Electronics industry trends 2021

515 Comments

1. July 21, 2021 at 6:34 am

   Tomi Engdahl says:

   Ignoring Intel Rumors, GlobalFoundries Will Do $1-billion Expansion
   https://spectrum.ieee.org/tech-talk/semiconductors/devices/ignoring-intel-rumors-globalfoundries-will-do-1billion-expansion

   Reply
2. July 21, 2021 at 12:35 pm

   Tomi Engdahl says:

   Samsung Calls for Developmental Collaboration to Usher in a New Era of Data
   on July 15, 2021
   AUDIO Play/StopShare open/close
   Samsung Electronics, a world leader in advanced semiconductor technology, made a case today to accommodate the rise of technologies like 5G and AI, as well as the COVID-19-accelerated explosion of data, with the memory of tomorrow that will need to offer new levels of power performance and connectivity unlike anything seen before.
   https://news.samsung.com/global/samsung-calls-for-developmental-collaboration-to-usher-in-a-new-era-of-data

   Reply
3. July 21, 2021 at 12:35 pm

   Tomi Engdahl says:

   https://spectrum.ieee.org/energy/batteries-storage/the-battery-revolution-is-just-getting-started

   Reply
4. July 22, 2021 at 9:19 am

   Tomi Engdahl says:

   SK Hynix Starts Manufacturing 1anm DRAM Using EUV Lithography
   By Aleksandar Kostovic 10 days ago
   Another major DRAM improvement.
   https://www.tomshardware.com/news/sk-hynix-1anm-dram-euv

   SK Hynix, a South Korean giant, has today announced that the company has officially started manufacturing its 1anm DRAM products using Extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography technology. The first product to be manufactured on this process is an 8 Gigabit (Gb) LPDDR4 mobile DRAM chip

   Running at speeds of 4266Mbps, the fastest for LPDDR4 standard, this new chip achieves up to 20% less power consumption thanks to the new process.

   The 1anm process is SK Hynix’s fourth iteration of 10 nm technology used for DRAM manufacturing. Its predecessors included 1x, 1y, and 1z processes, all of which are based on the 10 nm node, just with some tweaking applied to newer generations.

   Reply
5. July 25, 2021 at 8:50 am

   Tomi Engdahl says:

   Welcome to the never-ending chip shortage
   https://www.cnn.com/2021/07/23/investing/premarket-stocks-trading/index.html

   London (CNN Business)The global shortage of semiconductors that has hobbled the auto industry and made some consumer electronics more expensive could last until the middle of 2023, Intel has warned.

   “While I expect shortages to bottom out in the second half [of the year], it will take another one to two years before the industry is able to completely catch up with demand,” CEO Patrick Gelsinger told analysts on Thursday.
   Ouch. That’s terrible news for carmakers, many of which have been forced to idle plants this year because they can’t get enough chips, limiting the supply of new vehicles at a time when used car prices are soaring.

   Reply
6. July 25, 2021 at 8:51 am

   Tomi Engdahl says:

   https://www.extremetech.com/computing/324625-tsmc-mulls-on-chip-water-cooling-for-future-high-performance-silicon?utm_campaign=trueAnthem%3A+Trending+Content&utm_medium=trueAnthem&utm_source=facebook

   Reply
7. July 27, 2021 at 6:58 am

   Tomi Engdahl says:

   Intel is changing its process naming to match TSMC node-for-node, promising to “innovate with the magic of silicon.” https://trib.al/DWyreMf

   Nanometer no more: Intel changes its process names to match TSMC
   By Dave James about 10 hours ago
   https://www.pcgamer.com/intel-renames-process-nodes-intros-angstrom-era-of-semiconductors/?utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=socialflow

   Promising to “innovate with the magic of silicon” Intel is pushing towards the sub-1nm ‘angstrom era of semiconductors’.

   Intel is matching foundry rival, TSMC, node-for-node with its new process naming convention, but has also fired the first shot in the race for sub-nanometer terminology. Below 1nm, we’re moving into what it’s now calling the ‘angstrom era of semiconductors’

   “We are accelerating our innovation roadmap to ensure we are on a clear path to process performance leadership by 2025,” he says.

   Gelsinger goes on to note that Intel “will be relentless in our pursuit of Moore’s Law and our path to innovate with the magic of silicon.”

   From the moment transistors went three dimensional, with the move to FinFET (or Tri-Gate in Intel terminology) in 2011, a single dimension measurement has been rendered entirely irrelevant.

   This has meant Intel increasingly looks behind the times. Through its manufacturing partner, TSMC, AMD has been able to show off nominally 7nm CPUs while Intel’s desktop chips still languish on an old 14nm node.

   But, as we’ve regularly pointed out here on PC Gamer, when it comes to transistor density, Intel’s 10nm node is far more akin to TSMC’s N7, or 7nm node.

   the Enhanced SuperFin node forming the basis of the upcoming Alder Lake CPUs, will be using a new convention. First up will be ‘Intel 7′, which is the new name for the nominally 10nm Enhanced SuperFin node, and lines up against TSMC’s N7 process.

   Intel 7 is in volume production right now, and Intel claims giving it a new name is fair because of the 10 – 15% performance per watt gains this node is giving over the previous 10nm SuperFin. That’s the sort of perf jump you’d expect from a new process, and Intel is now marketing it as such.

   After that we hit ‘Intel 4′, which was previously referred to as 7nm and will line up against TSMC’s N4 process, then we’ll get ‘Intel 3′, and you can guess which rival node that’s going head-to-head with.

   Intel 7 delivers an approximately 10% to 15% performance-per-watt increase versus Intel 10nm SuperFin, based on FinFET transistor optimizations. Intel 7 will be featured in products such as Alder Lake for client in 2021 and Sapphire Rapids for the data center, which is expected to be in production in the first quarter of 2022.

   Intel 4 fully embraces EUV lithography to print incredibly small features using ultra-short wavelength light.

   Intel 3 will be ready to begin manufacturing products in the second half of 2023.

   Intel 20A ushers in the angstrom era with two breakthrough technologies, RibbonFET and PowerVia. RibbonFET, Intel’s implementation of a gate-all-around transistor, will be the company’s first new transistor architecture since it pioneered FinFET in 2011.

   Intel 20A is expected to ramp in 2024.

   2025 and Beyond: Beyond Intel 20A, Intel 18A is already in development for early 2025

   After that is where things get super-interesting though, as beyond the Intel 3 products shipping at the tail end of 2023, we then move into another wholly new naming convention. This is the industry moving towards a nominally sub-1nm era, with the name ‘Intel 20A’ being giving to its first new process node of the angstrom era of semiconductors in the first half of 2024.

   An angstrom is literally a sub-nanometer unit of measurement, with one angstrom equalling 0.1nm. But Intel is at pains to point out that, despite the ‘A’ in ‘Intel 20A’ standing for angstrom, it is purely a name, not a measurement. So, to be clear, Intel 20A is not a process incorporating transistors measuring 2nm in terms of their gate length.

   Intel 20A will also incorporate a new power delivery method, call PowerVia. That in itself will offer the three dimensional chips of tomorrow something called ‘backside power delivery’

   Reply
8. July 27, 2021 at 7:34 am

   Tomi Engdahl says:

   Intel will make Qualcomm chips in new foundry deal
   https://www.theverge.com/2021/7/26/22595002/intel-qualcomm-chips-foundry-services-amazon-aws-20a

   In addition to providing chip packaging for Amazon’s AWS business

   Intel has announced its first major customer for its new Intel Foundry Services business: Qualcomm. Best known for designing the Snapdragon chips that power most major Android phones, Qualcomm will start to have its chips manufactured by Intel in the coming years using Intel’s upcoming 20A process.

   No timeframe has been announced for when the first Intel-made Qualcomm chips will arrive or which of Qualcomm’s products Intel will produce.

   RELATED

   Intel has a new architecture roadmap and a plan to retake its chipmaking crown in 2025
   Additionally, Amazon’s AWS will be working with Intel Foundry Services, relying on Intel’s packaging solutions (although Intel won’t be directly making chips for Amazon).

   Intel has a new architecture roadmap and a plan to retake its chipmaking crown in 2025
   All the news from Intel Acclerated
   https://www.theverge.com/2021/7/26/22594074/intel-acclerated-new-architecture-roadmap-naming-7nm-2025

   Reply
9. July 27, 2021 at 7:46 am

   Tomi Engdahl says:

   https://www.techpowerup.com/284936/intel-rebadges-10nm-enhanced-superfin-node-as-intel-7-invents-other-creative-node-names

   Reply
10. July 27, 2021 at 8:04 pm

    Tomi Engdahl says:

    China and the US are vying for more control over computer chips. But South Korea isn’t giving up without a fight
    https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-07-25/new-arms-race-fuelled-by-global-chip-shortage/100202390

    Reply
11. July 28, 2021 at 9:19 pm

    Tomi Engdahl says:

    TSMC 2nm production is likely to begin sometime in 2023, after the company got the green light for its most advanced chipmaking process yet. The news comes just one day after Intel said it believed it could catch, and overtake, TSMC’s chipmaking capabilities within four years……

    https://9to5mac.com/2021/07/28/tsmc-2nm-production-set-for-2023/

    Reply
12. July 28, 2021 at 9:24 pm

    Tomi Engdahl says:

    The chip shortage that already crippled Samsung just turned ugly
    https://www.sammobile.com/news/chip-shortage-samsung-crippled-long-term-problems

    When Samsung first started sounding the alarm about a major chip shortage destined to shake the tech industry to its core, we believed it. That is to say, we were expecting things to be bad come the second half of the year. And so they were – or are, if you want to be pedantic.

    But now? Now, they’re starting to get ugly. It’s no longer just Samsung that’s quite obviously feeling the weight of the lack of modern silicon. The entire technology industry is very much under duress right now. And lead times have already reached unprecedented highs.

    Reply
13. July 28, 2021 at 9:25 pm

    Tomi Engdahl says:

    Samsung’s Intel problem just got worse because of Qualcomm
    https://www.sammobile.com/news/samsungs-intel-problem-worse-qualcomm/

    Samsung has been investing heavily to improve its position in the global foundry market. TSMC is the undisputed leader with a 56% share while Samsung comes in a distant second with an 18% share.

    Not too long ago, Intel announced that it’s going to be seriously competing in the foundry space now. That announcement gave Samsung cause for concern. As if that wasn’t enough, Samsung now has to navigate the potential impact of a new deal that Intel and Qualcomm have struck

    Reply
14. July 31, 2021 at 9:04 am

    Tomi Engdahl says:

    Intel: Back on Top by 2025? Silicon giant bets on nanosheet devices and new on-chip power distribution tech
    https://spectrum.ieee.org/intel-says-its-manufacturing-tech-will-lead-the-world-by-2025

    Reply
15. August 2, 2021 at 5:57 pm

    Tomi Engdahl says:

    Intel’s Itanium is finally dead
    The Itanic sunken by the x86 juggernaut
    https://www.techspot.com/news/90622-intel-itanium-finally-dead.html

    After 20 years of failing to make a mark on the wider computing world, Intel finally stopped shipping its Itanium processors this past Thursday. While the company shifted its focus back to the more familiar x86 instruction set architecture (ISA) back in 2004, it kept Itanium going for another decade and a half, until it was put on the chopping block in 2019.

    Itanium was the offspring of a 1990′s partnership between HP and Intel, back when the range of ISAs in use was far more diverse than the x86 and Arm titans of today.

    Itanium’s promise ended up sunken by a lack of legacy 32-bit support and difficulties in working with the architecture for writing and maintaining software.

    Itanium’s promise ended up sunken by a lack of legacy 32-bit support and difficulties in working with the architecture for writing and maintaining software.

    The dream of a single dominant ISA wouldn’t come about until a few years later, but it would come about thanks to the AMD64 extension to the incumbent x86 instruction set.

    ol’ reliable x86-64 remains the ISA of choice to this day, only challenged by Arm, and ended up substantially outpacing its Itanium cousin handily in both core counts and clock speeds.

    Reply
16. August 2, 2021 at 7:32 pm

    Tomi Engdahl says:

    Carmakers warn chip shortage putting brakes on recovery
    https://techxplore.com/news/2021-08-carmakers-chip-shortage-recovery.html

    The automobile industry is being hit hard by a shortage of computer chips that has slowed production and is set to drag on for months.

    Carmakers and suppliers have turned in strong results that beat expectations for the first half of the year, but they warned that a lack of semiconductors had crimped production.

    Microchips are essential for the electronics systems of modern cars, and have been in short supply since the end of last year.

    The situation is to some extent the fault of carmakers, who scaled back orders when the pandemic hit, so chipmakers shifted output to consumer electronics, which was seeing a boom in demand as people splurged on equipment to work and relax and home.

    Reply
17. August 3, 2021 at 6:18 pm

    Tomi Engdahl says:

    Solid state batteries have long been promised to us as the solution to our energy storage needs. Theoretically capable of greater storage densities than existing lithium-ion and lithium-polymer cells, while being far safer to boot, they would offer a huge performance boost in all manner of applications. For those of us dreaming of a 1,000-mile range electric car or a 14-kilowatt power drill, the simple fact remains that the technology just isn’t quite there yet….

    https://hackaday.com/2021/08/03/murata-to-deliver-solid-state-batteries-to-market-in-the-fall/

    MURATA TO DELIVER SOLID STATE BATTERIES TO MARKET IN THE FALL
    https://hackaday.com/2021/08/03/murata-to-deliver-solid-state-batteries-to-market-in-the-fall/

    Reply
18. August 9, 2021 at 5:57 pm

    Tomi Engdahl says:

    “As a side effect (that can also be seen as a positive outcome) our product management and R&D became, more than ever, sensitive to availability and standardization. In some cases they also come up with interesting designs that helped us reduce the stress on the supply chain, providing plenty of benefits for the customers as well.”

    IEEE Spectrum caught up with our CEO Fabio Violante to discuss the current state of the semiconductor industry and the chip shortage’s impact on DIY-centric companies like Arduino.

    Chip Shortage Challenges Maker Manufacturers
    https://spectrum.ieee.org/maker-manufacturers-squeezed-chip-shortage

    Adafruit, Sparkfun, and other wellsprings of amateur innovation face a new normal

    Much has been written about how the Great Global Semiconductor Shortage has affected automakers, game console manufacturers, and other companies making commercial products. But tinkerers, prototypers, artists, and students making their own projects are also getting hit hard.

    Technology often filters into the maker scene by way of manufacturers that cater to hobbyists—they do the hard work of putting new chips with new capabilities onto easy-to-interface breakout boards; developing drivers and libraries that work with existing programing ecosystems like that around Arduino microcontrollers or Raspberry Pi single board computers; and writing documentation and tutorials so that folks don’t have to try parsing enigmatic datasheets by themselves.

    In turn, ideas from the maker community bubble back up into industrial settings, often via engineers seeking quick or inexpensive solutions to problems—consequently both the Raspberry Pi and Arduino lines now feature pro products designed for commercial embedded systems.

    Reply
19. August 9, 2021 at 8:03 pm

    Tomi Engdahl says:

    Component Shortages Continue to Bite, Leading to Delays and Redesigns at Adafruit, Arduino, SparkFun
    Company representatives offer a look at the ongoing component shortages and their impact on the maker market.
    https://www.hackster.io/news/component-shortages-continue-to-bite-leading-to-delays-and-redesigns-at-adafruit-arduino-sparkfun-fac6176ed3e5

    Reply
20. August 10, 2021 at 9:42 am

    Tomi Engdahl says:

    The chip shortage is a self-solving problem
    Government subsidies will lead to overcapacity and waste
    https://www.economist.com/leaders/2021/08/07/the-chip-shortage-is-a-self-solving-problem

    One firm’s crisis is another’s opportunity. A shortage of semiconductors has helped pump up the valuations of firms such as Nvidia, whose chips power everything from video-gaming to machine learning and data centres. But boom time for sellers means misery for buyers. Carmakers, whose products have become computers on wheels, are among the victims. Profits at Ford, America’s second-biggest carmaker by volume, fell by half in the most recent quarter amid a global shortage of chips. Analysts say the industry might build around 5m fewer cars this year, all for want of their tiniest components.

    Carmakers are not the only firms feeling the pinch. Apple and Microsoft have also warned that they will be affected. Politicians are being drawn in, too.

    Reply
21. August 10, 2021 at 10:58 am

    Tomi Engdahl says:

    With ‘Mega-Fab’ Coming, Intel’s Gelsinger Promotes Chip Legislation
    https://www.eetimes.com/with-mega-fab-coming-intels-gelsinger-promotes-chip-bill/

    As the U.S. semiconductor industry awaits enactment of a chip legislation that among other things would provide tax and other incentives to build domestic foundries, Intel Corp. is in the midst of negotiations to construct a U.S.-based “mega-fab” designed to revive American chip production.

    Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger said negotiations with local officials are ongoing, and the company expects to announce a U.S. site by the end of the year. Along with necessary foundry infrastructure, including inexpensive power and plentiful water, the chip maker also wants to locate its new fab near a university.

    Reply
22. August 12, 2021 at 7:56 pm

    Tomi Engdahl says:

    Intel Grabs Majority of TSMC’s 3nm Capacity, 4 Products Including A GPU & 3 Server Chips In The Works With First Delivery In Q2 2022
    https://wccftech.com/intel-grabs-majority-tsmc-3nm-capacity-4-server-graphics-chips-production-q2-2022/

    Reply
23. August 13, 2021 at 12:16 pm

    Tomi Engdahl says:

    Puolijohdemyynti kasvoi 25 prosenttia – komponenttipula rassaa
    https://www.uusiteknologia.fi/2021/08/13/puolijohdemyynti-kasvoi-25-prosenttia-komponenttipula-rassaa/

    Euroopan puolijohteiden jakelijamarkkina kasvoi toisella vuosineljänneksellä 25,5 prosenttia 2,3 miljardiin euroon. Pohjoismaissa kasvu oli alan eurooppalaisen järjestön DMASS:n mukaan 28,4 prosenttia 180 miljoonaan euroon. Koko alaa vaivasi edelleen komponenttipula, joka rajoittaa myös koko vuoden kasvunäkymiä.

    Koronaviruksen aiheuttama lovi Euroopan puolijohteiden jakelumarkkinoilla on ohi. Kuluvan vuoden ensimmäinen neljännes oli vielä edellisuotta alhaisempi, mutta toisen neljänneksen kasvu kompensoi jo alkuvuoden jälkeen jäämisen. Vain pula komponenteista leikkasi isompaa kasvua.

    Maa- tai aluetasolla kokonaistilanne on erittäin myönteinen ja kaksinumeroinen kasvu lähes kaikkialla, mutta vaihtelut ovat varsin merkittäviä. Esimerkiiksi Pohjois- ja Itä-Eurooppa, Iso -Britannia, Iberia, Benelux-maat, Italia, Turkki ja jotkut pienemmät maat kasvoivat jopa 28-77 prosenttia, kun esimerkiksi Saksa vain 15,1 prosenttia 614 miljoonaan euroon.

    Reply
24. August 13, 2021 at 12:17 pm

    Tomi Engdahl says:

    Global Semiconductor Sales Increase 29.2% Year-to-Year in June; Q2 Sales Up 8.3% Over Q1
    https://www.semiconductors.org/global-semiconductor-sales-increase-29-2-year-to-year-in-june-q2-sales-up-8-3-over-q1/

    WASHINGTON—Aug. 2, 2021—The Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) today announced worldwide sales of semiconductors were $44.5 billion in June 2021, an increase of 29.2% from the June 2020 total of $34.5 billion. Sales in June were 2.1% more than the May 2021 total of $43.6 billion. Sales during the second quarter of 2021 were $133.6 billion, an increase of 29.2% over the second quarter of 2020 and 8.3% more than the first quarter of 2021. Monthly sales are compiled by the World Semiconductor Trade Statistics (WSTS) organization and represent a three-month moving average. SIA represents 98% of the U.S. semiconductor industry by revenue and nearly two-thirds of non-U.S. chip firms.

    “Second-quarter semiconductor sales were up significantly compared to Q2 of last year, increasing across all major product categories and in every major regional market,”

    Reply
25. August 18, 2021 at 2:49 pm

    Tomi Engdahl says:

    https://etn.fi/index.php/13-news/12440-puolijohdealalla-ei-enaa-tietoakaan-koronasta

    https://etn.fi/index.php/13-news/12439-intel-haluaa-haastaa-nvidian-ja-amd-n-peligrafiikassa

    Reply
26. August 19, 2021 at 2:09 pm

    Tomi Engdahl says:

    https://etn.fi/index.php/13-news/12429-koronan-vaikutus-ohi-komponenttipula-hidastaa-nyt-kasvua

    Reply
27. August 19, 2021 at 2:09 pm

    Tomi Engdahl says:

    https://etn.fi/index.php/13-news/12431-tehokkain-sulautettu-kortti-sai-liitantastandardin

    COM-korttistandardeja hallinnoiva PICMG-konsortio on julkistanut liitäntästandardin uusimmille palvelinluokan tehon sulautettuihin tuoville COM-HPC-korteille. PMI-standardi (Platform Management Interface) määrittelee, miten saavutetaan yhteensopivuus eri toimittajien moduulien ja kantakorttien välillä.

    Tarve uudelle COM Expressiä täydentävälle standardille tuli verkon reunalle sijaitsevien sulautettujen laitteiden suorityskyvyn kasvattamisen tarpeesta. 440-nastaisella COM Expressillä ei ollut tarpeeksi liitäntöjä tehokkaisiin edge-palvelimiin. Myös COM Express -liittimen suorituskyky lähestyi hitaasti rajojaan

    Reply
28. August 19, 2021 at 2:10 pm

    Tomi Engdahl says:

    https://www.uusiteknologia.fi/2021/08/13/puolijohdemyynti-kasvoi-25-prosenttia-komponenttipula-rassaa/

    Reply
29. August 19, 2021 at 2:16 pm

    Tomi Engdahl says:

    https://hackaday.com/2021/08/15/hackaday-links-august-15-2021/

    Unless you’re in the market for a new car, household appliance, or game console, or if you’re involved in the manufacture of these things, chances are pretty good that the global semiconductor shortage hasn’t directly impacted you yet. But we hobbyists might be due for a comeuppance as the chip shortage starts to impact our corner of the market. We suppose it’s natural that supplies of the chips needed to build Arduinos and Raspberry Pis would start to dry up, as semiconductor manufacturers realign their resources to service their most lucrative markets. Still, it was all sort of abstract until now, but seeing dire quotes from the likes of Adafruit, Pololu, and Sparkfun about the long lead times they’re being quoted — some chips won’t be seen until 2023! — is disheartening. As are the reports of price gouging and even hoarding; when a $10 part can suddenly command $350, you know something has gone seriously wrong.

    Chip Shortage Challenges Maker Manufacturers
    https://spectrum.ieee.org/maker-manufacturers-squeezed-chip-shortage

    Adafruit, SparkFun, and other wellsprings of amateur innovation face a new normal

    Reply
30. August 20, 2021 at 11:48 am

    Tomi Engdahl says:

    https://etn.fi/index.php/tekniset-artikkelit/12456-pulaa-komponenteista-suhde-piirivalmistajan-kanssa-avainasemassa

    Reply
31. August 20, 2021 at 11:49 am

    Tomi Engdahl says:

    https://www.uusiteknologia.fi/2021/08/20/samsung-varmistaa-johtoaan-muistihintojen-noustessa/

    Reply
32. August 20, 2021 at 11:50 am

    Tomi Engdahl says:

    https://etn.fi/index.php/13-news/12455-kiintolevy-ei-kuollutkaan-myynti-kasvoi

    Reply
33. August 20, 2021 at 11:50 am

    Tomi Engdahl says:

    https://www.uusiteknologia.fi/2021/08/20/korona-paljasti-riippuvuuden-komponenteista/

    Reply
34. August 21, 2021 at 6:28 pm

    Tomi Engdahl says:

    Samsung asserts its dominance as lead semiconductor manufacturer, ousts Intel
    Sayonara, Intel the chipmaker
    https://www.windowscentral.com/samsung-asserts-its-dominance-lead-semiconductor-manufacturer-ousts-intel

    Reply
35. August 21, 2021 at 6:30 pm

    Tomi Engdahl says:

    Knockoff semiconductor chips flood the enterprise market
    https://www.techrepublic.com/article/knockoff-semiconductor-chips-flood-the-enterprise-market/

    As the predominantly pandemic-caused global chip shortage rolls on, businesses are now facing another challenge–component scams and bogus supply-chain claims.

    Reply
36. August 22, 2021 at 8:41 am

    Tomi Engdahl says:

    Intel CEO pitches pricey chip plants to officials at home and abroad
    https://www.livemint.comhttps//www.wsj.com/articles/intel-ceo-pitches-pricey-chip-plants-to-officials-at-home-and-abroad-11628933400

    Reply
37. August 22, 2021 at 9:06 am

    Tomi Engdahl says:

    Arm-based notebook processor shipments post 5-fold jump in 2020
    https://www.digitimes.com/news/a20210816PR202.html

    Reply
38. August 22, 2021 at 10:21 am

    Tomi Engdahl says:

    Semiconductor shortage reaches a new and unwelcome landmark
    By Sead Fadilpašić 10 days ago
    OEMs have to wait weeks to receive their orders
    https://www.techradar.com/uk/news/semiconductor-shortage-reaches-a-new-and-unwelcome-landmark

    Reply
39. August 22, 2021 at 12:26 pm

    Tomi Engdahl says:

    Chip Shortage Keeps CIOs and Other Tech Leaders Scrambling
    Across the economy, corporate tech leaders are dealing with dwindling supplies of the physical building blocks of IT
    https://www.wsj.com/articles/chip-shortage-keeps-cios-and-other-tech-leaders-scrambling-11628538919

    Reply
40. August 22, 2021 at 12:27 pm

    Tomi Engdahl says:

    https://techtaiwan.com/20210809/china-mcu-2021/

    Reply
41. August 23, 2021 at 11:24 am

    Tomi Engdahl says:

    https://etn.fi/index.php/13-news/12460-siirtyminen-pcie-5-0-aikaan-alkaa-ohjainpiireista

    Reply
42. August 24, 2021 at 1:44 pm

    Tomi Engdahl says:

    Sohee Kim / Bloomberg:
    Samsung says it will hire 40,000 employees over the next three years in a $205B expansion, led by Samsung Electronics and Biologics — – Samsung Electronics and Biologics will lead spending plans — Samsung outlines expansion days after Jay Y. Lee wins freedom

    https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-08-24/samsung-to-create-10-000-jobs-in-205-billion-three-year-spree

    Reply
43. August 24, 2021 at 4:58 pm

    Tomi Engdahl says:

    https://techcrunch.com/2021/08/23/intel-inks-deal-with-department-of-defense-to-support-domestic-chip-building-ecosystem/

    Reply
44. August 24, 2021 at 4:58 pm

    Tomi Engdahl says:

    Chip shortage begets chip shortage
    https://www.axios.com/chip-shortage-begets-chip-shortage-c8d148d3-5392-47e2-ab3b-aa1c291fed3d.html

    We have a shortage of semiconductors in part because of … a shortage of semiconductors.

    Driving the news: The chip shortage has entered a new phase. The main problem during the first half of the year was a dearth of wafers — but now that we have more wafers, the problem is assembling those wafers into integrated circuits for circuit boards, according to a report by IHS Markit.

    There’s a shortage of assembly equipment because the equipment, too, needs chips that are in short supply, according to the report.

    Reply
45. August 24, 2021 at 4:59 pm

    Tomi Engdahl says:

    Remote work has taught chip giant Intel to ‘challenge assumptions’ in a massive culture shift. Here’s how it’s planning its return to the office.
    https://www.businessinsider.com/intel-covid-return-to-office-plan-2021-8

    Reply
46. August 25, 2021 at 7:37 am

    Tomi Engdahl says:

    https://www.uusiteknologia.fi/2021/08/24/piirijattilainen-sai-viimein-luvan-ostaa-kilpailijansa/

    Analog Devices on saanut vuoden tutkimusten jälkeen myös Kiinan kilpailuviranomaisten luvan ostaa kilpaileva piirivalmistaja Maxim Integrated. Yli 20 miljardin dollarin kauppahinta maksetaan ostajayrityksen osakkeilla ja kauppa saataneen loppuun vielä elokuun loppuun mennessä.

    Reply
47. August 26, 2021 at 10:38 am

    Tomi Engdahl says:

    https://etn.fi/index.php/13-news/12475-tsmc-n-3-nanometria-myohastyy-iphone-karsijana

    Taiwanilainen TSMC on hallinnut mikropiirien sopimusvalmistusta lähes suvereenisti ja sillä on ollut myös teknologinen etumatka kilpailijoihin nähden. Nyt rattaisiin on tulossa vähän hiekkaa, kun yhtiö on vahvistanut 3 nanometrin prosessinsa myöhästyvän alkuperäisestä aikataulustaan.

    Tämä vaikuttaa myös esimerkiksi ensi vuoden iPhonen prosessorien tuotantoon. N3-prosessin sijaan tulevien iPhone-piirien A16-prosessorit valmistetaan 4 nanometrin viivanleveydellä.

    Reply
48. August 26, 2021 at 11:03 am

    Tomi Engdahl says:

    Ron Miller / TechCrunch:
    Canalys: US PC sales in Q2 2021 up 17% YoY, with 36.8M total units sold, notebooks up 27%, desktops up 23%, tablets down 1%; HP leads with 21.9% of market share — Canalys released its quarterly U.S. PC sales today, and while the news was quite good with sales overall up 17% YoY …
    https://techcrunch.com/2021/08/25/canalys-u-s-pc-sales-up-17-yoy-for-quarter-even-as-tablet-sales-stagnate/

    Reply
49. August 27, 2021 at 7:55 am

    Tomi Engdahl says:

    Wall Street Journal:
    Sources: TSMC plans to increase prices by ~10% for advanced chips and ~20% for less advanced chips, starting later this year or early next — TSMC to increase prices of most advanced chips by roughly 10%; less advanced chips will cost about 20% more — The world’s largest contract chip maker …

    World’s Largest Chip Maker to Raise Prices, Threatening Costlier Electronics
    https://www.wsj.com/articles/worlds-largest-chip-maker-to-raise-prices-threatening-costlier-electronics-11629978308?mod=djemalertNEWS

    TSMC to increase prices of most advanced chips by roughly 10%; less advanced chips will cost about 20% more

    The world’s largest contract chip maker is raising prices by as much as 20%, according to people familiar with the matter, a move that could result in consumers paying more for electronics.

    Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. TSM 0.91% plans to increase the prices of its most advanced chips by roughly 10%, while less advanced chips used by customers like auto makers will cost about 20% more, these people said. The higher prices will generally take effect late this year or next year, the people said.

    Apple Inc. is one of TSMC’s largest customers and its iPhones use advanced microprocessors made in TSMC foundries. It couldn’t be determined how much more Apple would pay.

    A TSMC spokeswoman declined to comment on prices but said the company works closely with customers.

    The price increases come in the wake of a global semiconductor shortage that has affected Apple and most car makers, including General Motors Co. and Toyota Motor Corp. In August, GM said it had to idle three factories in North America that make large pickup trucks, the company’s biggest moneymaker. Last week, Toyota said it would curb production by 40% in September.

    The price increases have a twofold purpose for TSMC as it addresses the shortage. In the short term, higher prices push down demand and preserve supply for customers who have no other choice. Over the longer term, the higher income will help TSMC invest aggressively in new capacity, according to analysts.

    The company has said it plans to spend a total of $100 billion over the next three years on new factories and equipment as well as research and development. It is expanding its production capacity in Nanjing, China, and has started construction on a $12 billion facility in Arizona.

    Already, chip shortages have driven up prices for laptops, which are in high demand because more people are working remotely.

    Apple warned in its latest earnings call that the chip shortage, which hit its iPad tablets and Mac computers earlier in the year, would affect iPhone production in the quarter that ends in September.

    Andrew Lu, a semiconductor analyst at Sinolink Securities, said price increases would preserve TSMC’s profit margins. He said the Taiwanese company had spent too much of its huge capital budget on the most advanced chips, losing market share in less advanced chips.

    “TSMC is finally going to increase their prices to go with the trend, making up for misallocating their capital spending,” Mr. Lu said.

    The company’s market dominance gives it more pricing power than suppliers usually enjoy. TSMC accounts for more than half of the global semiconductor foundry market by revenue, according to Taiwanese research firm TrendForce, and it makes more than 90% of the world’s most advanced chips.

    In the April-June quarter, TSMC reported net profit equivalent to $4.8 billion on net sales of $13.3 billion. Its net profit margin for the quarter of 36% would be the envy of most companies, but its cash flow is typically well below its profit because it plows much of the money it makes back into new factories and equipment.

    Bernstein analysts said the price increases would likely lift TSMC’s revenue by 10% to 15% and increase earnings by 20% to 30%, adding that the impact would be seen in the first quarter of next year.

    Reply
50. August 27, 2021 at 7:56 am

    Tomi Engdahl says:

    Anna Edgerton / Bloomberg:
    Study: lobbying dollars spent by US tech companies have increased with market concentration; the pattern is similar to pharmaceutical and oil & gas industries
    https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-08-25/tech-s-lobbying-push-follows-market-consolidation-study-shows

    Reply