Week In Review: Auto, Security, Pervasive Computing


Automotive/Mobility Chip makers in Taiwan will “do their best” to “squeeze out more chips” said Taiwan’s Minister of Economic Affairs Wang Mei-hua after having lunch with representatives of TSMC, UMC, Vanguard International Semiconductor Corp, and Powerchip Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., according to the Taipei Times. After the auto industry initially cut automotive chip orders bec... » read more

200mm Demand Surges


A surge in demand for various chips is causing shortages for select 200mm foundry capacity as well as 200mm fab equipment, and it shows no signs of abating in 2021. Foundry customers will face a shortfall of 200mm capacity at select foundries at least in the first half of 2021, and perhaps beyond. Those customers will need to plan ahead to ensure they obtain enough 200mm capacity in 2021. Ot... » read more

Week In Review: Manufacturing, Test


Chipmakers and OEMs Taiwan specialty foundry vendor Vanguard International Semiconductor (VIS) will acquire GlobalFoundries’ Fab 3E facility in Singapore for $236 million. Fab 3E manages a monthly capacity of approximately 35,000 200mm wafers. The transaction includes buildings, facilities, and equipment, as well as IP associated with GF’s MEMS business. VIS currently has three 200mm fa... » read more

The Week in Review: IoT


Investment Microsoft this week said it will spend $5 billion over four years on Internet of Things programs in research, development, and partner enablement. The company previously spent $1.5 billion on developing IoT technology. The move could pay dividends for the Microsoft Azure cloud platform and lead to wider use of Azure Stack, which pairs Microsoft software with hardware from approved p... » read more

Manufacturing Bits: Nov. 14


GaN for electric cars Leti is coordinating a new European project to improve the drivetrain in electric vehicles. The so-called ModulED project will focus on the development of gallium nitride (GaN) technology for electric vehicles. The goal is to use power-based GaN devices for the motor, enabling a change from direct current to alternating current. The three-year, €7.2 million proje... » read more