge significant shortages going forward. In addition, availability of chips for Wi-Fi access points and cellular phones will continue to improve through 2023, Strategy Analytics said in its recent report.
Taiwan's first-tier IC design houses Novatek Microelectronics and Realtek Semiconductor are seeking more capacity support from foundry partners TSMC and UMC to fulfill new orders from new clients that are bolstering their growth despite a decline in demand for consumer chips, according to industry sources.
In 1984, Intel decided to exit the DRAM business, which marked the start of technology diversion between memories and logic IC. In hindsight, Intel's decision made sense. Memories and logic IC are very different in terms of design, manufacturing processes, equipment deployment, and market characteristics. It is common sense that a company should focus on pursuing excellence in one specific direction.
Silicon Motion Technology will not change its trade mark or operating strategy after being acquired by US-based broadband communication chips supplier MaxLinear, as both companies will operate independently after the deal is completed, according to Wallace Kou, president and CEO of the Taiwan-based vendor of NAND flash controller chips.
The global semiconductor shortages have surfaced as early as 2019 when the US government imposed a ban on Huawei's products. The COVID-19 pandemic starting in 2020 exacerbated the problem as manufacturers have to suspend operations now and then during the peaks of infections.
Image sensor specialist PixArt Imaging expects to post a 10-15% sequential revenue growth in the second quarter, after seeing its sales slip 15.2% sequentially in the first quarter on weaker-than-expected demand.
When the memory industry can no longer leverage Moore's Law to create new value, it has to find new technologies to establish a new business model that can create new economic value.
Display driver IC (DDI) specialist Himax Technologies expects to post a 16-20% sequential decline in second-quarter revenue, with gross margin ranging from 43% to 45%.
ASMedia Technology, an affiliate of Asustek Computer specializing in high-speed transmission chips, has transitioned to 28nm process manufacturing for part of its chip solutions while securing sufficient 55nm process capacity at its foundry partners. ASMedia has also gained support from its ABF substrate partners, according to the chipmaker.
