Source: Reuters

Taiwanese major chip supplier, TSMC forecasted an annual revenue growth of 10% in the global semiconductor industry, excluding memory chips.

“This is a new golden age of opportunity with AI,” said senior vice-president Cliff Hou, who was speaking at an event in Hsinchu, where the company is headquartered.

In April, TSMC lowered its outlook for the global semiconductor industry excluding memory to a growth rate of around 10% from a previous forecast of more than 10%. World Semiconductor Trade Statistics has forecast growth of 13.1% for the global semiconductor market in 2024.

TSMC has estimated second-quarter sales may rise as much as 30% as it rides a wave of demand for semiconductors used in artificial intelligence applications (AI). Nvidia forecasted its quarterly revenue above estimates and announced a stock split, lifting shares to a record-high territory and impressing investors who have tripled the chipmaker’s market value in the past year on AI optimism.

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Source: Reuters

Samsung, the South Korean manufacturer said it has appointed Young Hyun Jun effective immediately, shifting him from the role as Head of its Future Business Planning Unit. The move is likely aimed at catching up in the market for top-end chips used in artificial intelligence such as high bandwidth memory (HBM) chips, an area where Samsung has fallen behind rivals such as SK Hynix, analysts said.

“This is a preemptive measure to strengthen future competitiveness by renewing the atmosphere internally and externally,” Samsung said in a statement.

Samsung’s market share in DRAM chips used in tech devices reached 45.5% in Q4 2023, according to data provider TrendForce. It lags, however, in the niche but increasingly important HBM chips segment where SK Hynix controls more than 90% of the mainstream HBM3 market. HBM3 is a fourth-generation HBM standard currently the most used for AI chipsets like those made by industry leader Nvidia.

Jun, 63, led Samsung’s memory chip business from 2014 to 2017 after working on the development of DRAM and flash memory chips. He was also the CEO of battery arm Samsung SDI from 2017 to 2022, overseeing a U.S. electric vehicle battery joint venture with automaker Stellantis .

“We expect him to overcome the chip crisis with his management know-how he has accumulated,” Samsung said.

Kye Hyun Kyung, who led the semiconductor division since 2022, will swap into Jun’s prior role as Head of its Future Business Planning Unit. Replacing such a high-ranking position in the middle of the year is unusual given most personnel changes at Samsung typically take place in the beginning of the year, analysts said.

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Source: DIGITimes

Will ASML be affected with the geopolitical uncertainties in the future, given the world’s most advanced high-NA EUV machines is touted to be the ultimate weapon for a technological leapfrog for its customers. 

1. Dan Hutcheson, vice chair of TechInsights, who has covered ASML since the 1970s, when it was still a subsidiary of Philips, and Marc Hijink, the author of Focus – the ASML Way and a reporter at Dutch newspaper NRC, joined DIGITIMES Asia for an insightful talk to address these questions.

Navigating Geopolitical Uncertainties

Although ASML and other semiconductor equipment providers benefit from the demand driven by export controls imposed by the United States to China, geopolitics may have long-lasting implications on the industry as extra capacities and ecosystems are built.

Hutcheson and Hijink see ASML following their customers’ footsteps to decentralise their productions from the Western Pacific corridor to the United States and Europe. Still, the efficiency of its customers’ fab operations may be a concern.

“We’re in a new world where the utilization of the tools is lower,” said Hutcheson, “The problem is, if you can’t find the workers to run the tools or to repair them, keep them running, your wafer fab is useless.”

Hijink observed that Asia will remain an important center for chip production in the future despite the onshoring efforts of various countries and the talent shortage issue since South Korea and Taiwan remain an important part of ASML’s expansion.

ASML’s Monopoly Status Unlikely To Be Challenged

Yet, Hijink cautioned, “ASML’s biggest fear is that the current restrictions on Chinese technology might even stimulate it in the long term and create an even bigger problem.” He pointed out that the less China gets access to these Western lithography tools, the more the Chinese companies are inclined to build their own. “Even though they might not be able to compete with ASML and Nikon now, you see more room for growth and R&D money in the long term.”

Yet, Hutcheson believes no company can challenge ASML lithography monopoly without massive government subsidies.

“Five decades ago, I developed this maxim that the number of unsubsidised competitors a market can sustain is equal to 1/5 the total market size divided by the cost to develop a new generation of technology, and then you subtract 1.5 times that cost,” said Hutcheson. “To attract another competitor in the market, the risk bar must be low enough that there’s enough available R&D to support the development of at least 1.5 more tools than what exists in the market at that time.”

Over those five decades, that maximum is held across 100, or there have been more sub-markets of semiconductor equipment, and that explains the market consolidation of the market from more than 20 semiconductor equipment makers in the 1980s to just a handful right now for lithography, explained Hutcheson.

As a semiconductor industry veteran, Hutcheson witnessed how ASML survived over the past four decades of vicissitudes through better management and technological development. Hijink added that ASML survived because it out-invested in R&D during the low cycles despite being on the brink of bankruptcy several times and cleverly invited its customers TSMC, Intel, and Samsung to invest in it and co-develop the EUV machine.

By getting the investments, ASML managed to get the money to acquire Cymer, the light source company based in San Diego, and establish a strategic alliance with ZEISS, the German lens maker. Those key components and e-beam technology created ASML’s secret sauce of success that competitors cannot copy.

However, repeating such success is getting harder.

“No single company can afford to do it alone, as R&D becomes more and more expensive,” Hutcheson quoted John Chen of Nvidia, who was the first R&D president at TSMC, that,” IC no longer means integrated circuit going forward, IC means industry collaboration.”

Hutcheson estimates that the cost of developing a new EUV tool from scratch would require multiple trillions of dollars, which is equal to the Gross Domestic Product for some countries, and that’s assuming that one gets around all the IP barriers in place. “To some extent, it levels the geopolitical playing field. So maybe EUV should receive the Nobel Peace Prize because no country can attack any other country unless they have the EUV,” quipped Hutcheson.

Can High-NA Machines Help Technology Leapfrog?

As Intel, Samsung, and TSMC are aiming to mass produce 2nm chips in the next few years and advance towards 1.4-1.6 nm, the ASML’s high-NA EUVs are making the headlines of semiconductor industry newspapers.

As always, ASML ships the US$300 million High-NA machines to customers according to the timetable agreed with customers and does the laborious adjusting and error corrections with customers. The media has been describing high-NA EUVs as the key for technology catch-uppers to leapfrog the incumbent. However, Hutcheson delved deeply into the intricacies involved in the complex processes of semiconductor manufacturing beyond lithography.

“There’s a lot of technology issues in the 2nm and 1.4nm era. And we will have to see if they can pull it off and turn it into an advantage,” Hutcheson explained that lithography is not the only factor at stake, there are also issues with the gate-all-around (GAA) structures, due to the leakage problems with that. “There’s also reliability problems, and the epitaxial layer is pretty poor. So really, there are more material and systems engineering problems than lithography problems.”

Though Intel has seemingly bought up all available high-NA machines for the year, TSMC is not in a hurry to apply it to its 1.4-1.6nm process. However, ASML said all of their customers who have bought EUVs are going to upgrade to High-NA EUVs.

“I think that Intel has to do more, try to leapfrog TSMC, which is a daring move, but that’s just one part of Intel’s challenge,” said Hijink. “Their biggest challenge is not the technology, but the fact that they want to do foundry business because they have to create enough wafer footprint or enough scale to be economically viable with huge competitors like Samsung and TSMC. So that adds to the problem of adopting a new technology where they’re not as experienced.”

Hutcheson cautioned that it is too early to judge the outcome of technology competitions. Yet seeing from the history of the semiconductors industry, decades of research, blood, sweat, and tears, and fixing tonnes of errors, plus making the right decisions at the right timing and building deep trust with customers made ASML and TSMC what they are today.

ASML, a blend of European, Asian, and American cultures as the result of acquisitions, can be a great teacher for TSMC, which is just starting to expand its footprints to the US and Europe. With such a close bond between the two, with AI being the main driving force for semiconductor’s future growth, one can be sure there will not be short of fascinating stories in the future.

Editor’s note: For more insights and analysis from Hutcheson and Hijink on the industry, watch DIGITIMES Asia’s new GeoWatch video, ‘Decoding Excellence: ASML’s Evolution Towards Leadership and Beyond.’ Click the link here to access this informative video: https://dgt.ms/geowatch0516

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Semiconductor competition continues after Malaysia announced her mission to be Southeast Asia’s largest integrated circuit design park last April. Now, Vietnam joins the competition for the same crown, with the support from an American semiconductor titan – Marvell Technology Inc.

Marvell Technology, Inc., a titan in data infrastructure semiconductor solutions, accelerated the growth of its workforce and presence in Vietnam in the past year since the company announced plans to expand R&D, engineering and design activities in the country. Marvell committed to 50% growth of its workforce in Vietnam in three years, a target shared by the company during last year’s U.S.-Vietnam Innovation and Investment Summit attended by Marvell Chairman and CEO Matt Murphy. Today, Marvell is ahead of its plans, achieving more than 30% growth in just eight months.

Marvell has also expanded its physical footprint in Vietnam with a new location in Da Nang, adding to its offices in Ho Chi Minh City. The growth of its footprint demonstrates the company’s commitment to creating a world-class semiconductor design hub in the country.

“We are excited with the momentum we’ve gained since we announced our design center plans last year, including our progress in adding top engineering talent to our team and expanding our number of sites,” said Murphy. “Vietnam is rapidly becoming a center of semiconductor innovation and we are committed to being part of that.”

A new Marvell design center facility in Ho Chi Minh City, which is expected to open within the next year, and other Marvell engineering facilities in Vietnam are focused on high-speed data center optical connectivity, storage, and analogue and mixed-signal semiconductor technologies. These are critical to the build-out of accelerated infrastructure to meet the rising performance and power requirements of artificial intelligence (AI) and cloud data centers.

“Marvell has been part of the technology ecosystem in Vietnam for over ten years. The company is committed to attracting the best and brightest engineering talent to its semiconductor design center in Vietnam, and to contributing to the growth of the country’s semiconductor community,” said Dr. Loi Nguyen, Executive Vice President of Cloud Optics at Marvell and a native of Ho Chi Minh City.

Malaysia’s Economy Minister Rafizi Ramli said the government will offer incentives including subsidised office spaces, exemptions on employment passes, relocation services and lower corporate tax rates for foreign venture capital firms, tech entrepreneurs and unicorns – startups reaching a $1 billion valuation – looking to invest in Malaysia.

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Industry 4.0 showcased at Southeast Asia’s biggest event for the metalworking, machine tools, and automation industries opened with a prestigious ceremony graced by YBhg. Datuk Hanafi Sakri, Deputy Secretary General (Industry) of the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI). YBhg. Tan Sri Dato Sri Dr Hj Mohd Nasir Bin Mohd Ashraf, Organising Chairman, Informa Markets Malaysia, YBhg. Dato Dr Tan Chin Huat, Chairman of METALTECH & AUTOMEX, and Gerard Leeuwenburgh, Country General Manager of Informa Markets Malaysia, were also present. The ceremony highlighted the significance of METALTECH & AUTOMEX 2024 as a platform for growth and innovation in Malaysia’s manufacturing sector.

Datuk Hanafi delivered a keynote address about Malaysia’s manufacturing sector.

“We are witnessing impressive growth, with investments surging to RM152 billion, a remarkable 80.3% increase compared to the previous year,” he declared. He continued by emphasising the importance of METALTECH & AUTOMEX, saying, “These exhibitions play a crucial role in propelling Malaysia towards becoming a regional leader in smart manufacturing, advanced technologies, and high-tech industries.”

METALTECH & AUTOMEX 2024 boasts an unparalleled showcase, featuring over 1,500 brands and companies from 40 countries. With 18,000 trade buyers and visitors anticipated from 49 countries, the event is poised to be a dynamic hub for forging new partnerships and exploring the future of manufacturing.

Themed “Industry 4.0 Innovations: Powering Malaysia’s Manufacturing Future,” the event places a strong emphasis on the transformative potential of Industry 4.0. Visitors can delve into dedicated pavilions from industry leaders in Germany, South Korea, mainland China, Singapore, and Taiwan region, all showcasing groundbreaking solutions in automation, robotics, and digital manufacturing.

“This year’s METALTECH & AUTOMEX goes beyond just speed,” said Mr. Gerard Leeuwenburgh, Country General Manager of Informa Markets in Malaysia. “The theme highlights how Industry 4.0 advancements can optimise processes, drive efficiency, reduce costs, and promote sustainability. Businesses can discover eco-friendly technologies that minimise environmental impact, achieving a future where efficiency and sustainability go hand-in-hand.”

The manufacturing landscape is undergoing a revolution. AI, robotics, and the IoT are fundamentally reshaping how products are designed, produced, and delivered. METALTECH & AUTOMEX 2024 empowers businesses to stay ahead of the curve by providing a platform to explore these trends, connect with solutions providers, and gain valuable insights from industry experts.

“METALTECH & AUTOMEX 2024 isn’t just an exhibition; it’s a game-changer for Malaysian manufacturers. By showcasing the latest Industry 4.0 advancements – from automation to AI-powered solutions – the event serves as a vital launchpad for progress. These innovations hold the key to greater efficiency, enhanced sustainability, and a stronger position in the global marketplace,” emphasised Dato Dr Tan Chin Huat, Chairman of METALTECH & AUTOMEX.

In addition to the exhibition, METALTECH & AUTOMEX 2024 featured a comprehensive program of industry-leading seminars, offering valuable insights and knowledge-sharing opportunities for manufacturers and professionals navigating the evolving industrial landscape.

Following the opening ceremony, Guest of Honour, YBhg. Datuk Hanafi Sakri, along with Chairman Dato Dr Tan Chin Huat and Country General Manager Gerard Leeuwenburgh, embarked on a tour of the exhibition floor. This high-profile visit presents a golden opportunity for exhibitors. It allows them to directly showcase their cutting-edge technologies and solutions to key decision-makers, potentially leading to valuable partnerships and business deals.

METALTECH & AUTOMEX 2024 is a global stage for industry giants to showcase their latest cutting-edge technologies for the first time. From pioneering advancements in automation and robotics to revolutionary solutions in digital manufacturing, this event offers a glimpse into the future of the industry.

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“Semiconductors are about chip design; that’s microelectronics. We need strong microelectronics education to compete in the global semiconductor market… In the future, it is important for us to direct human resources toward the Golden Indonesia vision.” he stated after an economic seminar in Jakarta.

Hartarto said that, in the short term, vocational education in the country needs to be improved to produce human resources (HR) who are competent in the field of semiconductors. According to him, vocational schools are well-positioned to produce a highly technical workforce for chip production.

The government has also sought to improve vocational education by issuing regulations in the form of super tax deductions, he added. According to Government Regulation (PP) Number 45 of 2019, the super deduction tax is a tax incentive provided by the government to industries involved in vocational education programs, including research and development activities to produce innovations.

“It has been made easier because there were concerns from corporations regarding audits and others. The Minister of Finance also made the process easier, and it is hoped that it will start to be utilized,” Hartarto said.

He also said that to achieve the Golden Indonesia 2045 vision, Indonesia must continue structural transformation, increase human resources, and develop new engines of growth.

“Especially, the additional engine of growth is in the digitalization sector because Indonesia already has a digital economy framework agreement in ASEAN,” he added.

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Source: The Nation Thailand

The event highlighted the kingdom’s suitability as manufacturing base under modern global trends. Thai trade delegates led by Deputy PM and Commerce Minister Phumtham Wechayachai met with executives of Keidanren, led by Suzuki Jun, chair of Japan-Thailand Trade and Economic Committee at Imperial Hotel in Tokyo.

During the meeting, Phumtham underscored Japan was Thailand’s third-largest trade partner last year, while accumulated investment amount from Japanese corporations made up for 25% of the kingdom’s total foreign investment, more than any other country.

He invited Japanese business leaders to invest in Thailand as well as visit the country to witness its potential. The Thai government has facilitated this by exempting visa requirements for Japanese visiting Thailand for up to 30 days since 1 January 2024, he added.

Phumtham said Thailand possesses readiness to be a manufacturing and exporting bases for various industries, adding that the government has prepared and promoted Thai entrepreneurs for new global trends that focus on green business, sustainable manufacturing, low-carbon emission and the use of renewable energy.

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Vietnam Express reported Audi prefers to participate in more exclusive and luxurious events, Ferry Enders, its CEO for Vietnam, said at the launch of a new showroom in HCMC’s District 7 in March 2024. Lexus expressed it has different business strategies every year, and this year they include not participating in the event. Mercedes has not explained its absence.

Other major brands to not participate are Mini, Kia, Mazda, and Peugeot, all manufactured and distributed in Vietnam by Thaco. VinFast, Nissan and Jeep have also opted out. 

11 companies have confirmed their participation: Ford, GAC, Honda, Isuzu, Mitsubishi, Skoda, Subaru, Suzuki, Toyota, Volkswagen and Volvo. Surprisingly, three motorbike brands, Honda, SYM and Yamaha will also take part.

Last year the Vietnam Motor Show was cancelled due to falling demand for cars in the country. The annual event is usually organised in October to boost sales during the year-end season.

Auto brands have been introducing new models at lower prices than their predecessors to boost demand. South Korea’s Hyundai launched the 2024 MPV Stargazer at prices starting at VND489 million (US$19,210), down 15% from the previous 2022 model.

However, it boasts more advanced technology with wireless charging for smartphones, electronic brakes, forward collision waring, and lane assist. Toyota announced a 4.6% cut in the prices of its 2024 Corolla Cross SUV to VD820 million (US$32,200). It has received many new upgrades in technology and safety systems including a larger entertainment monitor and reverse brake assist.

Germany’s Volkswagen is selling its special edition of the SUV Teramont starting at VND2.5 billion (US$98,200), down 12% from the 2021 version. Mazda, assembled in Vietnam by Thaco, is selling its CX-5 at VND749 million (US$29,400), down 10% from the previous model.

“The key is to claim more market share. Amid a slow market, customers prefer affordable products. Prices determine the number of buyers,”  the manager of a Japanese auto dealership in HCMC said to explain why prices are being lowered.

Other industry insiders said by lowering prices companies are able to reduce their inventories, thus cutting storage costs. Higher sales also mean they are able to pay their bank loans faster. Last year auto sales plummeted by 25% to 369,400 units with most brands suffering double-digit declines. In Q1 2024, the Vietnam Automobile Manufacturers Association posted a decline of 18% to 58,200 units.

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Aptiv was a former partner in Motional with Hyundai, Motional is a joint venture between Aptiv and Hyundai Motor Company, which uses the IONIQ 5 electric car as its robotaxi. The EV is used in Las Vegas through Uber and Lyft.

“While our Motional joint venture continues to make progress on their technology road map, we’ve decided to no longer allocate capital to it,” Aptiv CEO Kevin Clark said during the earnings call.

Aptiv’s 2024 profit forecast of US$5.55 to US$6.05 per share includes a non-cash equity loss of about US$340 million, or US$1.20 of earnings per share, related to Motional’s losses. South Korean automaker Hyundai Motor Group agreed to pump nearly US$1 billion into self-driving company Motional.

The Hyundai Group’s new investment will see it acquire 11% of Motional’s common equity held by Aptiv for US$448 million. The funds will come from different firms across the Hyundai brand, including Kia and Hyundai Mobis (parts supplier).

In a statement to The Korean Economic Daily, the group will also fund Motional with an additional US$475 million, with the investment again split between Hyundai, Kia and Hyundai Mobis. 

“Hyundai Motor Group decided to obtain stable management rights in Motional to proactively develop autonomous driving technology and internalise core technology… Hyundai Motor Group decided to obtain stable management rights in Motional to proactively develop autonomous driving technology and internalise core technology.” it read.

Aptiv joins Ford Motor, Volkswagen and General Motors in cutting down or backing out of the technology, which is often touted as the future of mobility. Reuters heard from Evangelos Simoudis, an investor, author and corporate adviser, who said:

“Companies are realising that attaining level 4 of autonomous driving is way more difficult and expensive than the industry predicted.”

Level 4 autonomous driving refers to the vehicle moving automatically in longitudinal and lateral axes and the driver does not have to keep their eyes on the road or supervise the vehicle. Last October, GM got into trouble after an accident involving a pedestrian with its robotaxi. It resulted in General Motors’ Cruise recalling 950 driverless cars from the roads across the United States and slapped with federal investigations.

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The world woke up to a shocking move by Elon Musk who is now struggling with declining sales in his electric vehicles (EV) plus reputational damages from his self-driving vehicles that crashed. He has reportedly axed the whole department that developed his biggest cash cow – Tesla’s Superchargers.

A Shocking Move

Tesla has over 50,000 Superchargers worldwide, making the brand the the world’s largest fast-charging network for electric vehicles. Rival automakers including Mercedes, Honda, BMW and Hyundai-Kia set-up a joint venture to build a rival fast-charging network.

Tesla’s network of chargers is widely seen as industry leading, and recently it cut deals with several rival car-makers in North America to adopt its “NACS” charging standard so that their vehicles could use the network. William Jameson, strategic charging programs lead at Tesla, posted on X that Mr Musk had “let our entire charging org go”. “What a wild ride it has been”, Jameson wrote. Also writing on X, Musk said the company still planned to grow the Supercharger network, “just at a slower pace for new locations.”

Yet Brilliant For Business

Fred Lambert, editor-in-chief of electric vehicle news website Electrek, posted on social media he was “extremely perplexed” by the move. 

“If one thing was a clear success at Tesla, it’s the Supercharger network. Even from a talent perspective. No other charging team in the world has been able to do what Tesla did,” he wrote. 

The quality and reach of the Supercharger network has long been a huge advantage for Tesla, James Attwood, acting magazine editor of Autocar, told the BBC. It was “a key selling point for potential buyers” he added.

“But with regulators in both Europe and the US pushing the firm to open the Supercharger network to owners of other electric vehicles, it will offer less of an advantage in the future.”

For Musk, who has established the standards for EV charging, such a cut is probably minute to him — akin to a small sacrifice compared to more losses if Tesla continues to lose its charm to other affordable rivals. The biggest blow would be Tesla being compelled to open up his charging network to other EVs, and why would he? It was his funding that materialised this network which reached “industry-leading” status.

It is as good as Musk doing all the work and others enjoying the fruits without dropping a dime. Even if the rival supercharging network is rolled out, it would likely be nowhere near Tesla’s. Essentially, Musk is daring the others to try and match what he did, and snidely taunting if they could even do it like he could. It would be an interesting chapter in EV history.

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The post Tesla Fired Its Supercharger Division – A Shocking Yet Brilliant Move appeared first on Asia Pacific Metalworking Equipment News | Manufacturing | Automation | Quality Control.