01. SK Hynix investigates use of its chips in Huawei phone
SK Hynix Inc. has opened an investigation into the use of its chips in the latest phone from Huawei Technologies Co., after a teardown of the device revealed its memory and flash storage inside.
02. Memory module houses hesitant to sell NAND flash inventory at low prices
Memory module manufacturers' reluctance to sell existing NAND flash inventories at low prices has driven up spot market prices since the end of August, according to industry sources.
03. Newport Wafer Fab cuts 100 jobs
September 8, 2023, According to reports, British wafer manufacturer Newport Wafer Fab (NWF) is laying off 100 employees due to uncertainty about future ownership caused by acquisition restrictions.
In 2021, NWF was sold to Dutch chipmaker Nexperia for 63 million pounds ($79 million), but the deal was blocked by the government at the time because Nexperia was acquired by Chinese company Wingtech Technology.
Nexperia recently proposed laying off 100 employees, and a spokesman said it had to cancel the investment. “This was a business decision that was not taken lightly, but one we made to protect the future viability of the fab.”
04. Marvell announces expansion in India
September 5, 2023, According to reports, Marvell Technology, Inc. recently announced its future development strategy in India, planning to set up a new office in Pune, double the number of employees, and add more laboratories and servers.
05. SIA: Global semiconductor sales up 2.3% Month-to-Month in July
September 8, 2023, The Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) recently announced that global semiconductor sales in July 2023 totaled $43.2 billion, an increase of 2.3% from the total of $42.2 billion in June 2023, but a decrease of 11.8% from the total of $49 billion in July 2022.
Regionally, month-to-month sales increased in the Americas (6.3%), China (2.6%), Europe (0.5%), and Asia Pacific/All Other (0.3%), but decreased slightly in Japan (-1.0%). Year-to-year sales were up in Europe (5.9%), but down in Japan (-4.3%), the Americas (-7.1%), Asia Pacific/All Other (-16.2%), and China (-18.7%).
06. SEMI: Global semiconductor equipment sales expected to rebound in 2024
September 7, 2023, According to SEMI, total global semiconductor equipment sales this year will drop 18.6% from $107.4 billion last year to $87.4 billion, and are expected to rebound in 2024, returning to $100 billion.
SEMI pointed out that the semiconductor equipment market has entered a period of adjustment in 2023 after years of growth. However, driven by high-performance computing and networking, a strong rebound is expected next year, and the market will grow steadily in the long term.
07. Output of the top ten foundries fell 1.1% quarter-on-quarter in the second quarter
According to the latest report from TrendForce, the output of the world's top ten foundries continued to decline in the second quarter, with a quarter-on-quarter decrease of approximately 1.1%, reaching $26.2 billion.