Femtron Supplies Additional Socam2 Inspection Equipment to Micron
Femtron, a semiconductor inspection equipment manufacturer, announced on the 10th that it recently secured an additional order from Micron for inspection equipment for SOCAMM memory modules used in artificial intelligence (AI) servers. It will also supply semiconductor packaging inspection equipment to Chinese semiconductor companies.
Femtron announced last month that it had “passed Micron’s SoCAM2 inspection equipment quality evaluation and secured additional orders.”
TSMC Faces Patent Infringement Lawsuit in U.S.… Preliminary Ruling Expected This Month
US media outlet Axios reported on the 10th (local time) that Irish companies Longitude Licensing and Marlin Semiconductor have filed a lawsuit with the US International Trade Commission (ITC), and that an administrative law judge is expected to issue a preliminary ruling this month, with the ITC expected to make a final decision around October.
The plaintiffs are affiliates of IP Value Management, a company owned by the U.S. private equity firm Vector Capital, and they claim that chips manufactured using TSMC’s state-of-the-art process infringe on their patent rights.
Marlin Semiconductor acquired some of the patents from Taiwan’s UMC, a competitor of TSMC, in 2021.
Intel to Make Google Chips Too… Stock Surges 11%
IT media outlet The Information reported on the same day, citing multiple sources, that Google plans to produce more than 3 million Tensor Processing Units (TPUs) at Intel factories by 2028.
According to reports, as Taiwanese semiconductor company TSMC is unable to meet surging demand due to a shortage of production capacity, Intel is reportedly securing new orders from major companies including Google.
Following this news, Intel’s stock price surged 11% at the close of trading on the New York Stock Exchange. Intel’s stock price has risen nearly threefold this year.
Seongho Electronics Acquires Semiconductor Equipment Manufacturer Intimax
On the 12th, Seungho Electronics announced that it had signed a contract the previous day to acquire a 90% stake in Intimax for 64 billion won. By adding to its existing 10% stake in Intimax, the company has secured a 100% stake.
Seongho Electronics plans to seek synergy with its subsidiary ADS Tech, which it acquired for 280 billion won last December, through Intimax. Intimax is a company that manufactures handler equipment used in the semiconductor inspection process, which automatically picks up chips, places them into inspection equipment, and classifies good and defective products based on the results. All three major global memory semiconductor companies—Samsung Electronics, SK Hynix, and Micron—use this company’s equipment.
Amkor Also Expands by 1 Trillion Won… ‘Semiconductor Money’ Floods Gwangju
According to Gwangju City and political circles on the 10th, Amkor Technology Korea, a major semiconductor back-end processing company located in Gwangju’s Advanced Technology District, plans to invest 1.009 trillion won by 2035 to expand its factory.
Amkor’s decision to expand its factory is reportedly due to a recent surge in semiconductor packaging orders received from TSMC, the world’s largest foundry (semiconductor contract manufacturing) company in Taiwan.
Japanese semiconductor company Kioxia overtakes Toyota to become Japan’s largest by market capitalization
According to the Nikkei on the 12th, Kioxia Holdings’ stock price surged 8% on the Tokyo stock market compared to the previous day, pushing its market capitalization past 44 trillion yen (approximately 417.5424 trillion won).
This is attributed to the strong performance of semiconductor stocks in the U.S. market the previous day. According to market forecasts, consolidated operating profit (International Financial Reporting Standards – IFRS) as of March 2027 is expected to reach approximately 7 trillion yen (about 66.44 trillion won), eight times higher than the previous period. This significantly exceeds Toyota’s own projected figure of 3 trillion yen (about 28.4733 trillion won).
Hanmi Semiconductor Decides to Acquire SpaceX Stock Worth 50 Billion Won
Hanmi Semiconductor announced on the 12th that it plans to acquire SpaceX shares worth 50 billion won. This amounts to 7.24% of its equity.
Hanmi Semiconductor Chairman Kwak Dong-shin’s investment in SpaceX stems from his long-standing relationship with Palantir founder Peter Thiel. Peter Thiel is a co-founder of PayPal with Elon Musk and is well-known as an early investor in SpaceX, Facebook, and LinkedIn.
POSCO and Hyundai Motor Begin Joint Development of Next-Generation Electrical Steel Sheets
POSCO announced on the 11th that it held a kick-off meeting for the research project ‘Development of Manufacturing Technology for 6.5% Silicon Content Wide Electrical Steel Sheets and Electric Vehicle Energy Efficiency Improvement Cores and Drive Motors’ at the Pohang Institute of Industrial Science and Technology (RIST) and commenced full-scale joint research and development.
Electrical steel sheets are a key material that determines the performance of electric vehicle drive motors. In particular, the higher the silicon content, the more advantageous it is for improving energy efficiency as it can reduce power loss (iron loss) that occurs when the motor rotates at high speeds.
However, as the silicon content increases, the material becomes brittle and easily breaks, which limits the ability to produce it in the form of thin and wide plates.
U.S.: “BYD, Alibaba, and Baidu Support Chinese People’s Liberation Army”… Warning of Disadvantages
The U.S. Department of Defense (Department of War) announced on the 8th (local time) that it has added Chinese big tech companies Alibaba and Baidu, and electric vehicle manufacturer BYD, to the list of “companies supported by the Chinese military (People’s Liberation Army).”
The U.S. Department of Defense stated in a press release on this day, “In accordance with the statutory requirements of Section 1260H of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), we have published an updated list of Chinese military companies operating directly or indirectly in the United States in the Federal Register.”
1260H is a provision that allows for the compilation of a list of Chinese military companies deemed to be supporting the Chinese military, and it is compiled and managed by the U.S. Department of Defense. This time, 188 locations were investigated and identified under the 1260H list.
Prologium-Off Mobility Sign MOU for Development of Next-Generation All-Solid State Battery Modules
ProLogium, a company specializing in solid-state batteries, and OPmobility, a French global mobility components giant, announced on the 12th that they have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the joint development of next-generation solid-state battery modules and packs for mobility. EV Advanced Materials is a company in which ProLogium has invested.
According to the company, the core of this collaboration goes beyond simple technology exchange to establish a ‘complete battery system standard’ that global OEMs can immediately integrate into their electric vehicle platforms.
GM Challenges China-Led Sodium Battery Market, Targeting ESS Market
GM announced on the 9th (local time) that it is developing next-generation sodium-ion battery cells for power grids in collaboration with Peak Energy. GM Ventures, GM’s investment subsidiary, is also making a strategic investment in Peak Energy.
GM plans to expand sodium-ion battery production based on its North American supply chain starting in 2028. Kurt Kelty, GM’s battery business head, explained to the Financial Times (FT) that the technology would be “manufactured in the U.S., by Americans, and under American management,” indicating an intention to develop technology that surpasses Chinese competitors.
BYD Searches for Second European Factory… “Considering Acquisition of Existing Southern European Factory”
According to Reuters on the 10th (local time), BYD Senior Vice President Stella Li said at the launch event for the compact electric vehicle ‘Dolphin G’ in Berlin, Germany, “We are considering acquiring existing factories in Southern Europe.”
Vice President Lee mentioned that Spain is one of the candidate locations, but did not specify other countries under review or the timing of the final decision.
BYD is currently prioritizing the operation of its factory in Hungary, its first production base in Europe. In an interview with Reuters earlier this week, Vice President Li stated that the Hungarian plant is scheduled to begin production in the fourth quarter of this year.
Pino Becomes Largest Shareholder of CNP New Materials Technology
Pino acquired 1,405,752 shares of C&P New Materials Technology (C&P New Materials) for 28.2 billion won and became the largest shareholder.
C&P Advanced Materials is a joint venture dedicated to the production of lithium iron phosphate (LFP) cathode materials, established through a partnership between China’s CNGR, the world’s leading precursor company, and POSCO Future M. By becoming the largest shareholder, Pino has secured strategic leadership in the domestic production of LFP cathode materials. The C&P Advanced Materials entity is expected to be included in Pino’s consolidated financial statements and significantly reflected in its earnings.
German robotics company Neura raises 2.1 trillion won from Nvidia and others
German humanoid robot company Neura Robotics has attracted large-scale investment from US big tech companies such as Nvidia and Amazon.
According to CNBC on the 10th (local time), Noira Robotics announced that it has raised up to $1.4 billion (approximately 2.13 trillion won) through a Series C investment round.
While Boston Dynamics has pioneered the market by emphasizing robot motion performance and hardware sophistication, Noira is pursuing an ‘AI-first’ strategy of porting its proprietary cognitive AI platform to various form factors, such as humanoids and industrial robotic arms.
LG CNS to Introduce Humanoid Robots to LX Pantos Logistics Center
LG CNS announced on the 11th that it has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with LX Pantos to build a robot-based ‘next-generation smart logistics’.
LG CNS plans to verify the automation of all operational processes at LX Pantos’ logistics center by integrating humanoid robots and shuttle robots.
For example, it implements a process where a shuttle robot retrieves items scheduled for shipment from a warehouse, a humanoid robot receives the items, loads them onto an automated sorting facility or robot, and dispatches the sorted items to their respective destinations.
Doosan Robotics Joins Hands with Seamechanics to Jointly Develop Next-Generation Robot Solutions
Doosan Robotics announced on the 10th that it signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Seamechanics at the Doosan Robotics Innovation Center in Bundang-gu, Seongnam-si for the “joint development of manufacturing process automation and AI-based robot deburring solutions.”
The two companies plan to cooperate to strengthen technological competitiveness and create new business synergies through joint development and proof of commercialization (PoC) of manufacturing process automation robot solutions, including AI deburring systems, research and development of next-generation robot solutions, and exchange of information on new technologies and market trends.
Viewrun Technology Successfully Demonstrates LiDAR Control at ‘Peak Festival’ as a Government R&D Project
Viewrun Technology, a company specializing in LiDAR-based autonomous driving perception solutions, announced on the 11th that it has successfully completed on-site testing at a large-scale outdoor event as part of the ‘Performance Safety Management R&D Project,’ a major government national project supported by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Content Agency.
The final third-year field verification of this government R&D project took place at the ‘Peak Festival 2026,’ held at Nanji Hangang Park in Seoul for two days starting on the 23rd of last month, which drew approximately 30,000 visitors. In the outdoor standing area, where blind spots caused by stage structures and shielding between dense crowds are frequent, Vuren applied a proprietary algorithm-based 3D spatial data analysis process to precisely derive crowd flow.
(From left) Choi Young-ho, Vice President and Head of R&D at Sunik Systems; Kim Hye-dong, CEO of Sunik Systems; Lee Tae-woo, CEO of SN Display; and Kim Jong-jin, Senior Managing Director and Head of Future Technology Group at Sunik Systems. / Photo by Sunik Systems
출처 : KIPOST(키포스트)(https://www.kipost.net)
Sunik Systems and SN Display Sign MOU for Perovskite Display Business
Sunik Systems, a company specializing in OLED deposition equipment, announced on the 9th that it has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with SN Display, a company specializing in perovskite optical materials, for the commercialization of next-generation perovskite displays.
The two companies have agreed to cooperate on the development of perovskite deposition equipment and process technology for next-generation displays by combining SN Display’s technologies for high-color-purity and high-efficiency perovskite optical materials and deposition precursor materials with Sunik System’s OLED deposition equipment design and manufacturing infrastructure.
T-Robotics “Applies for Patents for Glass Substrate Transfer Robots in U.S., China, and Taiwan”
T-Robotics, a robotics specialist, announced on the 9th that it has filed for patents for a next-generation glass substrate transfer robot in major countries including the United States, Taiwan, and China.
According to the company, T-Robotics specializes in the development and production of semiconductor wafer transfer robots and glass vacuum transfer robots for organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs). It supplies related equipment to major domestic and international semiconductor and display manufacturers and has accumulated capabilities in precision transfer technology based on vacuum environments.
Based on this technological capability, we have completed the development of a glass substrate transfer robot, which is recently attracting attention as a core technology for the next-generation semiconductor industry.
Source: Kipost.net
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