SMD Package for Rad-Hard Power Electronics 

Anchoring surface mount components (SMD package) to PCBs is a challenge. All too often, different thermal coefficients lead to an expansion misalignment of the materials used, resulting in loss of efficiency. The problem can be especially severe for electronics headed for space.

Source: SMD Package for Rad-Hard Power Electronics | EE Times

Combating Counterfeit Chips

The harsh reality is that today, the authenticity of chips is often impossible to guarantee. The counterfeit chip market is sizeable and growing with a worldwide value estimated at $75B in 2019. Those counterfeits are believed to have been integrated into more than $169B of electronic devices. Recent confirmed incidents of counterfeit parts found in electronic systems include defibrillators, airport landing lights, intravenous (IV) drip machines, and braking systems for high speed trains. With electronic devices critical to nearly every aspect of modern life, the risk of counterfeits can range from an inconvenience to injury or loss of life.

Source: Combating Counterfeit Chips

Global Semiconductor Sales Increase 5.1% Year-to-Year in June 

WASHINGTON—Aug. 3, 2020— The Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) today announced worldwide sales of semiconductors were $34.5 billion in June 2020, an increase of 5.1 percent from the June 2019 total of $32.9 billion. Sales in June were 0.3 percent less than the May 2020 total of $34.6 billion. Sales during the second quarter of 2020 were $103.6 billion, an increase of 5.1 percent over the second quarter of 2019, but a small decrease of 0.9 percent compared to the first quarter of 2020. Monthly sales are compiled by the World Semiconductor Trade Statistics (WSTS) organization and represent a three-month moving average. SIA represents 95 percent of the U.S. semiconductor industry by revenue and nearly two-thirds of non-U.S. chip firms.

Source: Global Semiconductor Sales Increase 5.1 Percent Year-to-Year in June; Q2 Sales Down Slightly Compared to Q1 – Semiconductor Industry Association

Rethinking Competitive One Upmanship Among Foundries

The winner in the foundry business used to be determined by who got to the most advanced process node first. For the most part that benchmark no longer works.Unlike in the past, when all of the foundries and IDMs competed using basically the same process, each foundry has gone its own route. This is primarily due to the divergence of end markets, and the realization that as costs increase, only a handful of companies would be able to afford or need the most advanced nodes. And while performance and power are still critical elements of a design, there are multiple ways to get there.

Source: Rethinking Competitive One Upmanship Among Foundries

Is a Semiconductor Rebound Around the Next Corner?

A new report paints a picture of a global semiconductor industry that’s already shaking off the worst impacts of the global pandemic and bracing for a rebound in the near future.

Source: Is a Semiconductor Rebound Around the Next Corner? | Source Today

Insight of GaN and SiC Market 

Power electronics has taken an interesting road with the adoption of GaN and SiC. Yole Développement (Yole) estimated a general view of these wide bandgap materials. While silicon is still dominating the market, GaN and SiC devices are already more efficient solutions in some applications. From a development standpoint, SiC research  is focused on SiC wafer quality on larger diameters and power module development. In the GaN field, the main trends are on GaN device integration — either system-in-package or system-on-chip solutions.

Source: Insight of GaN and SiC Market | EE Times

GaN, SiC Stage a Power Play 

Growing demand for power supplies, photovoltaic inverters and hybrid and electric car components is helping the power electronics sector achieve critical mass.Omdia, the London-based technology forecaster, discerns a transition occurring in the nascent market for gallium nitride and silicon carbide wide bandgap semiconductors as plucky startups are snapped up by established power IC manufacturers. Hence, it is forecasting the GaN/SiC sector will exceed $1 billion in revenues in 2021.

Source: GaN, SiC Stage a Power Play | EE Times

Chip Manufacturing Equipment Spending to Hit Record High $70B in 2021 

MILPITAS, Calif. — July 21, 2020 — Global sales of semiconductor manufacturing equipment by original equipment manufacturers are projected to increase six percent to $63.2 billion in 2020 compared to $59.6 billion in 2019 before logging record high revenue of $70 billion in 2021 on the strength of double-digit growth, SEMI announced today in releasing its Mid-Year Total Semiconductor Equipment Forecast – OEM Perspective at the annual SEMICON West exposition.

Source: Chip Manufacturing Equipment Spending to Hit Record High $70 Billion in 2021 After Strong 2020, SEMI Reports | SEMI

Obsolescence: not the end of the world 

Electronic Component life-cycles—the time between market introduction and formal end-of-life—are shortening. A large part of the world’s semiconductor demand is driven by consumer electronics, and this market typically has shorter and shorter product lives. Component obsolescence is affecting more companies, more regularly than ever before. Manufacturers in the automotive, industrial, medical, transport, aerospace and military markets have product lives which now far exceed those of the components which go to make them.

Source: Obsolescence: not the end of the world | Editorials, Editors Choice, Europe, Global, North America, Obsolescence, Obsolescence, Obsolescence, On Ticker, top articles, UK News

Analog Devices Announces Acquisition of Maxim Integrated

NORWOOD, Mass. & SAN JOSE, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Analog Devices, Inc. (Nasdaq: ADI) and Maxim Integrated Products, Inc. (Nasdaq: MXIM) today announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement under which ADI will acquire Maxim in an all stock transaction that values the combined enterprise at over $68 billion2. The transaction, which was unanimously approved by the Boards of Directors of both companies, will strengthen ADI as an analog semiconductor leader with increased breadth and scale across multiple attractive end markets.

Source: Analog Devices Announces Combination with Maxim Integrated, Strengthening Analog Semiconductor Leadership | Business Wire

II-VI relying on GE’s IP to conquer power SiC markets

As announced at the end of June, engineered materials and optoelectronic component maker II-VI Inc of Saxonburg, PA, USA – which manufactures silicon carbide (SiC) substrates – has licensed SiC technology from General Electric with a view to moving into power device and module manufacturing. Just like II-VI’s main competitors in the SiC wafer market – US-based Cree/Wolfspeed and Japan-based Rohm Group Company (including SiCrystal) – the new licensee aims to capitalize on the growing market demand for SiC-based power electronics, driven by the fast development of electric vehicle and hybrid electric vehicle (EV/HEV) applications.

Source: II-VI relying on GE’s IP to conquer power SiC markets

Next Challenge: Known Good Systems

The leading edge of design is heading toward multi-die/multi-chiplet architectures, and an increasing number of mainstream designs likely will follow as processing moves closer to the edge.This doesn’t mean every chipmaker will be designing leading-edge chips, of course. But more devices will have at least some leading-edge logic or will be connected over some advanced interconnect scheme to one or more of those leading-edge chips or chiplets. The challenge will be verifying and debugging all of these devices in the context of how they will be used, and then testing them repeatedly in the lab, in manufacturing, during and after packaging, and for as long as they are used in the field.

Source: Next Challenge: Known Good Systems