Micron receives 8.4 trillion won in U.S. semiconductor subsidies
American company Micron Technology will receive $6.1 billion (approximately KRW 8.3875 trillion) in subsidies under the U.S. Semiconductor Act.
The White House announced on the 25th (local time) that it had decided to provide this amount of support to support Micron’s construction of semiconductor factories in New York and Idaho. President Joe Biden is scheduled to visit Syracuse, New York, where Micron is building a new factory, and announce this support plan.
Micron is building a $100 billion (approximately 137 trillion won) megafab in Clay near Syracuse in upstate New York. Existing research and development facilities will also be expanded in Boise, Idaho.
China’s Huawei’s latest smartphone ‘Pura 70’ is equipped with Chinese semiconductors
Bloomberg News reported on the 26th (local time) that analysis results showed that Chinese telecommunications equipment and smartphone manufacturer Huawei’s latest smartphones are equipped with cutting-edge semiconductors made in China.
According to global market research company Tech Insight, Huawei’s latest smartphone ‘Pura 70’ series launched last week was found to be equipped with the Kirin 9010 processor. The Kirin 9010 processor is the latest improved version of the Kirin 9000S, a 7 nanometer (nanometer, 1 billionth of a meter) processor built into Huawei’s smartphone ‘Mate 60 Pro’ released in August last year.
The Kirin 9000S, manufactured by SMIC, a Chinese semiconductor consignment manufacturer, using a 7-nano process, was considered a representative example of overcoming US sanctions against China. Tech Insight concluded that the Kirin 9010 processor installed in the Pura 70 series was also manufactured by SMIC.
SK Key Foundry improves 0.13μm BCD process… Expansion of automotive semiconductor business
SK Key Foundry announced on the 25th that it will provide an improved 0.13 micrometer (㎛) BCD process to enable automotive power semiconductor design companies to design high-performance automotive semiconductor products.
SK Key Foundry’s improved 0.13㎛ BCD process meets Grade-0 certification of AEC-Q100, the reliability evaluation standard for automotive electronic components, and is suitable for high-performance and high-reliability automotive semiconductors that must withstand operating temperatures of up to 150℃. .
BCD is a technology that implements Bipolar for analog signal control, CMOS for digital signal control, and DMOS for high-power processing on one chip.
Beijing City supports AI semiconductor self-reliance… Subsidies to purchasing companies
Beijing city authorities in China announced that they would provide subsidies to companies purchasing artificial intelligence (AI) semiconductors produced domestically.
Reuters reported on the 26th that the Beijing City Economic and Information Technology Bureau announced this in an official letter on the 24th, and did not specify the size of the subsidy. The news agency reported that this move comes as China’s central government is trying to reduce dependence on foreign countries by developing the semiconductor industry.
“If companies purchase domestically controlled GPU semiconductors for intelligent computing services, they will receive support based on a certain percentage of the investment,” the document says, referring to semiconductors for graphics processing units (GPUs).
‘1.6 nano’ production in the second half of 2026… TSMC surprise announcement
Taiwan’s TSMC, the world’s largest foundry company, announced that it will begin producing 1.6 nanometer (1 nm = 1 billionth of a meter) process semiconductors in the second half of 2026. This is the first time that the 1.6 nano process plan has been revealed. With Samsung, Intel, etc. also suggesting 2027 as the production date for 1.4-nano class semiconductors, known as the ‘dream process,’ competition in the fine process in the foundry industry is heating up.
According to Reuters, TSMC unveiled this plan at a technology conference held in Santa Clara, California, USA on the 24th (local time).
TSMC originally announced plans to introduce the 2-nano process in the second half of next year and then the 1.4-nano process in 2027, and this is the first time it has unveiled a plan to produce in the 1.6-nano process as an intermediate step.
Intel “Secured 18A additional customers… “A total of 6 places”
Intel CEO Pete Gelsinger announced this year’s first quarter results on the 25th (US time), saying, “We signed an 18A (1.8 nanometer) foundry contract with customers in the aerospace and defense industries, increasing the number of related customers to 6. “He said.
CEO Gelsinger added, “These customers chose the Intel 18A process not only for its technological advantages but also for securing a safe supply base in the United States.”
Intel is seeking to secure 5 process nodes, including 18A, for 4 years until 2025 according to the ‘5N4Y’ strategy announced in 2021. As competition with TSMC and Samsung Electronics intensifies, the timing of 18A mass production has been adjusted to the end of this year.
SemiFive collaborates with MetisX to develop ‘CXL-based memory accelerator’
Semi-Five, a semiconductor design solution company, announced on the 25th that it will collaborate with MetisX to develop a memory accelerator chip based on Compute Express Link (CXL). The chip is planned to be designed and mass-produced by applying Samsung Foundry’s 4-nano process technology optimized for high-performance computing (HPC).
MetisX is a domestic fabless startup established in January 2022. We develop CXL-based computational memory designed to solve memory problems occurring in data centers due to large amounts of data and the increase in artificial intelligence (AI) model size.
Japan’s Honda opens new electric vehicle plant in Tokyo… POSCO FutureM and POSCO Future M pursue joint venture in cathode materials
The Associated Press, AFP, and Bloomberg News reported on the 25th (local time) that Japanese automaker Honda is building a new electric vehicle plant and battery plant for electric vehicles worth 15 billion Canadian dollars (about 15 trillion won) in Canada.
According to reports, Honda CEO Toshihiro Mibe announced this policy at a press conference with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and other key Canadian government officials and said, “Electric vehicles (EVs) will be produced at the new assembly facility as early as 2028.” “It will happen,” he said.
AFP reported that 15 billion Canadian dollars is the largest investment ever by a Japanese automaker in Canada.
LG Ensol “We will adjust the investment size”… A direct hit to the ‘electric vehicle chasm’
LG Energy Solution, which suffered a sharp decline in performance in the first quarter of this year due to the electric vehicle market chasm (demand slump just before popularization), is adjusting the size of investment and execution speed. While it is unclear whether demand will recover until the first half of this year, it is expected that performance will improve in the second half of the year.
Chang-sil Lee, Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of LG Energy Solutions, said in a conference call held after the first quarter performance announcement on the 25th, “In the second quarter, the impact of selling prices due to the decline in the price of major metals such as lithium and the recovery of customer demand, especially in Europe, may take time. “There is,” he said.
In particular, it is expected that profitability will be difficult to improve due to the low operation rate of European plants, the impact of operation reduction due to remodeling of the independent US corporation, and the lag in raw material costs due to falling metal prices (time lag in raw material input).
Hyundai Motor Company “produces hybrid vehicles at a U.S. electric vehicle factory…invests in facilities”
Hyundai Motor Company announced that it plans to produce hybrid vehicles at its electric vehicle plant in Georgia, USA, which is scheduled to start operation in the second half of this year.
In a conference call on business performance for the first quarter of this year held on the 25th, Executive Director Lee Seung-jo, head of Hyundai Motor Company’s Planning and Finance Division, said, “We are investing in facilities to transform the HMGMA (Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America) plant, which is scheduled to start operation in October or the end of this year, from an electric vehicle-only plant to a plant that can also produce hybrids. “I plan to do it,” he said.
Director Lee continued, “Not only electric vehicles, but also hybrid volumes are increasing significantly, so to respond to this, we will add factory facilities to accommodate hybrid volumes.”
POSCO Holdings “Slowing demand for electric vehicles… Postponing investment in secondary battery materials”
POSCO Holdings announced that it will postpone some investments in the secondary battery material business due to slowing demand in the electric vehicle market.
Jeong Ki-seop, president of POSCO Holdings’ strategic planning, said at the first quarter performance presentation briefing held on the 25th, “Reflecting the slowing growth of the electric vehicle market, we will reasonably postpone the timing of investments in some businesses and focus on a high-profit-oriented portfolio.”
POSCO Holdings plans to secure superior mineral resources and pursue mergers and acquisitions (M&A) by taking advantage of the electric vehicle market chasm (temporary demand stagnation period before popularization). The plan is to strengthen business competitiveness by expanding the cathode material portfolio and adjusting the speed of some businesses.
Wits presents electric vehicle wireless charging solution at ‘EVS37’
Wits, a power transmission solution specialist, announced on the 25th that it introduced an electric vehicle wireless charging solution at the 37th World Electric Vehicle Symposium and Exhibition (EVS37).
EVS is the world’s largest electric vehicle academic conference and exhibition that has been running since 1969. This year, 155 companies from over 40 countries participated and introduced products and technologies across all areas of electric vehicles, including finished vehicles, batteries, parts, materials and equipment.
Following its participation in the International Electronics Show (CES2024) last January, Wits and KG Mobility introduced the ‘Torres EVX’, which can charge electric vehicles wirelessly without wired charging.
CATL of China unveils LFP battery that can run 600km with 10 minutes of charging
This battery, named Shinsing Plus, is the first secondary battery to have an integrated case and has an energy density of 259.7GWh. The existing NCM battery energy density reached 300Wh/kg, and the average LFP energy density was around 100Wh/kg, which was dramatically increased.
CATL explains that ultra-fast charging is possible even at temperatures of -20°C (-4°F) and that the volume has been reduced by 7%.
Hyundai Mobis produces ‘battery system’ to be supplied to Volkswagen in Spain
On the 23rd (local time), Hyundai Mobis held a groundbreaking ceremony for a battery system (BSA) plant for electric vehicles that will be supplied to Volkswagen in Navarre, Spain. BSA refers to a finished product that combines a battery pack with electrical components such as a control device so that the battery can operate safely and efficiently in an electric vehicle. Hyundai Mobis plans to invest approximately 170 billion won in its Spanish plant by 2030 with the goal of mass production in 2026.
The Spanish factory’s land area is approximately 150,000 m2, which is enough to build 21 soccer fields. The total floor area is 50,000 m2, and up to 360,000 battery systems will be produced annually. The battery system produced here will be installed in the next-generation electric vehicle platform mass-produced at the customer’s factory located in Pamplona, approximately 14 km away.
Qualitas Semiconductor and TUV Rheinland Korea, business agreement for core parts for autonomous driving
Qualitas Semiconductor has signed a business agreement with TUV Rheinland Korea, a global testing and certification agency, for the establishment and technical support of ‘ISO 26262 (Automotive Functional Safety)’, an international standard for functional safety of automotive electrical and electronic components. was signed on the 26th.
At the agreement ceremony held at Qualitas Semiconductor’s headquarters on this day, the two companies signed an MOU to advance the development system of Interconnect IP, a core element of automotive SoC (System on Chip), and formed a working-level joint consultative body.
Gemvaxlink begins domestic introduction of Pony self-driving cars
GemvaxLink announced on the 26th that it has begun introducing Pony’s self-driving cars into Korea.
The vehicles and autonomous driving modules developed for autonomous driving are scheduled to arrive at the Port of Busan at the end of May and then be transported to the joint venture’s Operation Hub (hereinafter referred to as the ‘Hub’) located in Bundang-gu, Seongnam-si.
According to Gemvaxlink, the hub is a base for promoting the robotaxi business in Korea and is scheduled to be completed at the end of next month. The vehicle transported to the hub undergoes about two weeks of assembly and self-driving software installation and calibration process to become a level 4 (highly automated) self-driving car.
Seoul Robotics, Innobiz AA grade… Recognized for industrial autonomous driving technology
Seoul Robotics, an industrial autonomous driving company, announced on the 24th that it has acquired the AA grade from Innobiz (certification of technologically innovative small and medium-sized businesses) and has been recognized for its unrivaled technological innovation and commercialization capabilities in the field of industrial autonomous driving.
The industrial self-driving software (SW) developed by Seoul Robotics with its own technology, achieved by obtaining an AA grade corresponding to the top 5%, boasts technological innovation and competitiveness of the Level 5 control tower, technological competitiveness, and commerciality proven by global automobile OEMs. The company explained that it has proven the growth potential to expand into the global automobile logistics business field, which has a market size of tens of trillions of won.
Service robot MOU with Everybot and Kuukuu
Everybot, a service robot company, announced on the 26th that it signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with franchise sushi buffet company Kuukuu for strategic cooperation in the field of products and solutions in the service robot field.
Through this agreement, the two companies will jointly develop products and solutions. We will cooperate to develop next-generation service robots based on Everybot’s LiDAR and autonomous driving technologies and introduce them to the market.
Due to the nature of Kuukuu’s buffet style restaurant, there is a lot of take-out work. Accordingly, we plan to create a disposal tray that allows separate collection of food and dishes and supply them to branches across the country.
LG Display “Selling Guangzhou LCD line, results may be better than expected”
LG Display announced its intention to continue selling its LCD line in Guangzhou, China in its first quarter 2024 earnings announcement and conference call on the 25th.
On this day, LG Display said, “We are implementing a strategy of withdrawing from the large LCD business for TVs in several stages and in various ways,” and “We are basically continuing to promote the conversion of non-strategic assets into other types of assets.”
He declined to comment on the status of the sale of the Guangzhou LCD line. The timing of the sale was also not disclosed. However, the company responded, “We are working on related issues, and the results may be better than you expect.”
Samsung Display supplies OLED to Wacom tablets
Organic light-emitting diode (OLED) displays are being used in Wacom tablets. A Wacom tablet is a device that is considered essential for drawing work such as webtoons or illustrations.
Samsung Display announced on the 25th that it will supply 13.3-inch OLED panels to Wacom’s pen display ‘Wacom Moving’. Wacom is a global company in the creative pen tablet field and is the first to introduce OLED into its products.
Because it is used for drawing work, the display’s color reproduction and response speed are important, and Samsung explained that it 100% met DCI-P3, the Digital Cinema Institute (DCI) color gamut.
Source: kipost.net