01. Global semiconductor manufacturing industry expected to recover in 2024
According to the latest report from SEMI, the global semiconductor manufacturing industry is recovering, with electronic products and IC sales growing in the last quarter of 2023, and more growth is expected in 2024.
In Q4 2023, electronics sales edged up 1% Year-over-Year (YoY), marking the first annual rise since the second half of 2022, and growth is projected to continue in Q1 2024 with a 3% YoY increase. At the same time, IC sales returned to growth with a 10% YoY jump in Q4 2023 as demand improved and inventories started to normalize. IC sales are forecast to strengthen in Q1 2024 with 18% YoY growth.
02. SK Hynix Announces Complete Sales of HBM for the Year
South Korean memory giant SK Hynix has confirmed record-breaking sales of High Bandwidth Memory (HBM) over the past few months, driving profitability in the fourth quarter and predicting an industry-wide recovery.
According to Wccftech, SK Hynix Vice President Kim Ki-tae stated on February 21st that the demand for HBM, as an AI memory solution, is experiencing explosive growth as generative AI services become increasingly diverse and continue to evolve.
Kim Ki-tae emphasized that their HBM products have already sold out for this year. Although it’s just the beginning of 2024, the company has already begun gearing up for 2025.
03. Nvidia launches H200 GPU, shipments Q2 2024
Nvidia launched its Nvidia H200 GPU, which will offer faster memory and more bandwidth for generative AI workloads. The H200 will ship in the second quarter of 2024.
Nvidia's H200 is the first to offer HBM3e, which gives the H200 the ability to deliver 141GB of memory at 4.8 terabytes per second. That tally is a big jump in capacity and bandwidth relative to the Nvidia A100. The H200 serves as the base for the Nvidia HGX H200 AI computing platform based on the company's Hopper architecture.
04. Kyocera to build crystal oscillator factory in U.S.
According to reports, Kyocera plans to build a factory in Pennsylvania, USA, to produce crystal oscillators for satellites and other aerospace equipment. The factory will be built on the campus of Pennsylvania State University in Erie.
Kyocera plans to spend billions of yen to build the factory, which is expected to start operations in March 2025. Production equipment will be transferred to the new factory from the Bliley factory, which was acquired by a Kyocera subsidiary in 2023.
05. Samsung NAND production reduction still at 50% despite price rises
Following the rising prices in NAND Flash, Samsung Electronics maintains a conservative approach to its production strategy. Industry experts believe that the current price increase only reflects the effect of major manufacturers reducing production.