Semiconductor articles
TSMC's 2024 Arizona fab to upgrade from 5nm to 4nm after Apple's request
The big picture: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company's (TSMC) Arizona factory project has become more apparent over the last few weeks. The company intends to move some of the most advanced node processing to the United States, much of it for Apple's iPhones. The company will soon announce an upgrade to its plans.
Disengaging from China manufacturing is hard, but it's happening slowly
A hot potato: Like a train leaving the station, it now seems inevitable that US companies are moving to reduce, or entirely eliminate, their reliance on China. It took a long time to get started, companies had been complaining about changing conditions in China for a decade. The 2018 trade war was the spark that really got them moving, and their progress has only been gaining momentum since then. This process will take years, maybe decades, but at this point is probably unstoppable.
Home Depot for DIY Chips: What's the going trend?
The chip companies are never going to really love this business
The big picture: Earlier this year we were reviewing Analyst Day slides from leading semiconductor companies and a clear theme emerged. Large companies are all shifting in a similar direction, posing some potential challenges for their long-term positions. More and more customers are looking for special purpose chips, a coping mechanism for dealing with the slowdown in Moore's Law. And the big players are all looking to support those customers.
Apple set to purchase chips from TSMC Arizona plant as it lessens reliance on Asia
The plant will be operational in 2024
TSMC will localize some neon production to secure the global supply
Ukraine produced half the world's supply before the Russian invasion
The US is allowing some Americans to continue working for Chinese semiconductor companies
Admin and clerical staff avoid the sanctions
Opinion: The Android-ification of Cars
Cars are still less than 10% revenue for most chip companies
Why it matters: Over the past few years the semis industry has become somewhat obsessed with autos. Every major chip company now dedicates a fair amount of coverage to cars in all their investor presentations. Or at least it seems that way. In part that reflects a genuine growth in auto semis, and in part the tapering of growth in many other categories like mobile, PCs, etc.
SK Hynix profits slump 60%, says US export restrictions could force Chinese plant closure
What just happened? Another memory chip giant is suffering the effects of "unprecedented deterioration" in consumer demand and US sanctions against China. SK Hynix said it would slash investment after third-quarter profits fell 60%, warning that the Biden Administration's restrictions could force it to close or sell a major plant in China.
TSMC chairman warns of "serious challenges" to semiconductor industry posed by China tensions
TSMC is caught between the US, Taiwan, and China
Russia finds 40% of its Chinese chip imports are defective
You get what you pay for
TL;DR: Sanctions against Russia mean the country now looks to the Chinese gray market for its semiconductor imports, but there's a problem: 40% of them are defective. That marks a 1,900% increase in their failure rate over the last few months.
Chip delivery times see biggest decline in years as shortages alleviate
Oversupply is a bigger problem these days
Taiwan says destroying TSMC in the event of a Chinese invasion is unnecessary
"Even if China got a hold of the golden hen, it won't be able to lay golden eggs"
In context: Once again, rising tensions between China and the US have put the spotlight on Taiwan and what would happen to TSMC, which manufactures more than half the world's semiconductors, in the event of an invasion. One proposal is to destroy the company's facilities, but the island's security chief said such a move is unnecessary.
China semiconductor production experienced its largest-ever decline in August
US restrictions played a part
Micron is spending up to $100 billion to build a megafab in New York
Federal incentives persuaded Micron to build in the US
South Korean chip production falls for first time since 2018
Too many chips, not enough demand
Nvidia's Jensen Huang once again claims Moore's Law is dead
The leather-clad CEO has made the same claim several times since 2017
US-China semiconductor battle: Second and third order consequences
Not so obvious ripple effects
Why it matters: Earlier this month, the US government blocked the sale of specific chips to anyone in China. We see this as an important change by the government in the tactics they are deploying. The United States has gone from blocking specific companies in China, to blocking all companies and focusing on specific products. This is a big change, and opens up the question -- what exactly are they hoping to achieve? This matters obviously in that it can help us predict the outcome, but we increasingly hold the view that the government may not have entirely thought through how this will ultimately play out.
Hard vs. Soft: Software may be eating the world, but hardware monetizes better
Are software businesses less capital intensive than hardware?
TSMC: Shortage of inexpensive chips, ranging from $0.50 to $10, is bottlenecking the supply chain
Not enough $0.50 chips is impacting entire industries
Intel wants to achieve 1 trillion transistors on a package by 2030 using chiplets
The company has big ambitions with 3D packaging designs, but Meteor Lake CPUs won't arrive until next year
US announces stricter export controls on advanced chip tech
The restrictions are likely aimed at China
SK Hynix aiming to break ground on US chip packaging facility in early 2023
SK Hynix would qualify for Chips Act funding
What has Broadcom become?
The truth is Broadcom is not a semiconductor company. Nor is it a software company. It is a private equity fund...