Semiconductors

Russia and Ukraine are major suppliers of industrial gases used in chipmaking. (Source photos by Reuters and TSMC)
Semiconductors

Ukraine conflict puts chipmakers on alert over supply of key gases

TSMC, UMC and SK Hynix among those reviewing stockpiles and sources

25 February 2022
Next-gen power chips are seen as crucial to renewable energy drives.
Semiconductors

Toshiba, Rohm pursue power chip tech to cut energy loss in half

Denso also part of Japan's public-private effort to develop products by 2030

25 February 2022
Taiwanese chipmaker UMC is expanding its production capacity in Singapore to serve existing clients.  
Semiconductors

Taiwan's UMC to build $5bn chip plant in Singapore

Plan comes as industry rushes to expand production amid supply crunch

24 February 2022
Intel of the U.S. is ramping up its foundry business as it aims to take on Asia's contract chipmaking giants. (Source photos by Reuters)
Semiconductors

Intel bets on auto chips in foundry race with TSMC, Samsung

U.S. tech giant forecasts lower revenue, negative free cash flow in 2022

18 February 2022
(Photo courtesy of National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University) 
Business Spotlight

Chip talent war: Taiwan faces critical staffing shortage

Semiconductor giants hike salaries to lure island's dwindling number of graduates

18 February 2022
Taiwan has accused Chinese companies of "infiltrating" the island's chip supply chain, a cornerstone of its economy.  
Semiconductors

Taiwan takes aim at China with draft laws on chip sector espionage

'Economic espionage' would carry up to 12-year prison sentence

17 February 2022
Zhao Weiguo appears in a photo several years ago when Tsinghua Unigroup was at its peak as one of the nation's leading chipmakers.
Semiconductors

Tsinghua Unigroup chairman out as chief of mobile chip unit

Zhao Weiguo replaced as former Chinese semiconductor champion restructures

16 February 2022
Tower specializes in analog chips used in cars, medical sensors, power management and other applications.
Semiconductors

Intel to buy Israel's Tower Semiconductor for $5.4bn

Deal gives U.S. giant a stronger foothold in specialty chips

16 February 2022
Auto parts maker Denso is expected to contribute tens of billions of yen to the construction of TSMC's new plant in Kumamoto Prefecture in Japan. (Source photos by Kai Fujii, Reuters and Kyodo) 
Semiconductors

TSMC lifts Japan chip plant investment, with Denso following Sony

Additional funding will help pay for 12-to-16-nm semiconductor line

15 February 2022
TSMC's construction delay in Arizona does not necessarily mean the schedule for mass production will be delayed, as the company intentionally gave itself a buffer, sources with knowledge of the matter said. 
Semiconductors

Construction of TSMC's U.S. chip plant delayed by labor crunch, COVID

Taiwan chip titan faces fight for workers as Intel also builds in Arizona

15 February 2022
Taiwan's Foxconn and Vedanta of India have agreed to jointly build a chip company in the latter's home market to help meet local demand. (Source photos by Getty Images and courtesy of Vedanta) 
Semiconductors

Foxconn to build chip plant in India with local metals company

The joint venture supports Modi's plan for a domestic semiconductor ecosystem

14 February 2022
A NXP Semiconductors facility in Arizona: Chipmakers are responding to boost supplies, with wafer shipments increasing 14% in 2021.
Semiconductors

Chip backlogs stretch to 2 years, vexing Sony and electronics makers

Shipment delays cut into production of digital cameras, air conditioners

13 February 2022
Mitsubishi Gas Chemical is the leader in the global market for superpure hydrogen peroxide, with a share of about 50%.
Materials

Mitsubishi Gas Chemical to build chip cleaning agent fab in China

Global demand for semiconductors grows for 5G networks

12 February 2022
China's SMIC says its diverse client base and product offerings will help shield it from gluts in specific chip categories.
Semiconductors

China's SMIC says domestic chip demand to offset oversupply risk

National tech champion posted record 2021 earnings, expects robust 2022

11 February 2022
SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son speaks during a news conference in Tokyo on Feb. 8. (Photo courtesy of SBG)
Business Spotlight

Collapse of Nvidia deal costs SoftBank an Arm and a leg

IPO could value chip designer at half what Masayoshi Son expected from sale, analysts say

11 February 2022
Demand for automotive chips will be strong in 2022, as auto production is expected to bounce back from supply constraints last year.
Semiconductors

Renesas sees 'solid growth' in 2022, led by automotive chips

Profit triples last year, due to stockpiling demand amid semiconductor shortage

9 February 2022
SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son aims to take Arm public in "the largest IPO in semiconductor history," after a planned sale to Nvidia collapsed due to regulatory concerns. (Photo courtesy of SBG)
Business deals

SoftBank's Son aims for 'biggest ever' chip IPO with Arm

Technology investor posts 98% profit decline as valuations in sector fall

8 February 2022
Taiwan's GlobalWafers says cross-border acquisitions could become more difficult as governments grow more cautious over such deals. (Photo courtesy of GlobalWafers)
Semiconductors

GlobalWafers plans $3.6bn expansion after Siltronic bid fails

Taiwanese wafer maker activates Plan B as it foresees healthy chip demand

7 February 2022
Workers in a semiconductor factory in South Korea, where chips are considered a pillar of the economy and accounted for about 20% of total exports in 2021.
Semiconductors

South Korea to track travel by chip engineers as tech leaks grow

New defenses against Chinese headhunting also cover batteries, OLEDs and more

5 February 2022
Toshiba's new fabrication facility will be built on the grounds of a chipmaking subsidiary in Ishikawa Prefecture. (Image courtesy of Toshiba Electronic Devices & Storage)
Semiconductors

Toshiba to double power chip production with new plant in Japan

$870m fab set to debut by 2025 as part of broader capacity boost

4 February 2022
German's economy ministry says it did not have enough time to complete its investment review of GlobalWafers' bid for wafer-making peer Siltronic. 
Semiconductors

Taiwan's GlobalWafers fails in bid to buy German peer Siltronic

Wafer maker to pay $56m termination fee after regulatory hurdle blocks deal

1 February 2022
Sixth-generation communications is expected to be widely adopted around 2030. (Photo by Mizuho Miyazaki)
Semiconductors

Japan to partner with U.S. on 6G standards for unmanned tech

Cross-border business alliance to compete against Chinese rivals

29 January 2022
(Screenshots from GlobalWafers and Siltronic websites)
Semiconductors

Clock ticks as GlobalWafers awaits German acquisition approval

Taiwanese chipmaker's bid for peer Siltronic faces Jan. 31 deadline

28 January 2022
Micron Technology is closing its Shanghai research center, saying its future investment priorities are in the U.S.
Caixin

Micron to shut down DRAM chip design team in Shanghai

Move comes after poaching of engineers sparks technology leak concerns

27 January 2022
A worker checks a wafer chip at a plant in Singapore. The head of the city-state's investment board expressed optimism for the local industry's prospects on Jan. 26.
Semiconductors

Singapore investment inflows show U.S. chip hunger amid overall dip

America's portion grows as China's shrinks; annual total falls to SG$11.8bn

26 January 2022