The US Department of Commerce's Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) released a new regulation on December 2, adding 140 Chinese companies to the Entity List. This regulation targets 24 types of semiconductor manufacturing equipment, three categories of electronic design automation (EDA) tools, and high bandwidth memory (HBM).
China has expressed strong dissatisfaction in response to the new round of sanctions from the US. China's Ministry of Commerce issued a statement stating that the new measures further strengthen export controls on semiconductor manufacturing equipment and memory chips, adding 136 Chinese entities to the Entity List and expanding jurisdictional reach to obstruct trade between China and third countries, characterizing it as typical economic coercion and non-market practices.
Major integrated device manufacturers (IDM) are pessimistic about automotive chip prospects in 2025, with Taiwan-based power semiconductor firms taking cautious stances on the European and US markets. However, Taiwanese firms are still hoping to cut into niche markets to weather challenging market conditions.
Arm CEO Rene Haas has openly expressed his aspirations for AI, envisioning that all future AI applications will run on Arm technology in some form. This strategic shift suggests that Arm, known as the king of mobile chips, is following its Windows on Arm success by pushing toward "AI on Arm."
Chinese outsourced semiconductor assembly and test (OSAT) providers have intensified their capacity expansion for advanced packaging to support the country's semiconductor self-sufficiency amid growing artificial intelligence (AI) application demands.
Donald Trump's upcoming return to the US presidency and his promised import tariffs threaten to disrupt the World Trade Organization's free trade principles. The WTO's 166 member states account for a combined 98% of global trade, and industry watchers are closely monitoring how these protectionist policies might reshape global commerce.
The abrupt retirement of Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger has sent shockwaves through the industry, raising questions about a potential spin-off of Intel Foundry. DIGITIMES Research indicates that even if such a spin-off materializes, Intel would need to maintain majority control of the foundry business to comply with US subsidy requirements.
TSMC gathered industry partners at its 2024 Supply Chain Management Forum on December 2, presenting awards to 27 outstanding suppliers, including seven Taiwanese companies, in recognition of their significant contributions throughout the year.
Almost a year after the initial announcement, JCET has completed its stock-holding transfer and appointed a new chairman, solidifying control under a Chinese state-owned conglomerate. This move positions the conglomerate as the dominant force behind China's largest OSAT OSAT provider.
Intel's announcement of CEO Pat Gelsinger's unexpected retirement following the Thanksgiving holiday has sent shockwaves through the semiconductor industry. The departure of Gelsinger, who implemented the transformative IDM 2.0 strategy after taking the helm four years ago, has sparked intense speculation about the underlying reasons.
The US government is preparing to expand restrictions on semiconductor equipment and related chip sales to China, particularly targeting AI and High Bandwidth Memory (HBM) products. This move will have minimal impact on TSMC but could create new opportunities for United Microelectronics (UMC) and Vanguard International Semiconductor (VIS), according to industry sources.
Intel's CEO Pat Gelsinger has announced his retirement, effective December 1, amid the company's struggles with design and manufacturing separation and ongoing financial losses. In the interim, CFO David Zinsner and EVP of the Client Computing Group Michelle Johnston Holthaus will jointly serve as acting co-CEOs while the board seeks a permanent successor.
Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry (METI) has announced a subsidy program totaling up to JPY70.5 billion (US$470.34 million) for the SiC power semiconductor production collaboration between Denso and Fuji Electric. The joint project, valued at JPY211.6 billion, will receive one-third of the total investment in government funding.
Global supply chains have gradually diversified in recent years, with India emerging as a potential replacement for China in the electronics manufacturing sector. As geopolitical dynamics shift, particularly influenced by the recent US presidential election, interest from European and American clients in Indian manufacturing is on the rise.
Both Tesla CEO Elon Musk and Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang consider humanoid robots to be the ultimate chapter in AI development. According to a Goldman Sachs research forecast for the first half of 2024, humanoid robot shipments are expected to exceed 250,000 units by 2030, with nearly all deployments in industrial sectors.
Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger has retired from the company following a distinguished 40-plus-year career and has resigned from the board of directors, effective December 1, 2024.
TSMC announced at the Open Innovation Platform (OIP) Ecosystem Forum in Europe that its CoWoS packaging technology will achieve certification by 2027, introducing a version with 9x reticle size. This advancement will accommodate twelve HBM4 memory stacks, providing unprecedented performance enhancements for artificial intelligence (AI) and high-performance computing (HPC) chips.
Mitsubishi Electric President and CEO, Kei Uruma, revealed in a Tokyo interview that the company is pursuing a restructuring initiative within Japan's power semiconductor sector, including with former competitors. The goal is to strengthen its position in this critical market segment.
South Korean AI chip startup DeepX is in the final stages of preparation for its first mass-produced chips. Through Samsung Electronics' foundry division, the company has achieved an 88% yield rate using advanced 5nm process technology, with expectations to surpass 90% in mass production—a promising indicator for this cutting-edge AI hardware initiative.
Amid mounting pressures on talent and resources, Taiwan is looking to widen its horizons abroad, exploring the possibility of establishing science parks beyond its borders as part of its strategy to sustain industrial growth.
Due to US sanctions, China has been unable to acquire advanced semiconductor manufacturing equipment and is now shifting its focus toward mature processes. Although this shift has provided short-term benefits for South Korean equipment manufacturers, China's active promotion of domestic semiconductor equipment production may affect their future orders and performance.
Rohm Semiconductor and Valeo have jointly announced a collaboration to design and develop the next generation of power modules for electric motor inverters, combining their expertise in power electronics control. In the initial phase, Rohm will provide Valeo with a 2-in-1 SiC molded module TRCDRIVE pack for future powertrain applications.
Taiwan's Minister of Economic Affairs J.W. Kuo announced plans for TSMC to construct a new domestic plant annually. The ministry is actively preparing water and electricity infrastructure to support this ambitious expansion strategy.
President-elect Donald Trump, who will take office on January 20, 2025, has voiced strong criticism of the Biden administration's CHIPS Act subsidies. His America First policy is expected to intensify pressure on TSMC to relocate its cutting-edge manufacturing to the US. However, Taiwan maintains its position: discussions about moving advanced processes abroad will only proceed after establishing mass production in Taiwan.
