Samsung, NXP, Kyocera, Zeiss Latest developments of semiconductor overseas manufacturers
Time:2023-04-08
Views:986
Source: Global Semiconductor Watch Author: Bamboo
Recently, there have been frequent developments in semiconductor overseas factories. Firstly, in terms of expanding production, Kyocera has invested $470 million to build a chip material factory in Japan, Zeiss SMT has expanded its DUV production capacity, and NXP has confirmed discussions with TSMC and Grid to build a factory in India. In addition, Japan plans to increase support for Rapidus, Samsung Electronics plans to develop the next generation of low-temperature solder, and has announced an extension of the licensing agreement with AMD.
1.Kyocera: plans to invest approximately $470 million to build a chip material factory in Japan
According to foreign media reports, Kyocera announced on Wednesday that it will invest 62 billion yen (approximately $470 million) to establish a new semiconductor related component factory. It is reported that the new factory will break ground and start construction later this year in Jianzao Market, Nagasaki, Japan. The funds will be used until March 2029.
Kyocera President Hideo Tanimoto said at a press conference in Nagasaki City, "We will occupy the advanced semiconductor component market, which will double in the medium to long term
According to public information, the project is expected to be completed by April 2026 and will begin operation in the following year. The factory will produce fine ceramic components for chip manufacturing machinery, as well as packaging materials for advanced semiconductors. It is expected that the factory‘s output value will reach 25 billion yen in the 2028 fiscal year. This will be the company‘s first domestic factory since opening its Ayabe factory in Kyoto Prefecture in 2005.
As semiconductor nodes shrink to a few nanometers in size, their production requires increasingly complex processes. This has led to a growing demand for ceramic components in lithography systems. Compared to metal components, ceramics have stronger resistance to thermal expansion and corrosion. It is reported that Kyocera‘s global share in a series of ceramic components has reached 70% -80%. So far, the company has responded to the expanding demand by expanding the production capacity of its flagship factories located in Kagoshima Prefecture, Kyushu Island and elsewhere.
It is reported that Kyocera plans to incur an overall capital expenditure of 900 billion yen over the three years ending in March 2026, which is approximately twice Kyocera‘s capital expenditure in the first three years. More than half of the capital expenditure will be used for semiconductor related businesses.
2 Samsung: Developing Next Generation Low Temperature Solder and Announcing Extension of Authorization Agreement with AMD
According to foreign media reports, Samsung Electronics has recently started developing low-temperature welding technology for next-generation high-tech packaging, with plans to complete the technology development and achieve mass production by 2025.
It is reported that solder is a material used to connect packaging substrates and semiconductor chip cores. Unlike traditional solder materials that require a temperature of 200 ° C or higher, using low-temperature solder can reduce packaging process costs and defect rates.
In addition, on April 6th, Samsung and AMD announced that their strategic intellectual property license agreement had been extended, and Samsung Electronics would continue to obtain AMD‘s Radeon graphics IP license.
Seogjun Lee, Executive Vice President of Samsung Application Processor (AP) Development, said, "Samsung has revolutionized mobile graphics with AMD, including our recent collaboration to introduce ray tracing functionality into mobile processors for the first time in the industry. Leveraging our technical expertise in designing ultra-low power solutions, we will continue to drive continuous innovation in the field of mobile graphics
As early as 2019, both parties signed the first agreement allowing AMD to license its customized graphics IP based on RDNA graphics architecture to Samsung for use in smartphones and other mobile devices. Since then, Samsung has been using AMD Radeon graphics solutions for its Exynos processors on its Galaxy smartphones.
According to Samsung‘s official financial report data, the company achieved an operating profit of 43.38 trillion won in 2022, a year-on-year decrease of 15.99%; Sales revenue reached 302.23 trillion won, an increase of 8.09% year-on-year; Net profit was 55.65 trillion won, an increase of 39.46% year-on-year. It is reported that Samsung will disclose its preliminary results for the March quarter this Friday. Faced with industry peers such as Micron, SK Hynix, and Armor all reducing production, Samsung has been insisting on expanding production and increasing capital. Currently, the semiconductor cycle is declining, and Samsung‘s profits continue to fall short of expectations. What measures will it take next?
3. Supply Shortfalls, ZEISS SMT Expands DUV Production Capacity
According to foreign media reports, Carl Zeiss Semiconductor Manufacturing Technology (hereinafter referred to as "Zeiss SMT"), which manufactures optical components for semiconductor lithography equipment, will begin building a new optical component factory at its factory in Wetzlar, Hesse, Germany to produce DUV (deep ultraviolet) lithography equipment. It is planned to be completed by 2025.
According to public information, Zeiss SMT is a subsidiary of Carl Zeiss, a leading German optical equipment manufacturer, mainly providing optical components, photomask systems, and process control solutions for semiconductor lithography equipment. It is reported that the optical components used by Dutch semiconductor exposure equipment manufacturer ASML are also provided by Zeiss SMT. Zeiss SMT stated, "More than 80% of microchips worldwide are manufactured using our optical components
It is reported that Zeiss SMT‘s Weitzlar factory has been manufacturing optical components for DUV lithography equipment for over 20 years. With the increasing demand for semiconductor manufacturing equipment, its existing manufacturing capacity has reached its limit, so Zeiss has to expand. It is reported that the total production area of the new Zeiss SMT factory will exceed 12000 square meters, creating an additional 150 job positions. The factory will manufacture and develop optical components for the latest DUV lithography equipment.
The company also announced on March 22, 2023 that it will expand its research and development base in Rosdorf, Hesse, Germany. It plans to invest over 20 million euros by the end of 2026. The center focuses on the research and development of nanostructures and systems for repairing photomask defects with nano precision.
4.Enzhipu Semiconductor is discussing with TSMC and Grid to build a factory in India
According to the Economic Times of India, NXP Semiconductor is discussing the establishment of a chip manufacturing plant in India with foundry partners such as TSMC and Globalfoundries. According to the report, Kurt Sievers, President and CEO of NXP, stated that he had told Indian Prime Minister Modi that he would "strongly recommend" India as a future location for NXP‘s outsourcing partners.
It is reported that Enzipu is expanding its research and development and chip design in India. It has factories in Noida, Bangalore, Hyderabad, and Pune, India, with a total of approximately 4000 engineers.
Currently, India has strong product manufacturing capabilities in fields such as automobiles, industry, and healthcare, and the country has been promoting the entry of chip manufacturing.
According to previous reports by Indian media, Ashwath Narayan, Minister of Information Technology, Electronics, and Skills Development in Karnataka, India, stated that if approved on time, ISMC Digital will invest $3 billion to build a wafer factory in Karnataka, which is expected to start construction within a few months.
The factory is the first chip manufacturing plant in India, and the original plan was to start construction as soon as February this year. Based on current trends, the plan seems to have been postponed.
5. Strive to develop advanced chips, and Japan plans to increase support for Rapidus
According to foreign media reports, Japan‘s Minister of Economy and Industry, Nishimura Yasumi, has promised to increase financial support for chip manufacturer Rapidus Corp as the company is committed to developing cutting-edge semiconductors, and the production of such components is crucial for Japan‘s excellent performance in artificial intelligence and autonomous driving.
According to public information, Rapidus is a joint venture jointly invested by 8 technology giants including Sony Group and NEC in Tokyo last year, with the goal of manufacturing cutting-edge 2-nanometer chips in Japan by 2025. Japan has previously stated that it will invest 70 billion yen (approximately 525 million US dollars) in Rapidus. This plan is coordinated by the Leading edge Semiconductor Technology Center (LSTC), and Japan will invest $34.7 billion in Rapidus through LSTC over the next 10 years.
At the end of February this year, it was reported that the president of Rapidus, Junichi Kochi, stated after meeting with Hokkaido Governor Naoko Suzuki that Rapidus has finalized the policy of building a factory in Hokkaido, with an expected candidate location being the industrial park in Chisui City, Hokkaido.
According to industry media reports, Rapidus is scheduled to build a 2 nanometer prototype production line in the first half of 2025, hoping to catch up with TSMC and other world-class semiconductor competitors who have started mass production of 2 nanometers by 2025.
However, to achieve the goal, approximately 7 trillion yen (approximately 54 billion US dollars) of funding is needed to begin mass production of advanced logic chips around 2027. Therefore, the Japanese government may invest more through LSTC to meet future demand.
However, some industry insiders doubt whether Rapidus can achieve 2-nanometer chip production in such a short period of time, as this technology is more advanced than the technology currently provided by leading companies such as Samsung Electronics and TSMC.
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