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Commentary / Analysis

• TSMC's A16 Process Moves Goalposts in Tech-Leadership Game (Monday Apr. 29, 2024)
  Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) has changed the tech leadership game with the announcement of its latest A16 chipmaking process, which analysts say may be a leap ahead of Intel’s 18A node.
  
  
• EDA toolset parade at TSMC's U.S. design symposium (Monday Apr. 29, 2024)
  The EDA trio—Cadence Design Systems, Siemens EDA, and Synopsys—is working hands in hand with TSMC to facilitate production-ready EDA tools for the mega-fab’s newest and most advanced processes.
  
  
• Altera in negotiation on private equity partner (Monday Apr. 29, 2024)
  Intel expects to see a partnership with private equity on the spin out of its Altera FPGA business later this year.
  
  
• Arm China's ex-CEO sets up RISC-V company (Monday Apr. 29, 2024)
  Allen Wu, the sacked CEO of Arm China who wouldn’t leave, has set up a RISC-V company called Zhongzhi Chip, according to TrendForce, citing WeChat.
  
  
• TSMC plans 1.6nm process for 2026 (Friday Apr. 26, 2024)
  TSMC is planning a 1.6nm process, called A16, for production in 2026 alongside a wafer-scale chiplet substrate and an automotive chiplet process.
  
  
• Ceva multi-protocol wireless IP could simplify IoT MCU and SoC development (Thursday Apr. 25, 2024)
  Ceva’s new line up of IPs include Wi-Fi 6, Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4, next-generation Bluetooth, narrowband IEEE 802.15.4 (for Thread, ZigBee, Matter), and UWB (FiRA 2.0 for consumer applications and CCC Digital Key 3.0 for automotive applications).
  
  
• Controversial former Arm China CEO founds RISC-V chip startup (Thursday Apr. 25, 2024)
  A number of former Arm China employees have reportedly followed Allen Wu to new venture
  
  
• Leveraging Cryogenics and Photonics for Quantum Computing (Wednesday Apr. 24, 2024)
  While sureCore focuses on cryogenic semiconductor design, Quantum Computing works on photonics-based technologies.
  
  
• Huawei Mate 60 Pro processor made on SMIC 7nm N+2 process (Tuesday Apr. 23, 2024)
  Huawei’s latest smartphone, the Mate 60 Pro, contains a 7nm HiSilicon Kirin processor made on SMIC’s N+2 process, concludes TechInsights.
  
  
• U.S. Subsidy for TSMC Has AI Chips, Tech Leadership in Sight (Wednesday Apr. 17, 2024)
  U.S. subsidies for Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) will yield the nation’s first production of AI chips and a strong shot at tech leadership, according to analysts surveyed by EE Times. The experts caution that a workforce shortage remains a key downside for the revival of the U.S. semiconductor industry.
  
  
• Semiconductor Capacity Is Up, But Mind the Talent Gap (Monday Apr. 15, 2024)
  The semiconductor industry is cyclical, with periods of high demand followed by periods of low demand. According to Deloitte, this is the sixth cycle since 1990.
  
  
• Electronic System Design Industry Posts $4.4 Billion in Revenue in Q4 2023, ESD Alliance Reports (Tuesday Apr. 09, 2024)
  Electronic System Design (ESD) industry revenue increased 14% to $4,423 million in the fourth quarter of 2023 from the $3,879.9 million logged in the third quarter of 2023.
  
  
• PCIe 7.0 specification reaches "half way point" (Monday Apr. 08, 2024)
  The latest version of PCI Express, PCIe 7.0, is on track for launch in 2025 with version 0.5 available today.
  
  
• Sondrel CEO steps down as chip firm faces re-organization (Monday Apr. 08, 2024)
  Graham Curren, is standing down as CEO of loss-making ASIC design services company Sondrel Holdings plc. The company has received financial support from ROX Equity Partners Ltd. and is now set to return to private ownership.
  
  
• NeuReality Boosts AI Acelerator Utilization With NAPU (Thursday Apr. 04, 2024)
  Startup NeuReality wants to replace the host CPU in data center AI inference systems with dedicated silicon that can cut total cost of ownership and power consumption.
  
  
• Global Semiconductor Sales Increase 16.3% Year-to-Year in February (Thursday Apr. 04, 2024)
  SIA today announced global semiconductor industry sales totaled $46.2 billion during the month of February 2024, an increase of 16.3% compared to the February 2023 total of $39.7 billion but a decrease of 3.1% from the January 2024 total of $47.6 billion.
  
  
• Proprietary Memories Are a High-Risk Endeavor (Tuesday Apr. 02, 2024)
  Semiconductor technologies live and die by industry standards, but are there times when it makes sense to build a heavily customized—even proprietary—memory device?
  
  
• China's Intel, AMD Ban Helps Local Rivals, Analysts Say (Friday Mar. 29, 2024)
  China’s ban on government use of Intel and AMD processors will help domestic competitors like Hygon build sales, according to analysts.
  
  
• Synopsys Adds AI-Driven Tools, Acquires PUF Security Firm (Monday Mar. 25, 2024)
  Synopsys added to the excitement of events in Silicon Valley this week with the announcement of new AI-driven EDA tools, and the acquisition of SRAM PUF security IP firm Intrinsic ID.
  
  
• Arm Highlights Future of the Software-Defined Vehicle (Monday Mar. 25, 2024)
  The roar of the engine once defined the automotive industry. Today, a new symphony is emerging, orchestrated by lines of code and powered by cutting-edge processors.
  
  
• Ex-DoD Official Says Chinese-Made PCBs Plague U.S. Systems (Monday Mar. 25, 2024)
  Chinese-made printed circuit boards (PCBs) in U.S. military systems and infrastructure like power grids probably gives China kill switches and other backdoors that the nation could use in the event of war, a former Department of Defense (DoD) official says.
  
  
• 300mm Fab Equipment Spending Forecast to Reach Record $137 Billion in 2027, SEMI Reports (Wednesday Mar. 20, 2024)
  Global 300mm fab equipment spending for front-end facilities is forecast to reach a record US$137 billion in 2027 after topping US$100 billion for the first time by 2025
  
  
• After TSMC fab in Japan, advanced packaging facility is next (Monday Mar. 18, 2024)
  Japan’s efforts to reboot its chip industry are likely to get another boost: an advanced packaging facility set up by TSMC. That seems a logical expansion to TSMC’s $7 billion front-end chip manufacturing fab built in Kumamoto on Japan’s southern island Kyushu.
  
  
• Former Moortec executives create chip monitor startup (Thursday Mar. 14, 2024)
  Stephen Crosher and other former executives with Moortec Semiconductor Ltd. have founded Monic Semiconductor Ltd. (Plymouth, England).
  
  
• HBM3 Initially Exclusively Supplied by SK Hynix, Samsung Rallies Fast After AMD Validation, Says TrendForce (Wednesday Mar. 13, 2024)
  TrendForce highlights the current landscape of the HBM market, which as of early 2024, is primarily focused on HBM3. NVIDIA’s upcoming B100 or H200 models will incorporate advanced HBM3e, signaling the next step in memory technology.
  
  
• We'll Need Many More Fabs to Meet $1 Trillion by 2030 Goal (Wednesday Mar. 13, 2024)
  We’ve heard a lot in the last year about how the semiconductor industry could become a $1 trillion market by 2030 in the U.S. with its current growth trajectory. But it’s not as simple as that, as we don’t have the fab capacity.
  
  
• Global Top 10 Foundries Q4 Revenue Up 7.9%, Annual Total Hits US$111.54 Billion in 2023, Says TrendForce (Tuesday Mar. 12, 2024)
  The latest TrendForce report reveals a notable 7.9% jump in 4Q23 revenue for the world’s top ten semiconductor foundries, reaching $30.49 billion.
  
  
• Re-imagining Imagination Technologies (Monday Mar. 11, 2024)
  Imagination has had its share of challenges over the years, but key to its rebirth is a new management team and a new RISC-V CPU business.
  
  
• BrainChip Adds Edge Box to Chip and IP Offerings (Wednesday Mar. 06, 2024)
  BrainChip has become the latest edge AI chip maker to make its chips available in an “edge box” appliance, via Indian ODM VVDN.
  
  
• Imsys develops RISC-V core, looks to AI in space (Wednesday Mar. 06, 2024)
  Imsys in Sweden has developed a RISC-V processor core and is part of a project to develop an AI accelerator in space.