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Global semiconductor equipment billings increase 4 percent

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Global semiconductor equipment billings increased 4 percent year-over-year to $26.8 billion in the second quarter of 2024, while quarter-over-quarter billings edged up 1 percent during the same period, says industry association SEMI in its Worldwide Semiconductor Equipment Market Statistics (WWSEMS) Report.

Ajit Manocha, SEMI president and CEO, says: “Global semiconductor equipment billings totaled $53.2 billion for the first half of 2024, reflecting a healthy year so far for the industry overall.

“The semiconductor equipment market has returned to growth driven by strategic investments to support continued strong demand for advanced technologies and regions seeking to bolster their chipmaking ecosystems.”

[Read more…] about Global semiconductor equipment billings increase 4 percent

Global semiconductor manufacturing industry ‘strengthens’ in second quarter

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The global semiconductor manufacturing industry in the second quarter of 2024 continued to show signs of improvement with significant growth of IC sales, stabilizing capital expenditure, and an increase in installed wafer fab capacity, according to industry association SEMI. 

The organization revealed its findings in its Q2 2024 publication of the Semiconductor Manufacturing Monitor (SMM) Report, prepared in partnership with TechInsights.

While slower recovery in some end markets impacted the pace of growth in the first half of the year, the surge in demand for AI chips and high bandwidth memory (HBM) created strong tailwinds driving industry expansion.

Seasonality and weaker than expected consumer demand impacted electronics sales in the first half of 2024 resulting in a 0.8 percent decrease year-over-year (YoY). Starting Q3 2024, electronics sales are forecast to see a rebound, growing 4 percent YoY and 9 percent relative to Q2 2024.

[Read more…] about Global semiconductor manufacturing industry ‘strengthens’ in second quarter

Infineon opens ‘world’s largest and most efficient’ SiC power semiconductor fab in Malaysia

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Infineon Technologies has officially opened the first phase of a new fab in Malaysia that will become the world’s largest and most competitive 200-millimeter silicon carbide (SiC) power semiconductor fab.

Malaysian Prime Minister YAB Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim and Chief Minister of the state of Kedah YAB Dato’ Seri Haji Muhammad Sanusi Haji Mohd Nor joined Infineon CEO Jochen Hanebeck, to symbolically launch production.

The highly efficient 200-millimeter SiC power fab will strengthen Infineon’s role as the global leader in power semiconductors.

[Read more…] about Infineon opens ‘world’s largest and most efficient’ SiC power semiconductor fab in Malaysia

Nexperia to invest $200 million in Hamburg chip-making facility

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Semiconductor manufacturer Nexperia plans to invest $200 million to develop the next generation of wide bandgap semiconductors (WBG) such as silicon carbide (SiC) and gallium nitride (GaN), and to establish production infrastructure at the Hamburg site.

At the same time, wafer fab capacity for silicon (Si) diodes and transistors will be increased. The investments were jointly announced with Hamburg’s Minister for Economic Affairs, Dr Melanie Leonhard, on the occasion of the 100-year anniversary of the production site.

To meet the growing long-term demand for efficient power semiconductors, all three technologies (SiC, GaN, and Si) will be developed and produced in Germany starting in June 2024. This means Nexperia is supporting key technologies in the fields of electrification and digitalization. [Read more…] about Nexperia to invest $200 million in Hamburg chip-making facility

TSMC and Japanese partners plan to build second semiconductor manufacturing plant

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Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Sony Semiconductor Solutions, Denso and Toyota have jointly announced further investment into Japan Advanced Semiconductor Manufacturing, TSMC’s majority-owned manufacturing subsidiary in Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan.

The four companies plan to build a second fab, which is scheduled to begin operation by the end of the 2027 calendar year. Toyota will also take a minority stake.

Together with JASM’s first fab, which is scheduled to begin operation in 2024, the overall investment in JASM will exceed $20 billion with strong support from the Japanese government. [Read more…] about TSMC and Japanese partners plan to build second semiconductor manufacturing plant

Falling Demand is Undermining Government Investment in Battery and Semiconductor Tech

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Improvements in battery and semiconductor technology are essential for automation. Physically instantiated AI systems need power cells that can fuel them for work. Tethering them to long cables is impractical in most situations.

Unfortunately, demand for these ancillary technologies is drying up, despite billions of dollars in direct U.S. government funding. Slowing growth in electric vehicle sales is partly to blame.

Still, pundits are also anticipating Donald Trump’s return to the Whitehouse, dampening sentiment in the science and technology sector’s long-term investment plans. [Read more…] about Falling Demand is Undermining Government Investment in Battery and Semiconductor Tech

Fake chips have been around forever, so how can manufacturers fight them?

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There is a wide disparity between different organizations’ assessments of the revenue and job losses caused by counterfeit chips.

In 2017, the US Department of Defense’s Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) pegged the losses at $170 billion.

That same year, the Semiconductor Industry Association estimated that counterfeit chips cost the chip industry $7.5 billion annually. [Read more…] about Fake chips have been around forever, so how can manufacturers fight them?

Raspberry Pi receives strategic investment from Sony

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Sony Semiconductor Solutions and Raspberry Pi have reached an agreement by which SSS is to make a strategic investment in RPL.

The minority investment cements the relationship between the two companies, to provide a development platform for SSS’s edge AI devices to the worldwide community of Raspberry Pi users.

Terushi Shimizu, p0resident and CEO of Sony Semiconductor Solutions, says: “Our goal is to provide new value to a variety of industries and support them in solving issues using our innovative edge AI sensing technology built around image sensors. [Read more…] about Raspberry Pi receives strategic investment from Sony

Global semiconductor manufacturing equipment sales reach all-time record $108 billion

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Worldwide sales of semiconductor manufacturing equipment increased 5 percent from $102.6 billion in 2021 to an all-time record of $107.6 billion last year, SEMI, the industry association representing the global electronics design and manufacturing supply chain.

The data is now available in the Worldwide Semiconductor Equipment Market Statistics (WWSEMS) Report.

For the third consecutive year, China remained the largest semiconductor equipment market in 2022 despite a 5 percent slowdown in the pace of investments in the region year over year, accounting for $28.3 billion in billings. [Read more…] about Global semiconductor manufacturing equipment sales reach all-time record $108 billion

Semiconductor robot market set to grow to more than $1 billion

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The global market for semiconductor robots is anticipated to be worth $1.1 billion in 2023 and to grow at a CAGR of 17.5 percent to $5.6 billion by the end of the forecast period, according to Fact.MR. 

Due to their wide range of uses in consumer electronics, automobiles, medical devices, and other products, semiconductors are in high demand worldwide.

To meet this demand, semiconductor manufacturers are increasing their production capacity and implementing semiconductor robots for a better result. [Read more…] about Semiconductor robot market set to grow to more than $1 billion