TrendForce reported that TV panel purchases are gaining momentum in the early July, with both Chinese and other major brand customers increasing their orders in preparation for the busy promotional season in the second half of the year. Overall, the purchasing momentum is expected to grow by 7-8% in the quarter. The demand-driven growth, coupled with balanced supply and demand, is likely to sustain the upward trend in TV panel prices. For July, prices are projected to rise by $2 for 32-inch panels, $3 for 43-inch panels, $6 for 50-inch and 55-inch panels, $7 for 65-inch panels, and $8 for 75-inch panels.

Meanwhile, MNT panel prices have experienced slight increases, but the market demand for commercial models remains weak compared to consumer models. Consequently, the price hikes are expected to be modest, and various panel manufacturers are implementing different pricing strategies for different customers and sizes. For July, MNT panel Open Cell prices are expected to rise by approximately $0.2 to $0.5, while 21.5-inch module prices will increase by $0.2 and 23.8-inch module prices by $0.1. Prices for 27-inch modules will remain stable.

As for NB panel prices, after a stable period, panel manufacturers are contemplating raising prices in the third quarter. However, brand customers remain cautious about the demand for the second half of the year, resulting in ongoing negotiations with panel manufacturers. The demand for lower-end TN models is stronger than for higher-end IPS models, leading brand customers to tend to accept slight increases in TN panel prices. For July, mainstream sizes like 14-inch and 15.6-inch TN models are expected to see a minor increase of $0.1, while prices for IPS models will remain stable.

TrendForce has released the latest spot prices for DRAM and NAND Flash, indicating that market demand remains weak and there are no signs of a rebound in spot prices. The details are as follows.

DRAM Spot Market:

Similar to the contract market, the spot market is still showing weak demand, and spot prices on the whole have been registering small daily declines. There is no indication of a turnaround anytime soon. Both spot prices of DDR4 and DDR5 products are falling as channel customers are restrained with respect to stock-up activities. The average spot price of the mainstream chips (i.e., DDR4 1Gx8 2666MT/s) fell by 0.33% from US$1.506 last week to US$1.501 this week.

NAND Flash Spot Market:

Recent spot market transactions remain relatively apathetic under sporadic inquiries and sluggish demand, and concluded prices of NAND Flash products are still slowly dropping due to the lack of stimulation from seasonal order pulls. 512Gb TLC wafer spots have dropped by 0.21% this week, arriving at US$1.408.

According to TrendForce’s “2023 GaN Power Semiconductor Market Analysis Report – Part 1,” the global GaN power device market is projected to grow from $180 million in 2022 to $1.33 billion in 2026, with a compound annual growth rate of 65%.

The development of the GaN power device market is primarily driven by consumer electronics, with a focus on fast chargers as the core application. Other consumer electronic scenarios include Class D audio and wireless charging.

However, many manufacturers have already shifted their focus to the industrial market, with data centers being a key application. ChatGPT has sparked a wave of AI cloud server deployment, and GaN technology will help data centers reduce operating costs and improve server efficiency.

Simultaneously, the automotive market is also gaining attention, as OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers recognize the potential of GaN. It is expected that by around 2025, GaN will gradually penetrate low-power onboard chargers (OBC) and DC-DC converters. Looking further ahead to 2030, OEMs may consider incorporating GaN technology into traction inverters.

In terms of market competition, based on GaN power device business revenue, Power Integrations ranked first in 2022. The company has been leading the high-voltage market’s development since 2018, and its excellent GaN integrated solutions have gained wide market recognition. Other leading manufacturers include Navitas, Innosic, EPC, GaN Systems, and Transphorm.

Additionally, the industry paid attention to the acquisition of GaN Systems by Infineon. According to TrendForce’s statistics, the combined market share of both companies was approximately 15% in 2022.

Turning to the supply chain, as mentioned earlier, the development of the GaN power device market will be driven by consumer electronics for a long time. Therefore, the industry must pursue scale and low cost, necessitating the expansion of wafer sizes. Currently, mainstream GaN power wafers still rely on 6-inch silicon substrates, with only Innosic, X-FAB, and VIS offering 8-inch options. With a positive outlook for the long-term development of the GaN power market, several wafer manufacturers have announced plans to shift to 8-inch wafers in the coming years, including Infineon, STMicroelectronics, TSMC, and others.

Furthermore, Samsung recently announced its entry into the 8-inch market and plans to provide foundry services starting from 2025, a development worth industry attention.

(Photo credit: Navitas)

Toyota announced during a technical conference on June 13, 2023, that Toyota has identified suitable materials to commercialize solid-state battery technology around 2027-2028, intending to introduce new energy vehicles powered by these batteries to the market.

Out of the 2.17 million electric vehicles (including BEV, PHEV, HEV, FCV) sold by Toyota in 2022, BEVs accounted for less than 1%, indicating a significant lag behind its competitors in the BEV sector. However, Toyota possesses over 100 solid-state battery patents and showcased a solid-state battery prototype as early as 2020, finally catching up in the solid-state battery race.

According to TrendForce’s analysis, current new energy vehicles primarily use nickel-cobalt-manganese (NCM) or lithium iron phosphate (LFP) as cathode materials, and graphite as anode material. NCM batteries offer higher energy density, with a system limit of around 250-260Wh/kg, but come with higher costs and a risk of thermal runaway. On the other hand, although LFP batteries are safer, less prone to thermal runaway, and more cost-effective, their energy density is significantly lower than that of NCM, with a system limit of approximately 160-170Wh/kg.

To achieve energy densities surpassing 300Wh/kg and reaching the 400-500Wh/kg target, lithium batteries will primarily focus on adjusting anode materials in the future. This includes incorporating higher-capacity materials such as silicon oxide, silicon carbon, or metallic lithium to increase the capacity of individual battery cells. However, using these high-activity anode materials in combination with traditional liquid electrolytes carries a higher risk of triggering thermal runaway during the charging and discharging processes.

In contrast, solid-state electrolytes provide structural stability, effectively preventing short circuits in batteries. By removing the separator film, solid-state batteries achieve a more compact size and higher energy density compared to liquid lithium batteries. In summary, solid-state batteries solve the challenge of balancing safety and energy density that traditional lithium batteries face, making them the most promising battery solution for future new energy vehicles.

However, during the development of solid-state battery technology, Toyota encountered an increase in interface impedance and a decrease in electrode-electrolyte adhesion due to the transition from liquid to solid electrolytes. These issues lead to battery capacity decline and affect cycle life, posing one of the many technical challenges in the current development of solid-state batteries.

Considering the difficulties involved, some battery manufacturers have shifted their focus to semi-solid-state batteries, such as CATL and Welion. Given Toyota’s current reliance on Chinese liquid battery technology for their development of solid-state batteries, it seems like a formidable task to achieve a breakthrough. Even if they overcome these challenges, the ability to replicate the success from the lab to actual vehicles remains uncertain.

Nevertheless, considering Toyota’s current situation, it may be more reasonable to place their bet on solid-state batteries rather than persistently chasing after the liquid battery sector. Although this strategic move carries high risks, it represents Toyota’s best and potentially last opportunity for overtaking competitors in the new energy vehicle field.

(Photo credit: Toyota Motor Corporation)

Apple has finally launched the Vision Pro, an MR device equipped with Micro OLED, but the debut of the Apple Watch with Micro LED panels has been repeatedly delayed. According to a report from TechNews, industry insiders revealed that the production timeline for the Micro LED Apple Watch has been pushed back once again, from the second quarter of 2025 to the first quarter of 2026.

Over the past decade, Apple has invested at least $1 billion in developing Micro LED panels, aiming to reduce reliance on Samsung and strengthen control over critical component supplies. Once in mass production, Apple intends to execute the crucial “mass transfer” process on its own. This highlights Apple’s cautious approach in researching and developing Micro LED technology, which is still in the sample phase due to challenging production techniques and higher manufacturing costs.

In the Micro LED project, Apple has partnered with ams Osram for the development of Micro LED components, collaborated with LG Display for backplate production, and enlisted TSMC to manufacture 12-inch silicon wafers. Initially, Micro LED technology will be introduced in the Apple Watch Ultra model before gradually expanding to other product lines such as iPad and MacBook, with the ultimate plan of incorporating it into the iPhone.

Currently, the Apple Watch utilizes OLED technology, which has been in use since the launch of the first Apple Watch model in 2015. In comparison to OLED screens, Micro LED displays offer higher brightness and overcome issues such as screen aging and differential aging, making them a promising advancement.