▲ Photo by Pexels

Power semiconductors are commonly used in various electronic devices such as smartphones and home appliances, and are responsible for converting power and controlling current. In recent years, with the development of electric vehicles, the price of power semiconductors has been soaring. As a result, the semiconductor industry is banking on replacing silicon with compound materials such as silicon carbide (SiC) and gallium nitride (GaN) to make power semiconductors. These new materials are more durable and energy efficient than traditional silicon, so they can withstand the harsher conditions in which the car is located.

European semiconductor companies that currently dominate the power semiconductor market are already actively investing in new materials. Infineon, Germany’s leading power and automotive semiconductor company, is making large investments in Dresden, Germany, and Malaysia to expand production of silicon carbide semiconductors. France’s STMicroelectronics has also partnered with Sanan Optoelectronics to set up a joint venture plant in China to produce silicon carbide materials.

Samsung Electronics officially started its power semiconductor business by setting up a power semiconductor division earlier this year, and successfully took over Infineon’s power management IC orders, making a new breakthrough in power semiconductor foundry.

The post Samsung will start manufacturing 8-inch GaN power semiconductors in 2025 appeared first on TechGoing.

Samsung’s partnership with LX is expected to have a positive impact on the Korean semiconductor ecosystem and diversify the supply chain.

According to industry sources on July 2, LX Semicon has selected Samsung Electronics as its foundry partner to jointly develop and mass produce next-generation chips.

As one of Korea’s leading fabless companies, LX Semicon produces DDIs that control the pixels of smartphones and TV displays, and its major customers include LG Display and Chinese companies such as BOE and CSOT.

Image source Pexels

The company has recently been expanding its business to include power semiconductors for display devices and microcontroller units (MCUs) for automobiles, while increasing its share of high-unit-price organic light-emitting diode (OLED) panel products.

Similar to other Fabless companies, LX Semicon is only responsible for developing chips, with production work entrusted to foundries and annual expenses of more than 1 trillion won (currently about RMB 5.5 billion).

So far, LX Semicon has mainly outsourced the production of high-end products to TSMC, while mid- and low-end products are handled by SK Hynix System IC; and due to its association with LG Group, LX Semicon has not previously cooperated with Samsung Electronics’ foundry division.

Earlier this year, LX Semicon began talks with Samsung. Earlier this year, Samsung Display and LX Semicon decided to jointly research and develop DDIs for next-generation OLED panels for smartphones.

In addition to DDIs, it is expected that LX Semicon and Samsung Electronics’ foundry division will continue to collaborate on various next-generation chip developments. This is seen as a major move to strengthen the local semiconductor ecosystem. It creates a virtuous cycle where next-generation display chips developed by Korean fabless companies are mass-produced through Korean foundries and supplied to Korean display companies.

The post Samsung alliance with LX to develop next-generation semiconductor chips appeared first on TechGoing.

▲ Photo source: Samsung

The report said that Samsung Semiconductor will reduce the production of the S3 factory in Hwaseong Park in the third quarter, which is a 12-inch production line of Samsung Semiconductor completed and put into operation in 2018, and currently mainly produces 10nm to 7nm products. Samsung has deployed multiple ASML NXE3400 EUV lithography machines to the facility.

Aju News pointed out that this production reduction is the first time in recent years that Samsung artificially reduce the amount of semiconductor factory wafer feeding.

Industry sources pointed out that in the semiconductor industry downturn, Samsung in order to counter-cyclical investment to squeeze TSMC and other competitors, until the beginning of this year still seeks to expand production and plans to enhance wafer capacity by at least 10% in the second half of 2023, but the pace of decline in the semiconductor industry far exceeded Samsung’s expectations.

Samsung semiconductor products in storage amounted to nearly 32 trillion won (currently about 170.56 billion yuan), a record high since records began. As a result, Samsung has had to further reduce the amount of system LSI wafers in order to balance its inventory, after cutting the production of memory and raising prices.

The post Samsung Semiconductor to reduce wafer throughput by 10% appeared first on TechGoing.