Jan. 06
Company Trend
Samsung reportedly starts trial production of 4 nm HBM4 logic chip
According to South Korean media Chosun Daily, Samsung Electronics’ DRAM sector(DS)recently completed the design of the logic chip used in HBM4, and handed it over to the Foundry department for trial production with 4nm process. After the final performance verification of the logic chip is completed, Samsung will provide HBM4 sample to customers for tests. The core characteristics of HBM4 lie in its excellent transmission capacity and significantly improved energy efficiency. Specifically, the bandwidth of a single stack of HBM4 reaches an astonishing 1.6TB/s, which is significantly higher than that of HBM3E. This is especially important for applications that need to process a large amount of data, such as deep learning and big data analysis.
Samsung adopted the advanced 4 nm logic chip technology in making HBM4 by combining 10 nm DRAM technology，which not only greatly improves its performance, but also effectively solves the problem of high heat when the memory is operating. Also, Samsung plans to implement hybrid bonding technology for stacking 16-layer HBM4 products. At present, there are 12-layer/16-layer HBM4 products and 8-layer/12-layer HBM3e products. Hybrid bonding isaprocess stacking chip withcopperwithout using the traditional method to connect chip’s “bumps”, thus reducing chip size and improve performance.
Comments: Samsung Electronics started the trial production of HBM4 logic chip with 4 nm process technology, which is its important strategicmovein the field of high performance computing and AI and is of great significance in many aspects. First of all, the trial production of 4 nm HBM4 logic chip indicates that Samsung has made further breakthrough in advanced process technology. By adopting more advanced processes, Samsung not only improved the performance of HBM4 but also effectively solved the problem of high heat, which will helptoenhance its competitiveness in the high-performance computing and AI market.
In the market, the high performance and low power consumption of HBM4 make it widely used in high performance computing, AI and graphics processing. Thismove of Samsung will meet the increasing demands of high-performance memories in the market and further consolidate its leading position in the memory market. However, although Samsung has made progress in the 4 nm process technology, itstillcannot compete with TSMC in terms of energy consumption control of smaller process chips. Whether Samsung can surpass TSMC in energy efficiency and performance depends on the test results of the sample of HBM4, which will beofficially released.
Jan. 07
Company Trend
Silan Jihong’s 8-inch SiC chip project to start trial production in Q1 2026, with total investment of RMB12bn
Hangzhou Silan Microelectronics Co., Ltd.(Silan) plans to invest RMB12bn to work with Xiamen Semiconductor Investment Group Co., Ltd. and Xiamen Xinyi Technology Industry Co., Ltd.so asto jointly build an 8-inch SiC power device chip production line. The project will be built in two phases, and its total capacity willreach60,000 units/month.
The total investment of the first phase of the project is RMB7bn. It is expectedthat it willbe powered on at the end of Q3 2025, start trial production in Q4 2025, and be officially put into operation in Q1 2026. After the phase I project reaches itsfullcapacity, it will produce 420,000 8-inch SiC power device chips per year, with an estimated annual output value of RMB6.7bn. After the two phases of the project are completed,itwill have a capacity of960,000 units of 8-inch SiC power device chips per year, and its annual sales will beup toRMB12bn.
As the third majorprojectof Silan in Xiamen, thisproject will greatly improve Silan’s SiC chip manufacturing capacity, better meet the domestic demand of SiC chips for new energy automobiles, and is capable of providing high-performance SiC chips for PV energy, energy storage, charging piles and other power inverter products.
Comments: This project will significantly enhance Silan's manufacturing capability in the field of SiC power devices, help the company seize the opportunity of rapid development of new energyvehicleindustry, further improve its strategic layout in the field of high-end power semiconductors for vehicles, and enhance its core competitiveness. In addition, the construction of the project will also bring a new revenue growth pole to the company and enhance its profitability.
From the point of view of the industry,due tothe rapid development of new energy vehicles, PV, energy storage and other industries, there are increasing demands for high-performance SiC power devices. The implementation ofthisSilan Jihong project will help to alleviate the shortage of domestic SiC chips, improve the domestic self-sufficiency rate of SiC chips and promote the rapid development of the third-generation semiconductor industry in China. Meanwhile, the project will also promote the synergistic development of related industrial chains, such as 8-inch SiC substrates and related process equipment, and enhance China's overall competitiveness in the semiconductorindustry.
Moreover,asthemanufacturing technology of SiC chips isverycomplex,the project may face technical problems in the construction process, which requires the company to continuously investmoreresources in R&D to ensure its advanced technology and product reliability. Moreover, the semiconductor marketundergoes acertain periodicity, and the market environmentwill beuncertain after the project is completed. The company needs to pay close attention to marketstatusand flexibly adjust its business strategy to address market risks.
Jan. 08
Company Trend
Toyoda Gosei succeeds in making 8-inch GaN single crystal wafer
On January 8th, Toyoda Gosei Co., Ltd. (Toyoda Gosei)announced that it had successfully developed a 200mm(8-inch) GaN single crystal wafer for vertical transistors. This breakthrough of Toyoda Gosei indicates thatithas made great progress in terms of technical strength and innovation ability in the field of GaN crystal growth. Compared with the lateral transistor using silicon-based GaN technology, vertical transistor built with GaN single crystal can provide higher density power devices and are suitable for 200mm and 300mm wafers. However, the fabrication of GaN single crystal wafers larger than 4 inches has been facing technical challenges.
Previously, Toyoda Gosei had successfully made a 150mm(6-inch) GaN single crystal wafer.Thesuccessful development of 200mm GaN single crystal wafer is another breakthrough of the company. According to report, the 200mm GaN substrate can be used to grow 600V vertical GaN transistors. Such transistorfeaturesnormally closed operation, its grid voltage threshold exceeds 2V, and its maximum drain current is 3.3A in the on state. In addition, it alsohasa breakdown voltage exceeding 600V and a low leakage current during the off state.
In a project headed by the Japanese Ministry of the Environment, Toyoda Gosei is providing base wafer to obtain ideal GaN crystal. One of the achievements of this project is a GaN substrate on GaN seed crystal developed by Toyoda Gosei and Osaka University to further improve the performance of power devices. Compared with power devices manufactured on substrates sold in the market, power devices made of these GaN substrates show higher performance in terms of power regulation and yield.Toyoda Gosei said that itwouldcontinue to work with the government, universities and other companies to promote large-size GaN substrates as soon as possible.
Comments: First of all, from the point of view of technology, this achievement of Toyoda Gosei shows its leading position of in terms of GaN crystal growth technology. The successful development of 8-inch GaN single crystal wafer not only overcomes the technical difficulties in making large-size GaN single crystal wafer but also lays a foundation for the production of larger-size wafers in the future. This will help to promote the further development of GaN power devices in terms of high-frequency and high-power applications, such as 5G communication, electric vehicles and data centers.
Secondly, from the point of view of market, the development of 8-inch GaN single crystal wafer will help reduce the production cost of GaN power devices. With the increase of wafer size, the manufacturing cost per chip is expected to be significantly reduced, thus making GaN power devices more competitive in terms of price and accelerating their popularization in the market. This is of great significance to promote the large-scale development of the GaN industry.
However, Toyoda Gosei is also facing some challenges. Although Toyoda Gosei successfully developed 8-inch GaN single crystal wafer, it still needs to overcome many technical problems to realize mass production, such as improving crystal quality and ensuring yield. Currently, the GaN power device market is still dominated by a few major companies, and Toyoda Gosei needs to stand out from the fierce market competition and win trust and orders of more customers.
Jan. 10
Company Trend
Japanese Rapidus trial-produced Broadcom chips, to be delivered in June
Japanese semiconductor manufacturer Rapidus plans to cooperate with American chip giant Broadcom to mass produce 2 nm cutting-edge chips. Rapidus is scheduled to start trial production of 2 nm chips in April 2025, and will deliver chips to Broadcom as early as June. Rapidus’s trial production timetableis basically the same as that of TSMC. However, TSMC will start mass production next year while Rapidus hopes to achieve mass production in 2027.
To achieve this goal, Rapidus bought the first EUV mask aligner from Dutch chipequipmentmanufacturer ASML, and the equipment is expected to be installed by the end of March this year. At present, Rapidus is actively preparing for the trial production of 2 nm chips. The chairman of Rapidus said that it hadsent about 150 engineers to IBM's R&D center in the USA to receive trainings on 2 nm chip manufacturing.
The trial production in April is crucial for Rapidus. Considering that it has received a large amount ofsubsidyfrom the Japanese government and plans to raise more funds, the result ofitstrial production is the most important factor to attract investors and potential orders. Rapidus' existing customers are mainly VC companies or start-ups engaged in the AI industry, and it does not have big customers like Amazon or Apple, which means that the companyhas limited ability to resist risks.
Comments: The cooperation between Rapidus and Broadcom is an important step of Japanese semiconductor industry on the way of recovery. The cooperation between them not only demonstrated the technical strength of Rapidus in the field of 2 nm chip manufacturing but also laid a solid foundation for its rise in the global semiconductor market. By cooperating with Broadcom, Rapidus is expected to gain more customer resources and market opportunities and further enhance its competitiveness in the field of semiconductor foundry. However, Rapidus also faces a lot of challenges. First of all, it is extremely difficult to manufacture 2 nm chips. If Rapidus hopes to achieve high yield and high performance in a short time, it has to improve its technology level and production capacitysubstantially. Secondly, Rapidushasto stand out from the fierce market competition and attractsmore big customers so as to improve its anti-risk ability. Finally, Rapidus needs to make continuous efforts in fund raising and technology development to ensure the smooth implementation of its mass production plan.
Jan. 06
Inspur Semiconductor Industrial Park put into operation
Recently, Inspur Huaguang Optoelectronics Co., Ltd. held the 25th anniversary&commissioning ceremony of Inspur Semiconductor Industrial Park in Jinan. This important moment marks that Inspurembraceda new stage of the semiconductor industry and also shows the latestsemiconductortrends of China in the global semiconductor field.
Inspur Semiconductor Industrial Park is a newly-built integrated R&D and production base of semiconductor laser epitaxial wafers, chips and devices built by Inspur Group, with a total investment of more than RMB600mn. It is expected to produce more than 60 million semiconductor laser chips and devices after it is put into production. The construction of the industrial park will greatly improve its production efficiency, reduce production costs, and promote the iteration and upgrading of semiconductor technology.
According to theParty Secretary of Inspur Group,the operation of Inspur Semiconductor Industrial Park will helpInspurGroup to givefullplay to its leading position in the industry chain and better promote the development of the laser industry in Jinan and evenacrossShandong Province. Next, Inspur Group will continue to increase investing more resource, constantly enlarge and strengthen its semiconductor laser sector, and make greater contributions to the construction of a modern and strongShandongprovince.
Jan. 06
A comprehensive containmentofChina! 134 Chinese enterprisesincludingCXMT and Tencent blacklisted by the USA!
On January 6th, the US Department of Defense released the latest list of Chinese Military Enterprises (CMC, the 1260H list officially stipulated accordingtothe US law). Chinese companies such as Tencent Holdings, Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., Ltd, CXMT, Quectel, and UAV manufacturer Autel Robotics Co., Ltd. have been added to the list, and many Chinese semiconductor companies such as Yangtze Memory Technologies and SMIChave been on the list already.
According to a notice issued by the Federal Register, the USA will update the CMC list every year. After this update, the list hasincluded134 enterprises, covering57 entities and their subsidiaries.
According to the report of Reuters, the list aims to highlight and restrict Chinese enterprises that pose security risks to the USA. Since the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) established the 1260H clause in FY2021, the US Department of Defense (DoD) has continuously requested the Pentagon to update and publish the CMC list every yearas perthe clause, and set restrictions on such enterprises in terms of defense-related procurement, contracts, investment and other fields. Although the order does not involve immediate prohibition and is different from export control or sanctions, its potential impact cannot be ignored, because it is likely to damage the business reputation oftheselisted companies and prompt the US Ministry of Finance to consider further sanctions against them.
At the same time, it is learned that according to the relevant provisions of the National Defense Authorization Act for FY 2024, the listed entities may be subject to the relevant entity bans or goods/services bans, and their normal business cooperation with other enterprises may also be affected to some extent.
Jan. 07
Four 12-inch wafer production lines put into production in Chinese mainland!
Around the beginning of 2025, Nanjing, Beijing, Yangzhou, Guangzhou, Haikou, Longyan and other regions are speeding up building chip production line projects, covering fields such as SiC, IGBT and filter chips. These chip production line projectsinvolvea number of core segments of the semiconductor industry, which shows that China is making efforts to promote the localization ofthesemiconductor industry chain segments such as the R&D of chip basic materials, upgrading of manufacturing technology, innovation of featured chips and packaging & testing against the background of the containment of China by the USA and its allies.
According to media reports, under the sanctions of the USA, China is currently sprinting to develop mature semiconductor processes. According tothe previous predicts of the agency, China will have 41 fabs to be put into operation from 2023 to 2027, including thirty four 12-inch fabs and seven 8-inch fabs. Only in the past week or so, the semiconductor production line projects sprouted out like bamboo shoots across China one after another.
For example,it is rumoredthat the 12-inch wafer production lines of Runpeng Semiconductor, Tiancheng Advanced Semiconductor, Cansemi and Hua Hong Wuxi, fourproduction linesin total, have all been put intooperationrecently, and YDME announced that it plans toadditionally investRMB4.02bnto helpthe actual controller to build a 12-inch IC production line. In addition, thewafer production lines of SMIC and Guangzhou Zensemi (two in total, witheach holdingone) have also made new progress, and they focus on the production of power devices and logic IC products.
