NVIDIA’s next-generation Blackwell architecture AI superchip is about to ship. According to a report from Commercial Times, on July 29 during the SIGGRAPH conference in Denver, USA, NVIDIA announced a series of software updates and revealed that samples of the new AI chip architecture Blackwell have been distributed, sparking optimism about the company’s continued record-breaking performance.

Industry sources cited by the report have indicated that the Blackwell series is regarded by Jensen Huang as the most successful product in history. It is expected to drive a new wave of AI server data center construction by cloud service providers (CSPs).

The report notes further that in addition to TSMC’s 4nm process being in high demand, the increasing penetration of water cooling technology, which is projected to reach up to 10%, is likely to benefit Cooling Distribution Unit suppliers such as Vertiv, as well as companies like Asia Vital Components, AURAS Technology, Delta Electronics, and Cool IT.

Furthermore, the new AI superchip is expected to start shipping to clients in the fourth quarter, with full-scale production set for 2025. Assembly plants will also benefit, including Wistron, Foxconn (through its subsidiary Ingrasys), which are involved in front-end manufacturing of substrates, computing boards, and switch boards.

Companies such as Wiwynn, Quanta (Quanta Cloud Technology), Inventec, GIGABYTE, ASUS, and ASRock are also expected to see increased orders for their rack-mounted systems. Among these, Quanta, Wiwynn, and Inventec have indicated that their related products are expected to start shipping in the fourth quarter, with further increases in volume anticipated in the first half of next year.

The NVIDIA Blackwell platform is set to become the main solution for NVIDIA’s high-end GPUs. TrendForce estimates that GB200 NVL36 shipments are expected to reach 60,000 units in 2025, with Blackwell GPU usage between 2.1 to 2.2 million units, making Blackwell the mainstream platform and accounting for over 80% of NVIDIA’s high-end GPUs.

TrendForce observes that the GB200 NVL36 architecture will initially utilize a combination of air and liquid cooling solutions, while the NVL72, due to higher cooling demands, will primarily employ liquid cooling.

Read more

• [News] NVIDIA Reportedly Developing Tailored Version of the Blackwell Series for Chinese Market
• [News] NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang Estimates Blackwell Chip Price Around USD 30,000 to USD 40,000

(Photo credit: NVIDIA)

In addition to the strong memory momentum which contributes to Samsung’s soaring profits in the second quarter, the tech giant’s progress on the foundry and chip business also attracts attention. According to its press release on July 31st, Samsung expects its foundry revenue growth to outpace the market in 2024 on the back of the full-scale mass production of second-generation 3nm GAA technology.

Earlier in May, Samsung announced the tape-out of its first 3nm mobile SoC, which used the Synopsys.ai EDA suite to verify the design. It signifies a major milestone as it is the first smartphone AP taped out with its 3nm GAA process. Before that, Samsung’s SF3E node has only been utilized for cryptocurrency mining chips.

The Korean semiconductor heavyweight now notes that the initial response to the new SoC for wearables, which features the industry’s first 3nm technology, has been favorable, and adoption of 3nm SoCs by key customers is expected to expand in the second half of the year. It also plans to ensure a stable supply of the Exynos 2500 for flagship models.

It is worth noting that another focus for Samsung in 2H24 will be the expansion for the application of 200-megapixel sensors from main wide camera to tele cameras. Samsung states it plans to expand sales of DDI products with the start of mass production of new models for a customer based in the US. According to an earlier report by The Verge, Apple may begin using Samsung camera sensors as early as 2026, ending Sony’s decade-long role as the exclusive supplier of the phone’s camera sensors.

Samsung also draws an ambitious roadmap, saying that it will expand its order intake for AI and HPC applications, targeting a fourfold increase in the customer base and a ninefold increase in sales by 2028 from the levels in 2023.

Samsung announced its financial results for the second quarter today, posting KRW 74.07 trillion in consolidated revenue and operating profit of KRW 10.44 trillion (approximately USD 7.5 billion). Its DS Division posted KRW 28.56 trillion in consolidated revenue and KRW 6.45 trillion in operating profit for the second quarter, posting a 94% and 1081% YoY growth, respectively.

Its Foundry Business saw improved earnings as a result of increased demand across applications. Due to higher orders for sub-5nm technology, the number of AI and HPC customers increased twofold from a year earlier. The Foundry Business also distributed the process development kit (PDK) for 2nm Gate-All-Around (GAA) technology to customers ahead of mass production in 2025.

On July 9^th, Samsung confirmed that it has received the first client for its 2nm process, and will provide turnkey semiconductor solutions using the 2nm process and the advanced 2.5D packaging technology Interposer-Cube S (I-Cube S) to Japanese AI company Preferred Networks.

Read more

• [News] Samsung’s Q2 Profits Soar to USD 7.5 Billion, Seeing Strong Demand for HBM, DDR5 and Server SSD in 2H24
• [News] Samsung Officially Secures Its First 2nm Order, Making AI Chips for Preferred Networks

(Photo credit: Samsung)

According to TrendForce’s latest memory spot price trend report, neither did the DRAM nor NAND spot prices sees much momentum last week. Spot prices of DDR4 and DDR5 products didn’t show significant fluctuations as the market has not seen a demand uptick. As for NAND flash, the wave of stocking demand during July in response with the peak season in the third quarter of each year didn’t appear. Details are as follows:

DRAM Spot Price:

In the spot market, the overall trading volume has fallen further because the demand for consumer electronics has yet to rebound, and Taiwan’s spot trading was suspended for two days (from July 24th to 25th) due to a typhoon. The spot market as a whole has not seen a demand uptick compared to the previous week, and buyers are mostly waiting for further developments. Consequently, spot prices of DDR4 and DDR5 products have not shown significant fluctuations. The average spot price of the mainstream chips (i.e., DDR4 1Gx8 2666MT/s) dropped by 0.35% from US$2 last week to US$1.993 this week.

NAND Flash Spot Price:

The spot market would usually generate a wave of stocking demand during July in response with the peak season in the third quarter of each year, but has been rather sluggish this year due to the sufficient extent of inventory among end clients, as well as enervated market demand. A small number of spot traders were attempting to lower their quotations tentatively last week in the hope of revitalizing buyers’ demand, which was proven to be quite ineffective. Generally speaking, recent spot market prices have been somewhat lethargic alongside a continuous shrinkage of transactions. Spot price of 512Gb TLC wafers remains unchanged this week at US$3.253.

After announcing the end of eight consecutive quarters of losses on July 30, according to a report from Economic Daily News, Innolux’s board of directors decided to authorize Chairman Jim Hung to handle real estate matters, confirming the rumors that the buildings at its 4th Plant in Tainan (5.5-generation LCD panel plant), which was closed last year, will be sold.

It is reported that two buyers, Micron and TSMC, are still in the bidding stage. Regardless of who wins the bid, Innolux will gain significant non-operating income.

According to Innolux’s announcement, to boost company operations and future development momentum, as well as to enhance operating funds, they plan to dispose of the TAC plant-related real estate at the Southern Taiwan Science Park (STSP) D section. Per a report from anue, the STSP D section refers to the 5.5-generation LCD panel plant that was closed last year.

Innolux has been promoting the transformation of its fully depreciated old plants. The 3.5-generation line at the Tainan facility has been repurposed for advanced packaging with Fan-Out Panel Level Packaging (FOPLP), and the 4-generation line has been converted to produce X-ray sensors (through Raystar Optronics), both of which are related to semiconductor products.

Regarding the 4th Plant developments at Tainan, as per a previous report from the Economic Daily News, Innolux stated on June 16 that, based on flexible strategic planning principles, the company continues to optimize production configurations and enhance overall operational efficiency. Some production lines and products are being adjusted to streamline and strengthen the group’s layout and development.

Read more

• [News] Venturing into AI, Innolux Reportedly Partners with Memory Giants, While Its 4th Plant in Tainan to Focus on Packaging Applications
• [News] TSMC Pushes for FOPLP Mass Production by 2027, Reportedly Eyeing on Innolux’s Plant

(Photo credit: Innolux)