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

Global Semiconductor Sales Increase 5.8% Year-to-Year in May

WASHINGTON—July 3, 2020— The Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) today announced worldwide sales of semiconductors were $35.0 billion in May 2020, an increase of 5.8 percent from the May 2019 total of $33.0 billion and 1.5 percent more than the April 2020 total of $34.4 billion. Monthly sales are compiled by the World Semiconductor Trade Statistics (WSTS) organization and represent a three-month moving average. Additionally, a newly released WSTS industry forecast projects annual global sales will increase 3.3 percent in 2020 and 6.2 percent in 2021. 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 5.8 Percent Year-to-Year in May; Annual Sales Projected to Increase 3.3 Percent in 2020, 6.2 Percent in 2021 – Semiconductor Industry Association

ams digital X-ray readout IC pro vides clearer images at lower radiation doses

Premstaetten, Austria (June 29, 2020) — ams (SIX: AMS), a leading worldwide supplier of high performance sensor solutions, today introduces a new readout integrated circuit (IC) for digital X-ray flat panel detectors (FPDs) that provides clinicians with clearer images while reducing the patient’s exposure to radiation. The new AS5850A digital readout IC is a 16-bit, 256-channel charge-to-digital converter for use in static and dynamic digital X-ray scanners, digital radiography, mammography, fluoroscopy, and interventional imaging.

Source: as5850a digital readout IC – as5850a digital readout IC | ams

Panthronics NFC wireless charging IC

GaN Enabling a Revolution in Charger Design 

Gallium nitride (GaN) switch technology has enabled a major advance in the miniaturization of chargers and adapters. GaN transistors switch very efficiently. This allows the development of converters that can either operate at much higher switching frequency than a circuit using equivalent silicon devices, potentially reducing transformer size, or provide solutions that deliver significant system efficiency improvements, reducing or eliminating the need for heat sinks.

Source: GaN Enabling a Revolution in Charger Design | EE Times

Global semiconductor sales down 1.2% in April 2020

Global semiconductor sales in April 2020 were USD 34.434 billion, up 6.1% versus the same month in 2019, says the European Semiconductor Industry Association (ESIA). Looking at monthly data, sales in April went down 1.2% versus the previous month, as the economic slow-down caused by the COVID-19 pandemic affects the semiconductor market.

Source: Evertiq – Global semiconductor sales down 1.2 percent in April 2020