Canon, one of the world’s major manufacturers of lithography equipment, announced the release of the FPA-1200NZ2C Nano-imprint Lithography (NIL) semiconductor equipment in October.

The CEO, Fujio Mitarai, recently stated that the new nano-imprint lithography technology opens up a new path for small semiconductor manufacturers to produce advanced chips.

Canon’s Semiconductor Equipment Business Manager, Kazunori Iwamoto, explained that nano-imprint lithography involves imprinting a mask with the semiconductor circuit pattern onto a wafer. With a single imprint, complex 2D or 3D circuit patterns can be formed in the appropriate locations. By improving the mask, it might even be possible to produce 2nm chips.

Reportedly, Canon’s nano-imprint lithography is capable of producing a minimum 5nm process size. In the 5nm process segment of the advanced semiconductor manufacturing equipment market, currently dominated by ASML’s EUV exposure machines, Canon’s nano-imprint lithography might have the opportunity to narrow the gap.

Regarding equipment costs, Kazunori Iwamoto stated that customer costs vary, and the estimated cost of a single imprint process can sometimes be reduced to half that of traditional exposure equipment processes. Nano-imprint lithography equipment also has a smaller footprint, making it easier to introduce.

Previously, Fujio Mitarai mentioned that the pricing of nano-imprint lithography equipment is one digit less than that of ASML’s EUV equipment. However, the final pricing has not been disclosed yet.

According to NIKKEI’s interview, Iwamoto also indicated that Canon has received numerous inquiries from semiconductor manufacturers, universities, and research institutes. There is anticipation that it could serve as an alternative to EUV, with expectations for the production of various semiconductors, including flash, DRAM for personal computer, and logic ICs.

Read more

• [News] The Battle on Advanced Processes Intensifies as ASML Plans to Produce Ten Equipment Capable of 2nm Chip Production Next Year
• [News] EUV as a Strategic Asset in the Most Advanced Processes: Progress in Intel/TSMC/Samsung’s Adoptions

(Photo credit: Canon)

Lately, according to South Korean media’s reports, Samsung Electronics has decided that the Samsung Display division will be responsible for all OLED microdisplay projects, while Samsung Semiconductor Inc.(SSI), the Samsung Compound Semiconductor Solutions team, will be in charge of the development of all Micro LED microdisplay projects, the area which is primarily applied in AR glasses with higher display requirements.

It is reported that Samsung considers OLED microdisplays as the preferred solution for the next generation of VR devices. While Apple’s Vision Pro device already utilizes a 1.4-inch 4K OLED microdisplay manufactured by Sony, Samsung, reportedly, is also actively looking to competing for orders for the Vision Pro device in the future.

On the other hand, Samsung’s Micro LED microdisplay products may take longer to enter the market. It is reported that Samsung Display began developing Micro LED microdisplay technology in August 2022. In September 2023, Samsung Display announced the development of a 0.25-inch FHD Micro LED microdisplay. Based on the latest information, these projects might be transferred to SSI.

From the perspective of the Micro LED market development, TrendForce estimates that, driven by the mass production of large displays and wearable devices, the production value of Micro LED will reach USD 27 million in 2023, with a year-on-year growth of 92%.

With the expansion of existing applications and the addition of new applications, it is projected that the production value of Micro LED will reach approximately $580 million in 2027, with an estimated Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of around 136% from 2022 to 2027.

Read more

• [News] Matching Apple’s Vision Pro Momentum? Rumors Suggest Samsung Expediting XR Device Launch in Early 2024
• [News] Is a Foldable iPhone on the Horizon? Samsung Display’s ‘Apple Team’ Strengthening Spurs Speculation

(Photo credit: Samsung)

After more than two years of stagnation in the memory market, which was exacerbated by production cuts from major players like Samsung and Micron earlier this year, the issue of overstock has finally seen improvement.

As per Nikkei’s report, this has driven an increase in prices for DRAM, marking the first such occurrence in nearly two and a half years. Observers are optimistic that the memory market will hit bottom this year, with a recovery and growth expected in 2024.

According to TrendForce’s data, the contract price for the DDR4 8GB, considered a benchmark product for DRAM, reached USD 1.50 in October, a 15.4% increase from September and the first increase since July 2021. The contract price for the same product continued to rise in November by 10%, reaching USD 1.65.

In addition to the DDR4 8GB product, other specifications of DRAM contract prices generally experienced monthly increases of around 10% in October this year. Generally, memory contract prices are determined collaboratively by chip suppliers and corporate customers, and an increase in contract prices signifies an advantage for suppliers.

There are signs of a bottoming out and rebound in the DRAM market in the third quarter of this year. TrendForce indicated that the global DRAM market’s revenue increased by 18% compared to the previous quarter, reaching USD 13.48 billion.

This growth, reportedly, is primarily attributed to production cuts by major suppliers throughout the year, gradually restoring balance to the market supply and demand.

The report also reflects on the pandemic period, noting that the global surge in remote work initially led to a sharp increase in demand for memory. However, as the pandemic gradually subsided in 2021, market demand cooled.

Additionally, persistent challenges such as high inflation and interest rates impacting consumer spending weakened demand for PCs and various consumer electronic devices. This, in turn, led to global oversupply in memory, causing prices to decline consistently.

Major DRAM manufacturers, including Samsung, SK Hynix, and Micron, have been reducing production since the beginning of this year, and they have recently managed to reverse the downturn.

Samsung reported a 16% revenue growth in the third quarter, while SK Hynix achieved an impressive growth rate of 34.4%. Despite a decline in average selling prices, Micron’s third-quarter chip shipment growth contributed to an overall revenue growth of 4.2%.

Moreover, the global NAND Flash market saw a 2.9% sequential increase in revenue in the third quarter, and a growth rate of 20% is anticipated for the fourth quarter, according to TrendForce’s latest research.

Read more

• [Insights] Due to Year-End Sluggish Demand, Spot Prices Hover for DRAM and NAND Flash
• [News] After Memory Price Hike, Shortages Emerge in Some Products?

(Photo credit: Samsung)

Taiwanese Semiconductor testing and packaging giant ASE announced today that its subsidiary, ASE Semiconductor, will lease the plant in Nanzih, Kaohsiung, owned by Taiwan’s ASE Test Inc., to expand its packaging capacity.

In the announcement, ASE Holdings revealed that ASE Semiconductor would lease a plant in Nanzih District, Kaohsiung, from its subsidiary ASE Test Inc. The total floor area of the building is approximately 15,600 square meters, with an estimated total usage rights asset value of NTD 742 million (approximately USD 23.8 million).

ASE Holdings stated that the primary purpose of this move is to optimize the overall planning and efficient utilization of plant space within the group, as well as to expand ASE’s packaging capacity.

According to CNA’s report, industry sources believe that ASE’s primary objective with this expansion is to enhance its production capacity for advanced packaging of Artificial Intelligence (AI) chips, but it is not directly related to CoWoS packaging.

Market insiders point out that ASE Holdings has been collaborating with foundry on technologies related to advanced packaging interposers and has CoWoS solutions. The earliest expected time for mass production is by the end of this year or early next year.

Reportedly, according to data, ASE’s Kaohsiung plant contributes to approximately 20% of ASE Holding’s overall revenue. The plant primarily provides services such as packaging, wafer bumping and probing, materials, and final testing.

The Kaohsiung plant is also establishing several smart plants, focusing on high-end processes, including Fan-Out packaging, System-in-Package (SiP), wafer bumping, and FlipChip packaging. These technologies find applications in various fields, including automotive, medical, IoT, high-speed computing, artificial intelligence, and application processors.

ASE actively positions itself in various advanced packaging technologies. Notably, the Fan-Out Chip on Substrate with Bridge (FOCoS-Bridge) packaging technology integrates multiple Application-Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs) and High Bandwidth Memory (HBM), targeting the customized AI chip advanced packaging market.

In addition, ASE Semiconductor has introduced a cross-platform integrated design tool that combines several advanced packaging technologies, addressing the demands of advanced packaging for AI chips.

Read more

• [News] Chinese Semiconductor Design Industry Diverts to Malaysia to Evade U.S. Controls; Potential Advanced Packaging Orders Surge for ASE
• [News] Strong Demand for AI Testing Boosts Revenue Outlook for OSAT like ASE Holdings, KYEC and Sigurd

(Photo credit: ASE)

Sony’s gaming console, the PlayStation 5, is showing robust sales momentum. According to Reuters, a senior games executive stated that the cumulative sales of PS5 have surpassed 50 million units, and this year’s “Black Friday” sales performance has also set an all-time record.

The entertainment giant is now counting on the PS5 to continue its strong performance during the year-end shopping season, aiming to achieve the record-breaking goal of 25 million units sold by the end of this fiscal year in March.

Eric Lempel, Senior Vice President for Global Marketing, Sales, and Business Operations at Sony Interactive Entertainment stated as follows, “Given the momentum we’ve had in November and a lot of what we’re seeing in December, just in general we’re feeling very good about sales overall.”

Lempel further indicated in an interview that, “We’ve done some good promotions this year. I will say we’ve done fewer promotions at this stage of the lifecycle than we ever have in the history of the company.”

Despite recent discussions in the gaming industry focusing on the future of gaming consoles due to advancements in cloud technology, freeing games from reliance on bulky hardware, current gaming consoles continue to attract players.

In the initial release phase, the PS5 faced challenges due to disruptions in the supply chain, impacting sales. Nevertheless, this issue has since eased, and the positive reception of the game “Marvel’s Spider-Man 2,” launched on October 20th, is contributing to the increased momentum in the sales of this gaming console.

In the coming months, key games like “The Last of Us Part II Remake” and the timed exclusive “Final Fantasy VII: Remake” will be sequentially released on the PlayStation platform in January and February.

As for Sony’s competitor, Nintendo’s Switch console, despite being on the market for several years, has maintained strong sales this year, driven by the release of new games such as “The Legend of Zelda” series.

(Photo credit: Sony)