Beginning in 2024, the memory market is expected to have a new phase of growth that may last for up to two years, according to Simon Chen, chairman of memory module house Adata Technology.
Global semiconductor equipment billings fell 11% year on year to US$25.6 billion in the third quarter of 2023, while quarterly billings slipped 1%, according to SEMI.
Samsung Electronics recently inaugurated the "Next-Generation Process Development Lab" to spearhead the development of "killer-grade" technologies for the semiconductor industry over the next decade. The lab plans to develop cutting-edge technologies riding on the previous success with the 3nm GAA (gate-all-round) process, and the South Korean tech giant hopes to reshape market dynamics through innovations, maintaining its leadership in semiconductor industry development.
Samsung Electronics is not only investing actively in the R&D and capacity expansion of high-bandwidth memory (HBM) technology, but also looking to broaden its market reach through customized one-stop services that incorporate 2.5D packaging. Recent media reports indicate Samsung is purchasing 2.5D bonding equipment from Japanese supplier Shinkawa, potentially targeting HBM and packaging orders associated with Nvidia's next-generation GPUs.
The World Semiconductor Trade Statistics (WSTS) has published its most recent semiconductor market forecast. Semiconductor sales were somewhat higher than expected in the second and third quarters, prompting WSTS to revise its forecast for a 9.4% drop in 2023.
The evolution of generative AI from the cloud to edge applications has awakened the PC industry from its long slumber, as AI PCs become the name of the game for leading PC makers worldwide.
ChangXin Memory Technology (CXMT), the China-based memory manufacturer, announced the launch of several new LPDDR5 DRAM chips, claiming it is China's first memory brand to self-develop LPDDR5 DRAM, and it is also the first to adopt Package on Package (PoP) technology to assembly its chip.
With the recent signing of the new Downing Street Accord by South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, both countries are poised for a new era of technological cooperation. In particular, the UK's possession of crucial quantum computing technologies has the potential to create a synergistic relationship with South Korea, a global semiconductor powerhouse.
South Korean electronic giant Samsung Electronics has made significant progress since its foray into the automotive device market in 2015. Recent launches of various automotive ICs showcased Samsung's effort to diversify business lines from the volatile consumer memory market and to create valid growth opportunities for its semiconductor foundry business. It aims to become the world's leading automotive memory company by 2025, surpassing Micron, the current champion with a 45% global market share.
Micron Technology has revised its revenue forecast for the fiscal first quarter ending on November 30, 2023. The new estimate is around US$4.7 billion, which is higher than the previous guidance range of US$4.2 billion to US$4.6 billion. Additionally, the memory chipmaker anticipates a non-GAAP gross margin close to breaking even.
Samsung Electronics executives have recently disclosed their 2024 semiconductor strategy, named "GDP" (Gate-All-Around, DRAM, and Packaging), at an investors forum, aiming to tap into the burgeoning AI semiconductor market that is poised for rapid expansion in the upcoming years.
Kokusai Electric Corp., a Japanese semiconductor equipment maker, went public on the Tokyo Stock Exchange in late October 2023. Although it went public during the semiconductor downturn, Kokusai Electric emphasized that the market was about to improve and that it was developing new equipment for advanced semiconductors.
SK Group's KRW40 billion (US$31 million) acquisition of Kumho Petrochemical's electronic material business in 2020 is bearing fruit. SK Materials Performance (SKMP), the new subsidiary following the acquisition, has developed a high-thickness KrF photoresist and has passed the performance validation of SK Hynix. It would be beneficial for SK Hynix's 3D NAND Flash technology development.
As a result of robust sales of its high bandwidth memory (HBM), SK Hynix's DRAM market share surged to a new peak of 35% in the third quarter of 2023, according to research firm Omdia, as cited by Korean media outlets.
The ICT industry is slowly heading towards recovery, with AI servers emerging as the standout performer. Foxconn notes that the primary growth engine for 2024 is cloud servers, particularly with robust demand for AI servers. Quanta indicates that the lingering shortage of Nvidia GPUs will ease in the second quarter of 2024, boosting the noticeable growth of AI servers.
Speculation has emerged in the chipmaking sector that Chinese pure-play foundries, such as Huahong Group and Semiconductor Manufacturing International (SMIC), are contemplating price reductions for mature process manufacturing.
DIGITIMES Research observes that the business operation of the DRAM and NAND Flash sector of the world's top three memory manufacturers – Samsung, SK Hynix, and Micron – has improved since the beginning of the second half of 2023 and demand will enjoy a bigger recovery in the fourth quarter, boosting the three makers' revenues and profits, according to DIGITIMES Research's latest memory industry report.
Samsung Electronics is reportedly setting its sights on the automotive market, gearing up to unleash a series of game-changing products from 2024 onward. With these cutting-edge innovations, Samsung aims to claim the leading position in automotive memory by 2025.
The global semiconductor industry will grow 3% sequentially in the fourth quarter, bringing the annual growth to 6% in the fourth quarter of 2023 and laying the foundation for the subsequent double-digit annual growth expected in each quarter of 2024, according to Semiconductor Intelligence.
After a year of destocking, memory module providers are seeing rising prices from the third quarter. Notably, due to differences in applications, financial practices, and capital markets, Taiwan- and China-based memory module makers are experiencing a disparity in performances.
Orient Semiconductor Electronics, Ltd.(OSE), a matured logic IC and NAND Flash memory semiconductor packaging & testing service and electronic manufacturing service (EMS) provider, is benefiting from the rebounding demand for artificial intelligence (AI) servers and the rising price of NAND Flash memory chips in the third quarter of 2023.
As India strives to establish its burgeoning semiconductor supply chain, it has secured backing from the European Union, adding to the support already received from the United States and Japan.
