Electronics industry trends 2021

515 Comments

1. June 10, 2021 at 6:27 pm

   Tomi Engdahl says:

   The chip shortage is driving up tech prices–starting with TVs
   Some high-end televisions already cost 30% more than they did last summer.
   https://www.wired.com/story/chip-shortage-electronics-prices-tvs-displays/

   Reply
2. June 11, 2021 at 9:54 am

   Tomi Engdahl says:

   Goodbye, Motherboard. Hello, Silicon-Interconnect Fabric
   https://spectrum.ieee.org/computing/hardware/goodbye-motherboard-hello-siliconinterconnect-fabric

   Reply
3. June 11, 2021 at 4:18 pm

   Tomi Engdahl says:

   Intel Offers $2 Billion for RISC-V Chip Startup SiFive: Bloomberg
   By Paul Alcorn about 20 hours ago
   x86 and RISC-V might combine under one roof
   https://www.tomshardware.com/news/intel-offers-dollar2-billion-for-risc-v-startup-sifive-bloomberg?utm_campaign=socialflow&utm_content=tomsguide&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com

   According to Bloomberg’s sources, Intel has offered $2 billion for startup chip designer SiFive, though neither company has officially acknowledged the offer. SiFive is the leading designer of chips based on the open source RISC-V architecture that has coincidentally attracted much more interest in the wake of Nvidia’s ongoing acquisition of Arm for $40 billion. The reports of the possible SiFive acquisition come on the heels of SiFive’s announcement that it will collaborate with Intel’s newly-christened foundry services.

   Reply
4. June 12, 2021 at 6:20 am

   Tomi Engdahl says:

   SK Hynix Admits to Some DRAM Production Flaws, Calls the Cops
   By Anton Shilov 3 days ago
   SK Hynix denies it made 240,000 defective wafers, calls the fuzz to clear things up
   https://www.tomshardware.com/news/sk-hynix-admits-it-shipped-defective-dram-in-q2-2021?utm_content=tomsguide&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=socialflow

   Reply
5. June 12, 2021 at 6:22 am

   Tomi Engdahl says:

   SK Hynix admits to DRAM defects, smacks down rumour it botched big batches
   Admits ‘potential losses’ may result, says they won’t be significant
   https://www.theregister.com/2021/06/09/sk_hynix_dram_defects/

   Reply
6. June 12, 2021 at 6:33 am

   Tomi Engdahl says:

   The Chips Are Down, With No Relief in Sight
   https://www.eetimes.com/the-chips-are-down-with-no-relief-in-sight/

   During the height of the pandemic, tech companies were running dry on computer chips for their products but were optimistic there would be a rebound once everything settled. Manufacturers were running out of materials, shipping was at a crawl and those same tech companies chewed through their old inventory just to put anything on the market. Here it is a year later, and there is no sign of new chips on the horizon. Every electronic chip found in our smartphones, TVs, PCs and more, is in short supply and has been worsening since the pandemic struck.

   The initial problem for the chip shortage was the shuttering of factories due to Covid-19, which disrupted materials manufacturers, and shippers, as most ports and airports shut down. Although production is getting back to normal levels, a surge in chip demand fueled by changing habits has pushed the microchip shortage to crisis levels.

   gaming, DIY electronic projects and taking advantage of 5G to video chat with friends and family. Hence, chip demand skyrocketed, leaving companies and manufacturers in a bind, which resulted in increased lead time

   chip lead times have increased to 17 weeks in April of this year, which indicates that tech companies are more desperate than ever to get their hands on a steady supply of microchips. Companies such as Apple, which spends $58 billion annually on semiconductors, were forced to delay the launch of the iPhone 12 by a few months.

   Cryptocurrency mining with the latest generation of video cards has also affected the automotive market, with several companies, including Toyota and Volkswagen, forced to cut production. To help combat cryptocurrency miners and to help mitigate the chip shortage, Nvidia crippled its RTX 3060 cards via software to reduce its mining capabilities. Not to be undeterred, the miners found a way around

   The pandemic, with disruptions in the global supply chains and coupled with countries implementing a work-from-home platform, have produced a 13 percent increase in demand for PCs. Covid-19 has also hit semiconductor manufacturers in South Korea and Taiwan, resulting in a constrained chip supplies for gaming console companies. Sony, the producer of the PlayStation 5, recently stated that the short supply of its next-gen console would last until at least 2022, along with Microsoft, which expects the Xbox Series X and S to be in short supply until mid-2021.

   With the chip crisis affecting every electronics manufacturer on the planet, can’t chip makers build more manufacturing plants? Yes, Intel plans to spend $20 billion to open up a pair of new plants in Arizona, with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company planning to spend $28 billon.

   It’s estimated that building new facilities will take at least two years before they become operational.

   That said, the chip crisis will not abate any time soon, and for now it is unknown when the chip market will stabilize.

   Reply
7. June 12, 2021 at 9:14 am

   Tomi Engdahl says:

   Its a RISCy gamble..

   Rumor: Intel May Buy RISC-V CPU Designer SiFive to Fend off ARM
   https://www.extremetech.com/computing/323647-rumor-intel-may-buy-risc-v-cpu-designer-sifive-to-fend-off-arm?utm_campaign=trueAnthem%3A+Trending+Content&utm_medium=trueAnthem&utm_source=facebook

   Intel is rumored to have made a $2.1B offer for RISC-V chip designer SiFive. SiFive is not a chip manufacturer itself. Somewhat like ARM, it designs CPUs for market and then sells those designs to others. We’ve covered several of the company’s development boards in the last few years as RISC-V has ramped up.

   Intel has previously invested in SiFive, and Intel told the press that it was working to be able to build RISC-V CPUs for customers as part of its overall foundry effort. The talks are said to be in the early stages and nothing has been finalized.

   Reply
8. June 14, 2021 at 10:08 am

   Tomi Engdahl says:

   New Covid wave in Asia to worsen global chip shortage: Report
   https://auto.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/auto-components/new-covid-wave-in-asia-to-worsen-global-chip-shortage-report/83479625

   “Immunisation efforts in Asia, meanwhile, have lagged behind and authorities have largely kept in place tougher border controls to keep the virus out. Still, Covid-19 has spread,” the report said on Saturday.

   A fresh wave of Covid-19 in Asia where vaccination is still in early stages can further worsen the global chip supply chain, the media reported.

   According to the Wall Street Journal, China, Taiwan and many other parts of Asia kept the pandemic in check better than the US and Europe.

   “Immunisation efforts in Asia, meanwhile, have lagged behind and authorities have largely kept in place tougher border controls to keep the virus out. Still, Covid-19 has spread,” the report said on Saturday.

   Taiwan, a key hub for chip manufacturing, is currently experiencing a surge of Covid cases

   The outbreak has hit chip manufacturers in Taiwan. “At King Yuan Electronics Co, one of the island’s largest chip testing and packaging companies, more than 200 employees have tested positive for the virus this month, while another 2,000 workers have been placed in quarantine cutting the company’s revenue this month by roughly a third,” according to the WSJ report.

   TSMC, which makes chips for Apple, Qualcomm, and many other big tech companies, says it has not yet been affected.

   The global semiconductor shortage will persist through 2021 and is expected to recover to normal levels by the second quarter of 2022, a Gartner report said last month.

   Across most categories, device shortages are expected to be pushed out untill the second quarter of 2022, while substrate capacity constraints could potentially extend to fourth quarter of 2022.

   The media report said that factories in Malaysia have had their manufacturing capabilities slowed due to Covid-19.

   “All told, the Malaysia Semiconductor Industry Association says the lockdown will reduce output by between 15% and 40%”.

   The chip shortage started primarily with devices, such as power management, display devices and microcontrollers.

   The shortage has now extended to other devices, and there are capacity constraints and shortages for substrates, wire bonding, passives, materials, and testing, all of which are parts of the supply chain beyond chip fabs.

   Reply
9. June 14, 2021 at 2:46 pm

   Tomi Engdahl says:

   Tehtaattomilla järjettömät kasvuprosentit
   https://etn.fi/index.php/13-news/12281-tehtaattomilla-jarjettomat-kasvuprosentit

   Tutkimuslaitos TrendForce on listannut tehtaattomien eli ns. fabless-yritysten alkuvuoden markkinoita. Kärjessä ovat tutut nimet eli viisi suurta: Qualcomm, Nvidia, Broadcom, Mediatek ja AMD. Niiden ensimmäisen neljänneksen kasvuprosentit sen sijaan herättävät enemmän huomiota: 53, 76, 19, 88 ja 93.

   Qualcomm oli listan ykkönen tammi-maaliskuussa lähes 6,3 miljardin dollarin liikevaihdolla. 53,2 prosentin kasvu vuodentakaiseen perustui paitsi hyvää menekkiin älypuhelimissa, myös uusien tuotteiden esittelyyn IoT-markkinoille. Qualcommin toimitukset myös autoelektroniikkaan kasvoivat.

   Nvidian liikevaihto kasvoi 75,6 prosenttia yli 5,1 miljardiin dollariin.

   Broadcomin kasvu jäi 18,8 prosenttiin, mutta yhtiö tekee tasaisesti rahaa tietoliikennepiireillään. Ensimmäisellä neljänneksellä liikevaihtoa kertyi lähes 4,5 miljardia dollaria.

   Kovin kasvaja oli silti AMD 92,9 prosentin parannuksellaan.
   Yli 3,4 miljardin dollarin liikevaihto

   Reply
10. June 14, 2021 at 8:04 pm

    Tomi Engdahl says:

    The Cerebras Wafer-Scale Engine is 8.5 inches wide and contains 1.2 trillion transistors. The next biggest chip, the NVIDIA A100 GPU, measures one inch at a time and has only 54 billion transistor. The WSE has made its way into a handful of supercomputing labs, including the National Energy Technology Laboratory. Researchers pitted the chip against a supercomputer in a fluid dynamics simulation and found it to be faster than the supercomputer. The team said that the chip completed a combustion simulation in a power plant approximately 200 times faster.

    https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=NQGyd2kuctA&feature=share

    Reply
11. June 14, 2021 at 8:05 pm

    Tomi Engdahl says:

    IBM Sues GlobalFoundries for $2.5B Over Wrecked Process Node Transitions
    https://www.extremetech.com/computing/323666-ibm-sues-globalfoundries-for-2-5b-over-wrecked-process-node-transitions?utm_campaign=trueAnthem%3A+Trending+Content&utm_medium=trueAnthem&utm_source=facebook

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12. June 15, 2021 at 8:45 am

    Tomi Engdahl says:

    The transition to DDR5 will be swift.

    DDR5 Expected to Overtake DDR4 by 2023
    By Aaron Klotz about 15 hours ago
    Shifting gears quickly
    https://www.tomshardware.com/news/ddr5-adoption-huge-by-2023?utm_content=tomsguide&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=socialflow&utm_medium=social

    The transition from DDR4 to DDR5 memory should be swift, according to a new report. Widespread DDR5 adoption should occur in 2022, starting with the server markets and enterprise world, according to a report by industry beancounter Yolle Developpement. Then in 2023, we will finally see widespread DDR5 adoption in the mainstream market, with phones, laptops, and PCs fully utilizing the technology. In fact, we should see more DDR5 ship in 2023 than DDR4, marking a fast transition between the two technologies.

    More specifically, estimates have it that we will see a 25% increase in DDR5 adoption in 2022 (thanks to the server market), then an even bigger jump in 2023 to over 50% of market share. Finally, through 2024-2026 we should expect the rest of the market to follow suit with DDR5 adoption, leaving DDR4 at barely 5% of the market.

    In fact, the firm predicts a record-high value of $120B for the DRAM market and $68B for the NAND market. This trend should continue well into 2026 where the memory market should reach over $200 billion in value.

    Reply
13. June 15, 2021 at 11:29 am

    Tomi Engdahl says:

    https://www.uusiteknologia.fi/2021/06/14/esineiden-internet-kasvattaa-moduulikauppaa/

    Reply
14. June 18, 2021 at 11:54 am

    Tomi Engdahl says:

    Bert Hubert’s writings:
    European companies’ reluctance to offer free software and services have resulted in the region being over-dependent on US and others for communication platforms

    Europe’s Software Problem
    https://berthub.eu/articles/posts/europes-software-problem/

    Europe’s communication needs are currently almost exclusively delivered by Chinese hardware that connects us to US-based platforms. For a variety of reasons, this is not a good idea.

    As stated recently by Charles Michel, President of the European Council, “Interdependence is natural, even desirable. Over-dependence, however, is not”.

    At the core, the problem is that almost no consumer-oriented platforms or software products are being created in Europe, or more precisely, by European companies.

    Almost all software and (communication) services these days are provided (nearly) for free. The software comes with your computer, the service comes with the phone, or perhaps it is an app that costs a few euros at most.

    There are of course exceptions, gaming is one, but in general software and services aimed at consumers are made available without explicit payment. This includes browsers and almost all our modes of communication (email, chat, video) or collaboration (file exchange, calendaring, document editing).

    So why would anyone develop such free platforms? Programmers and hardware are still pretty expensive. There must be a plan.

    In many countries there is a deeply held belief that it will always be possible to eventually exploit users in order to make money, even if you currently aren’t yet sure how you’ll do that.

    Possibilities include monetizing users’ behaviour, or more nefariously, once a platform is dominant, abuse its position to make other people pay up if they want to do business with your users (or simply reach them). This is called rent-seeking.

    As an example, Apple and Google have recently booted a large gaming company from their platform to make sure they get their 30% cut. To access Android and Apple users, you’ll have to get out your wallet.

    Reply
15. June 18, 2021 at 3:24 pm

    Tomi Engdahl says:

    All signs point to the GPU shortage coming to an end. The only question is, how long? https://trib.al/uCUxokw

    Reply
16. June 19, 2021 at 8:18 am

    Tomi Engdahl says:

    Apple Supplier TSMC Readies 3nm Chip Production for Second Half of 2022
    https://www.macrumors.com/2021/06/18/apple-supplier-tsmc-3nm-production/

    Apple supplier TSMC is preparing to produce 3nm chips in the second half of 2022, and in the coming months, the supplier will begin production of 4nm chips, according to a new report from DigiTimes.

    Apple had previously booked the initial capacity of TSMC’s 4nm chip production for future Macs and more recently ordered TSMC to begin production of the A15 chip for the upcoming iPhone 13, based on an enhanced 5nm process.

    Today’s report outlines a more long-term plan for TSMC, stating that the new 3nm chip process will offer 15% performance boost alongside 30% improved energy efficiency and will enter mass production late next year.
    TSMC has claimed its N3 technology will be the world’s most advanced technology when it begins volume production in the second half of 2022. Relying on the proven FinFET transistor architecture

    Apple’s 14 chip, currently in the iPhone 12 series and iPad Air, is based on the 5nm process. The M1 Apple silicon also shares the same 5nm architecture.

    Reply
17. June 20, 2021 at 5:49 am

    Tomi Engdahl says:

    The World Relies on One Chip Maker in Taiwan, Leaving Everyone Vulnerable
    https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-world-relies-on-one-chip-maker-in-taiwan-leaving-everyone-vulnerable-11624075400

    Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co.’s dominance poses risks to the global economy, amid geopolitical tensions and a major chip shortage

    Reply
18. June 20, 2021 at 3:39 pm

    Tomi Engdahl says:

    Chip shortages lead to more counterfeit chips and devices
    Industry analysts recommend businesses take extra care with the supply
    https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2021/06/chip-shortages-lead-to-more-counterfeit-chips-and-devices/

    Reply
19. June 20, 2021 at 3:49 pm

    Tomi Engdahl says:

    New Covid wave in Asia to worsen global chip shortage: Report
    “Immunisation efforts in Asia, meanwhile, have lagged behind and authorities have largely kept in place tougher border controls to keep the virus out. Still, Covid-19 has spread,” the report said on Saturday.
    https://auto.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/auto-components/new-covid-wave-in-asia-to-worsen-global-chip-shortage-report/83479625

    Reply
20. June 20, 2021 at 4:05 pm

    Tomi Engdahl says:

    The Chips Are Down, With No Relief in Sight
    https://www.eetimes.com/the-chips-are-down-with-no-relief-in-sight/

    Reply
21. June 20, 2021 at 6:13 pm

    Tomi Engdahl says:

    Morgan Stanley has downgraded the TSMC’s stock’s rating to Neutral.

    TSMC’s 3nm Wafer Prices Will Erode Transistor Density Cost Gains Worries Morgan Stanley
    https://wccftech.com/tsmcs-3nm-wafer-prices-will-erode-transistor-density-cost-improvement-worries-morgan-stanley/

    The Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) has received a downgrade rating from investment bank Morgan Stanley due to the fab’s capital expenditure for the coming years. TSMC, which is the world’s premium contract chip manufacturer, plans to invest $100 billion over the next three years due to its plans of aggressively developing leading-edge chip manufacturing process nodes. In its latest report, Morgan Stanley has cut TSMC target share price to NT$ 580 from an earlier NT$ 655 and downgraded the stock’s rating to Neutral, as it worries that aggressive capital expenditure will hurt the company’s gross margins.

    Morgan Stanely Fears The End Of Moore’s Law Cost Advantage Will Make It Difficult For TSMC To Recover Capital Expenditure

    Reply
22. June 21, 2021 at 9:30 am

    Tomi Engdahl says:

    An in-depth look at the global shortage of semiconductor chips
    https://www.qcr.be/en/blog/3?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=quadriga_branding_fb&utm_content=global_chip_shortage&fbclid=IwAR1kCraVFW-IVrLAmdPnABQx6zLcYjR_J4c_kL4ki3u32GaPQe3fmdg8ntI

    Although it looks like the world has finally got the upper hand fighting against the COVID-19, it is obvious that pandemic will have profound effects on the global economy and industry. At first, the companies were concerned about their workers’ health and safety, but very soon, the materials, parts, and component supply lines were interrupted, causing delays in production plans. Amongst the major industries affected by this, the automotive sector probably took the biggest hit.

    Reply
23. June 21, 2021 at 9:36 am

    Tomi Engdahl says:

    Dr. Ian Cutress / AnandTech:
    Interview with Jim Keller, a chip expert lauded for his work at AMD and Apple, on ARM vs x86 vs RISC-V, managing 1,000 people at Intel, and plans at Tenstorrent — I’ve spoken about Jim Keller many times on AnandTech. In the world of semiconductor design, his name draws attention …

    https://www.anandtech.com/show/16762/an-anandtech-interview-with-jim-keller-laziest-person-at-tesla

    Reply
24. June 21, 2021 at 9:36 am

    Tomi Engdahl says:

    Wall Street Journal:
    Analysts say the dominance of TSMC, which makes ~92% of the world’s most sophisticated chips and 60% of chips used in cars, poses risks to the global economy — Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co.’s dominance poses risks to the global economy, amid geopolitical tensions and a major chip shortage

    The World Relies on One Chip Maker in Taiwan, Leaving Everyone Vulnerable
    Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co.’s dominance poses risks to the global economy, amid geopolitical tensions and a major chip shortage
    https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-world-relies-on-one-chip-maker-in-taiwan-leaving-everyone-vulnerable-11624075400?mod=djemalertNEWS

    Reply
25. June 23, 2021 at 3:54 am

    Tomi Engdahl says:

    I guess the supply chain death grip of C19 is trickling into 2021.

    Chip Shortages Are Starting to Hit Consumers. Higher Prices Are Likely.
    https://www.wsj.com/articles/chip-shortages-are-starting-to-hit-consumers-higher-prices-are-likely-11624276801?utm_medium=tr_social&utm_campaign=site_visitor.unpaid.engagement&utm_source=Facebook#Echobox=1624386586

    Semiconductor companies say they face higher costs that they are passing on to customers in some cases

    Silicon chips being produced in Singapore. Chip makers are raising prices they charge the brands that make PCs and other gadgets.

    The global chip shortage is pushing up prices of items such as laptops and printers and is threatening to do the same to other top-selling devices including smartphones.

    Price increases are snowballing their way through suppliers and key materials in chip making as the industry rushes to meet rising demand and plug supply holes. As a result, many of the world’s large chip makers are raising prices they charge to the brands that make PCs and other gadgets. Industry officials say the increases may continue.

    Consumers are starting to feel the pinch. Prices of popular models of some laptop computers have crept up over the past two months, among other electronics becoming more expensive at retailers.

    HP has raised consumer PC prices by 8% and printer prices by more than 20% in a year

    Other PC makers have struck a similar note. “As we think about component cost increases, we’ll adjust our pricing as appropriate,” Dell Technologies Inc.

    While some electronics have already risen in price, the broad impact on consumers is often hard to gauge because retailers can decide whether to make shoppers pay or absorb some of the price increases, analysts say. Toni Sacconaghi, a Bernstein analyst, said HP’s increases reflected an absence of usual discounts rather than all-out price increases.

    Reply
26. June 23, 2021 at 9:16 am

    Tomi Engdahl says:

    Tiernan Ray / ZDNet:
    Intel forms an Accelerated Computing Systems and Graphics unit, and a Software and Advanced Technology unit, as part of the company’s ongoing reorg — Intel’s head of GPUs, Raja Koduri, will run the accelerated computing business, Sandra Rivera will run Xeon chips operations …

    Intel forms Accelerated Computing, Software business units
    https://www.zdnet.com/article/intel-forms-accelerated-computing-software-business-units/

    Intel’s head of GPUs, Raja Koduri, will run the accelerated computing business, Sandra Rivera will run Xeon chips operations, and Barefoot Networks co-founder Nick McKeown will run a combination of IoT and networking.

    Reply
27. June 23, 2021 at 9:17 am

    Tomi Engdahl says:

    Bloomberg:
    Microsoft has become the second public US company to reach a $2T market value, after Apple did in August 2020 and two years after hitting its first $1T in value — – Shares of the software giant have gained 19% so far this year — Only Apple and Saudi Aramco had hit $2 trillion in value

    https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-06-22/microsoft-rallies-to-join-apple-in-exclusive-2-trillion-club

    Reply
28. June 23, 2021 at 11:46 am

    Tomi Engdahl says:

    SiFive RISC-V Proven in 5nm Silicon
    https://www.sifive.com/blog/sifive-risc-v-proven-in-5nm-silicon

    OpenFive Tapes Out SoC for Advanced AI/HPC Solutions on TSMC 5nm Technology
    Today, I am pleased to see OpenFive, a SiFive business unit that is the leading provider of customizable, silicon-focused solutions with differentiated IP, is continuing to make progress with AI design solutions with the creation of a reference design chiplet architecture using OpenFive Die-to-Die interface, OpenFive HBM3 IP subsystem, and SiFive 7-Series processor IP, for 2.5D-based SoCs. More details on the full announcement can be found on OpenFive’s announcement here, but today I want to call out the SiFive milestone of our first RISC-V processor core in 5nm.

    Reply
29. June 23, 2021 at 7:04 pm

    Tomi Engdahl says:

    Report: German State of Bavaria May Partner With Intel to Build Chip Factory
    https://www.extremetech.com/computing/324035-report-german-state-of-bavaria-may-partner-with-intel-to-build-chip-factory?utm_campaign=trueAnthem%3A+Trending+Content&utm_medium=trueAnthem&utm_source=facebook

    The EU and Intel have been making eyes at each other for a few months now. Intel is interested in expanding its foundry operations and establishing itself as a competitor for TSMC and Samsung Foundry. The European Union, for its part, has been frustrated by the impact of the semiconductor shortage on the automotive business.

    According to Reuters, the German state of Bavaria is in talks with Intel to potentially build a leading-edge fab.

    Reply
30. June 23, 2021 at 7:50 pm

    Tomi Engdahl says:

    China-made 14nm chips expected to be mass produced next year
    https://cntechpost.com/2021/06/23/china-made-14nm-chips-expected-to-be-mass-produced-next-year/

    China’s demand for local chip production capacity has never been so strong, and progress has been very rapid.

    The 28nm process will be the new starting point for 100 percent locally made chips, and the 28nm and 14nm chips are expected to be mass-produced this year and next year respectively, official media Global Times said on Wednesday, citing industry sources.

    China-made 14nm chips could be in mass production by the end of next year

    Reply
31. June 24, 2021 at 11:35 am

    Tomi Engdahl says:

    https://www.uusiteknologia.fi/2021/05/20/pula-piireista-ja-kehittajista-hidastaa-iot-markkinoita/

    Reply
32. June 30, 2021 at 11:05 am

    Tomi Engdahl says:

    https://hackaday.com/2021/06/29/just-how-vulnerable-to-accidental-erasure-are-eproms-anyway/

    Reply
33. July 2, 2021 at 12:10 pm

    Tomi Engdahl says:

    Apple and Intel become first to adopt TSMC’s latest chip tech
    Taiwanese company remains vital partner for American tech giants
    https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Tech/Semiconductors/Apple-and-Intel-become-first-to-adopt-TSMC-s-latest-chip-tech

    Apple and Intel are testing their chip designs with TSMC’s 3-nanometer production technology, according to several sources briefed on the matter, with commercial output of such chips expected to start in the second half of next year.

    Reply
34. July 3, 2021 at 12:51 pm

    Tomi Engdahl says:

    Micron to Sell 3D XPoint Fab to Texas Instruments for $900
    Micron pops the parachute
    https://www.tomshardware.com/news/micron-to-sell-3d-xpoint-fab-to-texas-instruments-for-dollar900-million?utm_campaign=socialflow&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=social&utm_content=tomsguide

    Micron announced today that it has entered into a definitive agreement to sell its Lehi, Utah fab to Texas Instruments for $900 million in cash. In March, Micron announced that it planned to sell off the fab, bringing an end to its production of the radical new 3D XPoint (Optane) memory technology that it developed with Intel. Texas Instruments plans to deploy its own technologies at the site, meaning that it will not be used for 3D XPoint production. Intel currently doesn’t have any known high-volume production of the strategically important storage/memory media. However, it is known to produce a small amount of the media for research and validation at its New Mexico facility. As a result, Intel will likely have to establish its own production lines to ensure the supply of its Optane based SSDs and persistent memory DIMMs for its data center clients, though demand has seemed tepid.

    Reply
35. July 5, 2021 at 7:05 am

    Tomi Engdahl says:

    China-US chip divergence intensifies as shortages devastate many industries
    Soaring prices, late delivery continue to devastate semiconductors
    https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202106/1225871.shtml#.YOKdFyquG7o.facebook

    China’s semiconductor industry on Wednesday called for global cooperation to address a severe worldwide chip shortage that has hit hundreds of industries. The call, made at an industry expo, was in stark contrast to the US’ latest efforts to seek an exclusive approach with a competition act that targets China.

    Global chip demand has increased eightfold every year for the past decade, and total annual global demand now exceeds $500 billion, Christopher Millward, head of the US Information Technology Office, said in a video recorded for Wednesday’s forum.

    The semiconductor industry chain needs cooperation, because it would be too expensive for each country to have completely domestic industry and value chains that run from design to materials and tools, and from manufacturing to testing, packaging and assembly.

    He said the scale of China’s integrated circuit industry was about 884.8 billion yuan ($138 billion) in 2020, with an average annual growth rate of nearly 20 percent during the 13th Five-Year Plan period (2016-20), four times the global growth rate in the same period.

    The chip shortage is sweeping the world. A report by Goldman Sachs showed that as many as 169 industries are affected to some extent, ranging from vehicles, steel and concrete to air conditioner manufacturing — and even soap production.

    Several chip producers at the ongoing event said that supplies are still tight, and they can’t tell downstream clients what actual delivery times will be.

    Reply
36. July 5, 2021 at 11:35 am

    Tomi Engdahl says:

    Don Clark / New York Times:
    A look at Dutch company ASML, the global leader in $150M+ EUV chip making machines, which are used by firms like TSMC and are subject to export bans to China
    https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/04/technology/tech-cold-war-chips.html

    Reply
37. July 6, 2021 at 1:59 pm

    Tomi Engdahl says:

    https://spectrum.ieee.org/tech-talk/semiconductors/devices/how-and-when-the-chip-shortage-will-end-in-4-charts

    Reply
38. July 9, 2021 at 7:16 am

    Tomi Engdahl says:

    Biden’s new Cold War with China will result in climate collapse, progressives warn
    https://www.politico.com/news/2021/07/07/biden-china-climate-collapse-progressives-498588

    A political fight is brewing among wings of the Democratic Party over Beijing’s help in curbing climate change versus curbing its human rights abuses.

    Reply
39. July 12, 2021 at 1:26 pm

    Tomi Engdahl says:

    Financial Times:
    Intel details its European expansion plans, says $20B investment into a regional semiconductor fab may be spread across several EU member states — Semiconductor maker talks of ‘ecosystem-wide project’ as it lobbies for support from bloc — US chipmaker Intel has said investment …
    https://t.co/zElxQUf9cl?amp=1
    https://www.ft.com/content/40eda20e-17d8-4368-bdeb-a2d1b151bc34

    Reply
40. July 13, 2021 at 7:47 am

    Tomi Engdahl says:

    Gartner:
    Q2 2021: global PC shipments totaled 71.6M, up 4.6% YoY, following Q1′s record 35.7% YoY growth; Lenovo holds 24.1% marketshare, followed by HP, Dell, and Apple — Growth Rate Slowed, Tempered by Impact of Ongoing Semiconductor Shortages — Worldwide PC shipments totaled 71.6 million units …

    Gartner Says Worldwide PC Shipments Grew 4.6% in Second Quarter of 2021
    Growth Rate Slowed, Tempered by Impact of Ongoing Semiconductor Shortages
    https://www.gartner.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/2021-07-12-gartner-says-worldwide-pc-shipments-grew-4-point-six-in-second-quarter-of-2021

    Worldwide PC shipments totaled 71.6 million units in the second quarter of 2021, an increase of 4.6% from the second quarter of 2020, according to preliminary results by Gartner, Inc. While PC demand remained above pre-pandemic levels, this was a marked deceleration in growth compared to the record year over year growth of 35.7% in the first quarter of 2021, due in part to the impact of ongoing component shortages.

    “The global semiconductor shortage and subsequent component supply constraints have extended lead time for some enterprise mobile PC models to as long as 120 days,” said Mikako Kitagawa, research director at Gartner. “This has led to prices increasing in the bill of materials, which vendors have passed on to end users. Moving forward, rising prices could continue to slow PC demand through the next 6 to 12 months.”

    Reply
41. July 13, 2021 at 8:38 am

    Tomi Engdahl says:

    https://etn.fi/index.php/13-news/12357-euv-kutistaa-dram-piirien-virrankulutusta

    Korealainen SK hynix ilmoittaa aloittaneensa ensimmäisten DRAM-piirien valmistuksen EUV-prosessissa. Tällä ultravioletin aallonpituutta eli 13 nanometrin laserilla piirien virrankulutus pienenee viidenneksellä, yhtiö ilmoittaa.

    SK hynix kertoo, että ensimmäinen EUV-piiri on DDR4-tekniikkaa tukeva mobiililaitteiden 8 gigabitin LPDDR4-siru. Sen prosessiversio on 1anm, mikä tarkoittaa neljännen polven alle 20 nanometrin prosessia.

    Reply
42. July 13, 2021 at 4:03 pm

    Tomi Engdahl says:

    Chip shortage sees smugglers cling-filming CPUs to their bodies, over $4M of parts seized
    By Katie Wickens 5 days ago
    The smaller the chips become, the more cavities they’ll fit into.
    https://www.pcgamer.com/chip-shortage-sees-people-cling-filming-cpus-to-their-bodies-and-millions-of-dollars-worth-of-components-seized/

    Reply
43. July 13, 2021 at 8:09 pm

    Tomi Engdahl says:

    Japan’s Rohm kicks off $45m venture fund to drive new chip tech
    US startup Locix among first beneficiaries in chipmaker’s push for growth
    https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Tech/Semiconductors/Japan-s-Rohm-kicks-off-45m-venture-fund-to-drive-new-chip-tech

    KYOTO — Japanese chipmaker Rohm has launched a 5 billion yen ($45.3 million) venture capital fund to invest in next-generation semiconductor technology that can propel growth in the decades to come.

    Reply
44. July 14, 2021 at 6:49 am

    Tomi Engdahl says:

    Intel erased all the market share gains AMD CPUs made this year
    By Paul Lilly 8 days ago
    Nearly three out of four CPUs on the Steam Hardware Survey are Intel chips.
    https://www.pcgamer.com/intel-erased-all-the-market-share-gains-amd-cpus-made-this-year/

    Reply
45. July 15, 2021 at 6:18 pm

    Tomi Engdahl says:

    “Of course, a bunch of them didn’t work.”

    The global chip shortage has led to a rise in fraudsters and counterfeits.

    What’s Worse Than a Chip Shortage? Buying Fake Ones
    https://www.wsj.com/articles/chip-shortage-has-spawned-a-surplus-of-fraudsters-and-fake-parts-11626255002

    Global semiconductor shortage attracts fraudsters, counterfeits; ‘Of course, a bunch of them didn’t work,’ a buyer says

    Reply
46. July 16, 2021 at 2:23 pm

    Tomi Engdahl says:

    The Global Chip Shortage Impact on American Automakers
    https://www.visualcapitalist.com/global-chip-shortage-impact-on-american-automakers/

    The Briefing
    Delays in semiconductor (chip) manufacturing are hitting vehicle production, with more than 1 million vehicles delayed in North America alone.
    American-based manufacturers Ford, Stellantis and GM are taking the hardest hit, combining for a delay of 855,000 vehicles.
    Modern cars are built with anywhere between 500-1,500 different chips.

    The automotive industry accounts for a large share of global chip consumption, with modern cars having smart and complex entertainment systems, navigation, and sensors. A modern car can have anywhere from 500-1,500 different chips powering its different functions.

    But when the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020, shifting consumer demands and a slowing economy called for a reduction in semiconductor manufacturing. And unfortunately, it can take the supply chain a long time to come back online, as much as 1.5 years.

    Reply
47. July 18, 2021 at 9:20 am

    Tomi Engdahl says:

    Intel is reportedly in talks to buy the $30 billion foundry company AMD spun off a decade ago
    Intel isn’t saying either way
    https://www.theverge.com/2021/7/15/22579404/intel-globalfoundries-acquisition-buy-rumor

    In 2008, chipmakers Intel and AMD took two distinct paths: Intel kept manufacturing its own chips to maintain full control, while AMD decided to spin off its semiconductor business as GlobalFoundries, relying on it and other manufacturers to provide the actual silicon. Now, The Wall Street Journal is reporting that Intel is looking to snap up AMD’s former fabs as well, in a deal that could value them at $30 billion.

    Reply
48. July 18, 2021 at 9:20 am

    Tomi Engdahl says:

    China Now Produces One Billion Chips a Day
    By Anton Shilov 3 days ago
    It’s an all-time record.
    https://www.tomshardware.com/news/china-now-produces-over-1-billion-chips-per-day

    Reply
49. July 18, 2021 at 1:56 pm

    Tomi Engdahl says:

    https://www.tomshardware.com/news/china-now-produces-over-1-billion-chips-per-day

    Reply
50. July 20, 2021 at 10:55 am

    Tomi Engdahl says:

    CEO of ex-AMD fab GlobalFoundries shoots down Intel buyout
    By Jacob Ridley about 1 hour ago
    Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger is serious about expanding its manufacturing capability.
    https://www.pcgamer.com/intel-interested-in-buying-ex-amd-fab-and-ryzen-chip-maker-globalfoundries/

    Reply