Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) raised its 2021 capital expenditure target to $30 billion which is up from the $28 billion plan in January. TSMC CEO C.C. Wei said TSMC expects to invest about $100 billion during the next three years to increase capacity and R&D for leading-edge and specialty technologies. 80% of the budget …
Intel is trying to get back to being relevant in the Semiconductor game. Intel announced a $20 billion (USD) investment in two new manufacturing facilities (fabs) in Arizona. They will start production in 2024. CEO Pat Gelsinger said the 7nm manufacturing node from Intel is now running on schedule. The first product enabled with 7nm …
Apple has partnered with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (TSMC) to develop advanced micro OLED display technology. Micro OLED will be useful for augmented reality devices. The new displays will be built directly onto wafers. They will be far thinner and smaller and use less power. They are at the trial production stage. It will take several …
TSMC’s 5nm is in mass production. The 3nm will also be put into production in 2022. The more advanced 2nm process is also reported to have made significant progress. The 2nm process will start mass production around 2023 to 2024. TSMC thinks risk trial production yield in the second half of 2023 can reach 90%. …
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) plans to expand extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography tools for its next-generation 3 nm (N3) node process. TSMC was the first company to use ASML’s EUV lithography machines for high-volume production and now has at least three processes that use EUV for select layers. They use EUV lithography for its N7+, …
Taiwan, South Korea and Vietnam have been countries with the best coronavirus procedures and they are safely keeping their economies open. South Korea had a significant outbreak that they were able to contain. The US now has more than the level of testing that South Korea had when it contained its outbreak. The US has …
The WHO (World Health Organization), Singapore and USA reversed their position on using face masks against coronavirus. The new position is that all people in a community should wear masks when they go out as part of an overall comprehensive response to this disease. There is growing evidence that some people infected with the coronavirus …
The first news about a mysterious illness in Wuhan started emerging in December 2019. Taiwan and other Asian countries were impacted by SARS in 2003 acted first. Those countries had measures built and ready and had activation on hair-triggers. China went full Wuhan containment Jan 23 and became open an on alert Jan 20. China’s …
China’s Navy now outnumbers the US Navy by 300 ships to 287 ship. The US ships are still much larger and more powerful and about 100 of China’s ships are coastal frigates and corvettes. The frigates and corvettes are really a stronger Coast Guard. China needs a stronger coast guard because of the many ships …
Dr. Walden Rhines, Chief Executive Officer, Mentor Graphics talked about the semiconductor industry. Semiconductors are critical to global technological competition. The world-class semiconductor companies are in the USA, South Korea and Taiwan. Japan and Europe have solid semiconductor technology as well. China lags about 5-10 years behind in this critical technology. China will invest hundreds …
Taiwan’s Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) made public a revised national energy policy to continue a nuclear energy phaseout despite a vote by the people of Taiwan to continue using nuclear power. The ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) has determined that the No. 1 nuclear power plant will be decommissioned as scheduled, the service times …