Hanmi Semiconductor wins an additional 150 billion won order for HBM process equipment from SK Hynix
Hanmi Semiconductor announced on the 7th that it had received an order worth 150 billion won for high-bandwidth memory (HBM) process equipment from SK Hynix. HBM is an essential memory for artificial intelligence (AI) semiconductors.
With this order, Hanmi Semiconductor will supply ‘Dual TC Bonder Griffin’, which creates HBM by joining DRAM top and bottom, to SK Hynix. The Dual TC Bonder for HBM received orders from SK Hynix alone, reaching KRW 101.2 billion in the second half of last year, KRW 107.6 billion this year, and KRW 150 billion this year, for a total cumulative order amount of KRW 358.7 billion. It broke Changsha’s largest order volume for a single customer at the time.
Samsung Electronics Jeon Sam-no’s first annual struggle… There were no disruptions in semiconductor production
Samsung Electronics’ largest labor union, the National Samsung Electronics Union (Jeonsamno), launched a collective annual leave struggle on the 7th. This is Samsung Electronics’ first strike in its 55 years of existence. The union encouraged annual leave in celebration of Sandwich Day, but not many employees participated, and there were no disruptions to production or management activities.
The vacation rate on this day was actually lower than the vacation rate on June 5th, which was the stepping stone holiday last year, and strike participation was also found to be low. Most of the Jeonsamno union members are employees of the DS (semiconductor) sector, numbering approximately 28,000. This is 22% of Samsung Electronics’ total employees (approximately 125,000 people).
Power semiconductor specialized complex ‘priming water’ IQ Lab, ‘first shovel’ to Busan
IQ Lab Co., Ltd., a power semiconductor investment attraction company, held a headquarters relocation and new factory construction ceremony. With the establishment of Korea’s first 8-inch silicon carbide (SiC) power semiconductor production plant, the construction of the Busan power semiconductor specialized complex is expected to begin in earnest.
On the 5th, Busan City held a groundbreaking ceremony for IQ Lab, an investment attraction company, at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and the Southeast Radiological Science Industrial Complex in Gijang-gun, Busan.
IQ Lab is a silicon carbide (SiC) power semiconductor design and technology development company established in 2018, and is a rapidly growing company with sales increasing 20 times over the past three years.
No-code design solution Itda Semiconductor selected as ‘DIPS’ by the Ministry of SMEs and Startups
Itda Semiconductor, which develops semiconductor intellectual property rights (IP) and design solutions, announced on the 7th that it was selected for the ‘2024 Super Gap Startup Promotion Project’ (DIPS 1000+) hosted by the Ministry of SMEs and Startups.
Itda Semiconductor was selected as a super-gap startup in the ‘system semiconductor’ field. Itda Semiconductor solves the system-on-chip (SOC (single chip that implements multiple systems) design), which previously required tens of thousands of lines of coding, with a no-code solution. Semiconductor design time and chip power consumption can be reduced.
In addition, it connects digital design technology and software technology to support design through a simple GUI (Graphic User Interface).
VIS invests KRW 10.7 trillion to build a semiconductor factory in Singapore
According to Bloomberg News on the 6th (local time), Taiwan’s Vanguard International Semiconductor Group (VIS), a TSMC affiliate, and NXP, a Dutch semiconductor company, established a joint venture in Singapore and invested $7.8 billion (approximately KRW 10.7 trillion) to produce semiconductor wafers ( A manufacturing plant (silicon plate for semiconductor manufacturing) will be built.
VIS invested $2.4 billion (approximately KRW 3.3 trillion) and NXP invested $1.6 billion (approximately KRW 2.2 trillion), holding 60% and 40% of the shares, respectively, with VIS taking charge of management. After commencing construction in the second half of this year, the joint venture will begin production in 2027 and set a goal of producing 55,000 12-inch wafers per month in 2029. The wafers produced here will be supplied to both companies and used to produce old semiconductors for vehicles, home appliances, and industrial sites.
Qualitas Semiconductor develops the first 5-nano process IP solution
Qualitas Semiconductor announced on the 5th that it has developed a MIPI C-PHY TX/RX IP solution that can be used in autonomous driving and AI chip design in the 5 nanometer (nm) process.
This solution complies with the MIPI C-PHY standard specification V2.1 and supports speeds of up to 8Gsps. The development of C-PHY that complies with standard specification V2.1 is a global first.
As electric vehicles and autonomous driving systems become a new trend in the industry, the importance of software and semiconductor design for them is increasing. Qualitas Semiconductor’s IP solution is an advanced technology that can be used in the field of high-performance AI chips and autonomous driving chips, and is a solution that can meet the increasing demand for automotive semiconductor components.
Intel sells 49% stake in Irish plant, secures KRW 15 trillion
U.S. semiconductor company Intel attracted approximately 15 trillion won worth of investment on the condition that it sell 49% of its shares in its Irish plant.
According to Bloomberg News on the 4th (local time), Intel decided to sell a 49% stake in the company that will manage ‘Fab 34’, a chip manufacturing plant in Leikslip, Ireland, to Apollo Global Management for $11 billion (about 15 trillion won). With this transaction, a joint venture between Intel and Apollo will own the facility. The Fab 34 factory is a mass production facility for the Intel 4 manufacturing process using extreme ultraviolet lithography equipment. Intel has so far invested $18.4 billion (approximately 25.3 trillion won) in this facility.
Global electric vehicle deliveries increase by 20%… China’s market share is close to 60
According to SNE Research, an energy market research firm, on the 7th, total sales of electric vehicles (including plug-in hybrid vehicles) registered in 80 countries around the world from January to April this year were 4.28 million units, an increase of 20.3% compared to the same period last year.
By region, 2.505 million units were sold in the Chinese market from January to April, up 28.6% from the same period last year. China maintained its position as the world’s largest electric vehicle market, recording a 58.5% share of the global market.
Unlike early last year, when sales plummeted due to the subsidy suspension issue, SNE Research analyzes that the popularization of electric vehicles is in full swing due to increased sales of light-duty electric vehicles with price competitiveness and the launch of sub-brands by major automakers. SNE Research added that there is also the influence of high subsidies for electric vehicles in accordance with the Chinese government’s policy of supporting replacement of automobiles and home appliances, ‘Replace the New’.
EU to impose tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles on the 4th of next month
The Hong Kong South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported on the 5th, citing an EU official, that the European Union (EU) Commission plans to impose provisional tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles from the 4th of next month.
SCMP said, “The China Automobile Association and business leaders met with the Commission’s trade department in Brussels on the 3rd for a hearing on the EU’s investigation into China’s electric vehicle subsidies. At the hearing, companies were told that provisional tariffs are expected to be imposed on July 4th. “He explained. The tax rate, which is not yet known, is expected to be notified privately to companies next week.
L&F enters the waste battery business following cathode materials
L&F announced on the 4th that it would enter the waste battery recycling business through its subsidiary JH Chemical Industry. This is due to the growing importance of waste battery recycling technology as the European Union (EU) implements the ‘Critical Raw Materials Act (CRMA)’, which enforces the proportion of recycling in battery manufacturing.
JH Chemical Industries plans to first start the waste battery pre-processing business and then expand its scope to the post-processing field. The most important things in the waste battery pretreatment process are the purity of the black mass (powder made by recovering and pulverizing scraps, etc.) and the speed of the process. An official from JH Chemical Industry explained, “With our self-developed technology, we have secured a waste battery processing capacity that is three times that of the industry average.”
ST Youngone launches secondary battery separator production equipment combining in-line coating process
ST Youngone, a secondary battery separator manufacturing company, announced on the 2nd that it has developed and launched the world’s first new facility that combines an in-line coating process with an ultra-wide wet production line for lithium-ion battery separators.
This facility is expected to attract attention from related industries as it dramatically increases the production efficiency of separation membranes and enables uniform quality control.
The newly developed facility ‘UFLOW 85’ was based on the existing secondary battery separator production facility ‘DURONIC 8300’ model. In the coating process of existing secondary battery production facilities, wet separators were produced and then coated on three or more separate coating lines per line. After producing a separator, it is slitted to a certain width and a reinforced membrane is coated in a separate process.
Ecopro signs MOU with Hyundai Glovis on waste battery recycling
Ecopro announced on the 3rd that it signed a business agreement (MOU) with Hyundai Glovis on the 30th of last month for ‘forward and backward business of recycling electric vehicle (EV) batteries (waste batteries) and manufacturing logistics automation solution business’.
EcoPro CNG, a member of the EcoPro family, recovers valuable metals through pre- and post-processing processes of waste and scrap batteries. Waste battery recycling is divided into pre-processing and post-processing. Pre-treatment is a process of physically discharging the remaining power in the waste battery, dismantling it, removing impurities, and making black powder. In post-processing, black powder is dissolved in sulfuric acid to directly extract valuable metals.
Seongil Hitech’s 3rd factory for ‘waste battery recycling’ completed… Stable supply of secondary battery raw materials
Seongil Hi-Tek, Korea’s leading waste battery recycling company, has established its third factory in Saemangeum, laying the foundation for becoming a multinational company. There is an assessment that an advanced base has been established for the stable production of secondary battery raw materials.
On the 4th, the completion ceremony for the 3rd Saemangeum factory of Seongil Hitech and S-Materials was held in Zone 2 of the Saemangeum National Industrial Complex. The recently completed third factory (Hydro Center) produces high-purity battery materials such as nickel, cobalt, and lithium using powdered black mass made by separating and crushing scrap and waste batteries generated during battery production.
9 Chinese companies, including BYD, approved for the first time in the country for level 3 and 4 autonomous driving tests
Chinese authorities approved road autonomous driving level 3 and 4 tests by nine Chinese companies, including BYD.
According to the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) on the 5th (local time), four ministries, including China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, jointly announced the day before that they had selected nine companies that could test autonomous driving technology on specific roads in China. The list included BYD, Nio, and Changan Motors. There were no foreign car companies.
These companies can test autonomous driving functions on roads designated for each company in seven cities, including Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen.
Autonomous driving simulation ‘Morai’ enters Europe through German subsidiary
Morai, a company specializing in autonomous driving simulation, recently established a German corporation and began entering the ‘Europe, Middle East, and Africa’ (EMEA) market.
Morai has supplied autonomous driving simulation and digital twin solutions to over 120 companies, research institutes, and universities, including Hyundai Motor Group, Samsung Heavy Industries, and Samsung Engineering. Based on this growth in the domestic market, we are strengthening our business in the US, Europe, and the Middle East. We recently opened a German subsidiary and appointed Thomas Guntschnig as branch manager.
Branch Manager Thomas Gunchnik is an expert in the fields of ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems), autonomous driving, simulation, and virtual verification.
China’s Baidu shows ‘driving route + traffic lights’ in 3D
China’s Baidu has released a new version of the map that shows the vehicle’s lane driving route and counts down traffic lights in 3D.
On the 3rd, China’s Baidu unveiled a new map version ‘V20’ and announced that it would be installed in Tesla vehicles. This map will be used not only in Tesla vehicles but also in Huawei’s smart cockpit. Baidu predicted that it would become a standard feature applied to approximately 300 million vehicles.
The biggest feature is the visual upgrade from 2D to 3D, and Baidu explains that the new UI makes it more suitable for Tesla.
Daedong collaborates with Seoul National University Graduate School to develop AI robots
Daedong, an agricultural platform company, announced on the 5th that it signed a business agreement with Seoul National University’s Graduate School of Data Science for joint development of AI-based agricultural and industrial robots.
The Data Science Graduate School was established in 2020 and is training global AI experts through multidisciplinary research and data science education such as AI algorithms, big data, and computing. We are focusing on implementing commercialized AI technology through close cooperation with industry.
Daedong plans to jointly develop robot technology and products with the Data Science Graduate School, centered around Daedong AI Lab, an AI robot software company established last month.
Samsung Electronics Service expands repair of individual foldable phone displays
Samsung Electronics Service will expand ‘Foldable phone display unit repair’ starting from the 3rd.
‘Single display repair’ is an eco-friendly repair method that disassembles display components, borders, cases, etc. and replaces only the necessary parts. Because the parts attached to the display must be disassembled individually, advanced professional equipment and high-level technical capabilities of engineers are required.
Single display repairs maintain as many usable parts as possible and minimize parts replacement, which has the effect of reducing e-waste emissions and helping customers save on repair costs.
Eevee Advanced Materials supplies transparent displays to Gwangju’s ‘Eupseong of Light’
Eevee Advanced Materials announced on the 5th that it had supplied transparent displays to the ‘Eupseong Fortress of Light’, the 5th gate of Gwangju Eupseong Fortress.
According to the company, the Town of Light is a space implemented through media art using the ‘light’ of culture and art, Gwangju Town, a historical resource owned by the original downtown. It was created as a body-shaped sculpture with a total project cost of 4.5 billion won. It has a total length of 94.4m, a maximum height of 7.29m, and a maximum width of 5.9m. The upper part is composed of the ‘Fifth Light’, ‘Castle of Light’, ‘Dapseong Bridge’, and ‘Castle Cloud’.
Eevee Advanced Materials installed Korea’s largest transparent LED display with a total length of about 100m on three sides in the ‘5th Light’ and ‘Castle of Light’ sections. Under the theme of the history of Gwangju-eupseong, the works of media artists including Lee Lee-nam, a world-renowned media artist representing Gwangju, were presented.
LG Display implements voluntary retirement at Gumi plant… Reassignment of personnel
It has been confirmed that LG Display will close its Gumi M3 (module) production line by the end of August. Accordingly, about 700 Gumi workers are scheduled to be relocated to the Paju plant and other locations, and at the same time, voluntary retirement applications are scheduled to be accepted.
According to the Gumi business community on the 4th, LG Display will close the Gumi M3 production line at the end of August to advance its OLED-centered business structure and secure manufacturing competitiveness. M3 produces modules for laptop LCDs and has about 700 employees.
In addition, in consultation with the union, the company plans to implement voluntary retirement for technical employees over 30 years of age and with more than 5 years of service. It is known that voluntary retirees will be paid a fixed salary of 45 months and tuition for their children.