The SIA News Roundup is sent out each Friday compiling relevant clips from the week. You can sign up to receive the SIA News Roundup here.
The SIA News Roundup is sent out each Friday compiling relevant clips from the week. You can sign up to receive the SIA News Roundup here.
SIA Urges U.S. Government Action to Strengthen America’s Semiconductor Supply Chain
Press Release
The Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) today submitted comments to the U.S. Department of Commerce in response to President Biden’s executive order on securing America’s critical supply chains.
Global Semiconductor Sales Up 14.7% Year-to-Year in February
Press Release
“Global semiconductor sales during the first two months of the year have outpaced sales from early in 2020, when the pandemic began to spread in parts of the world,” said John Neuffer, SIA president and CEO. “Sales into the China market saw the largest year-to-year growth, largely because sales there were down substantially early last year.”
Chip sales up 15% as leaders focus on government subsidies
Fierce Electronics
The SIA last week released a study with Boston Consulting Group that continued SIA’s strong push for government support for bolstering the strength of the domestic semiconductor supply chain. SIA Board Chairman Bob Bruggeworth, also CEO of Qorvo said U.S. investments in semiconductor manufacturing and research “will help address vulnerabilities in the supply chain and ensure more of the essential chips our country needs are produced domestically.”
Chip shortage shows no signs of abating, may drag into 2022
Ars Technica
Making chips is a slow process. Even when manufacturing capacity is in place, it can take up to 26 weeks to produce a chip from the time an order is placed, said Falan Yinug, director of industry statistics and economic policy at the Semiconductor Industry Association. “That’s just the physics of manufacturing chips,” he said. “Good news is coming, but you can’t speed up the process.”
Could more U.S. chip production lead to price increases?
Fierce Electronics
Chip industry officials added their voices to increasing cries for more U.S. investment in chip R&D and domestic manufacturing during a virtual presentation sponsored by the Semiconductor Industry Association.
Feb. Global Semi Sales Up 15%
Printed Circuit Design & Fab
Global semiconductor industry sales were $39.6 billion in February, an increase of 14.7% year-over-year, down 1% sequentially, according to the Semiconductor Industry Association.
U.S. Senate readying legislation on semiconductors, Biden says
Reuters
U.S. Senate leaders are preparing to introduce legislation on semiconductors, President Joe Biden said as the nation wrestles with an ongoing shortage of the critical technology used in a range of devices from cars to computers.
Why threats to Taiwan are a nightmare for tech
Axios
Threats to Taiwan, the self-governing island only slightly bigger than Maryland, are sending shivers through the global tech industry. Why it matters: Taiwan is home to 92% of the world’s leading-edge chip manufacturing operations and a vital center for producing other tech components, including laptops and PC motherboards.
Chinese tech firms with ties to the military added to US blacklist
CNN
The Biden administration is keeping up the pressure on Chinese technology firms by adding more companies to a Commerce Department blacklist. Seven Chinese businesses with ties to the military were added to the so-called Entity List in a move that restricts US firms from dealing with the companies.
U.S. Senate panel to hold hearing on tech bill to combat China
Reuters
The U.S. Senate Commerce Committee will hold a hearing on April 14 on a bipartisan measure to bolster U.S. technology research and development efforts in a bid to address Chinese competition. The bill, titled the “Endless Frontier Act,” was first proposed in 2020 calling for $110 billion over five years to advance U.S. technology efforts and cosponsored by Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer and Republican Senator Todd Young.
Italy Blocked Chinese Semiconductor Bid, Draghi Says
South China Morning Post
Prime Minister Mario Draghi said he backs an extension of state protection for Italian businesses, after revealing that his government recently blocked a Chinese takeover of a semiconductor company.
U.S. Forges Ahead on $1 Billion Tariff Plan Over Digital Taxes
Bloomberg
The U.S. is pressing ahead with plans to hit six nations that tax Internet-based companies with retaliatory tariffs that could total almost $1 billion annually.
Biden to welcome Japan’s prime minister as administration’s first foreign leader at the White House
Fox News
The White House will welcome Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga in April as the first foreign leader to meet with President Biden, officials announced Friday. The visit signals strengthening ties between the U.S. and Japan as the Biden administration seeks to distance itself from U.S. reliance on China.
Half of UK firms expect long-term post-Brexit disruption – survey
Reuters
The majority of British firms have faced disruption with trade with the European Union since Brexit, with many expecting the problem to last for some time, according to a survey. The Survation survey for London First/EY, conducted in February, found 75% had experienced some disruption, even though 71% said they had felt prepared for the changes.
Researchers report breakthrough that enables practical semiconductor spintronics
Phys.Org
It may be possible in the future to use information technology where electron spin is used to store, process and transfer information in quantum computers. It has long been the goal of scientists to be able to use spin-based quantum information technology at room temperature.
Interconnects In A Domain-Specific World
Semiconducting Engineering
Moving data around is probably the least interesting aspect of system design, but it is one of three legs that defines the key performance indicators (KPI) for a system. Computation, memory, and interconnect all need to be balanced. Otherwise, resources are wasted and performance is lost.
Energy Harvesting Shows New Signs Of Life
Semiconducting Engineering
Energy harvesting is seeing renewed activity in select markets, years after some high-profile attempts to build this into consumer electronics stalled out.
AI In Inspection, Metrology, And Test
Semiconductor Engineering
AI/ML is creeping into multiple processes within the fab and packaging houses, although not necessarily for the purpose it was originally intended. The chip industry is just beginning to learn where AI makes sense and where it doesn’t.
Study Identifies Benefits and Vulnerabilities of Global Semiconductor Supply Chain, Recommends Government Actions to Strengthen It
Press Release
The Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA), in partnership with the Boston Consulting Group (BCG), today released a study, “Strengthening the Global Semiconductor Supply Chain in an Uncertain Era,” analyzing the benefits and vulnerabilities of the global semiconductor supply chain and recommending government actions to ensure its long-term strength and resilience.
President Biden’s Infrastructure Plan Would Strengthen U.S. Leadership in Semiconductors
Press Release
The Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) released a statement from President and CEO John Neuffer regarding President Biden’s infrastructure proposal, which would invest in domestic semiconductor manufacturing, research, and workforce development.
Global chip supply chain increasingly vulnerable to massive disruption, study finds
Reuters
A new study from a U.S. industry group, the Semiconductor Industry Association, found that the global semiconductor supply chain has become increasingly vulnerable to natural disasters and geopolitical disruptions because suppliers have become more concentrated in distinct regions.
The Agency at the Center of America’s Tech Fight With China
New York Times
John Neuffer, the chief executive of the Semiconductor Industry Association, said that China accounted for about one-third of his industry’s revenue, and that it would be “disastrous” for semiconductor companies to not have access to such a huge and growing market.
Biden Calls for $50 Billion to Boost U.S. Chip Industry
Wall Street Journal
“Semiconductors are foundational to America’s economy and job creation, national security, and critical infrastructure,” SIA President John Neuffer said in a written statement that supported Mr. Biden’s initiative.
Study Shows How Fragile Semiconductor Industry Still Is
Tom’s Hardware
The Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) and Boston Consulting Group (BCG) published a report today detailing the, well, semiconductor industry’s weaknesses as the entire world attempts to figure out how to respond to the ongoing chip shortage.
Global Chip Supply Chain Increasingly Vulnerable to Massive Disruption: Study
Gadgets360
Modern chipmaking involves more than a thousand steps and requires complex intellectual property, tools and chemicals from around the world. But the Semiconductor Industry Association, representing most US chipmakers, on Thursday said it found more than 50 places in the supply chain where a single region has more than 65 percent market share.
Business reaction to Biden’s infrastructure plan varies broadly
Fierce Electronics
The Semiconductor Industry Association said Wednesday that the Biden plan “would invest ambitiously in U.S. semiconductor workers, manufacturing and innovation. Semiconductors are foundational to America’s economy and job creation, national security and critical infrastructure. We applaud the president’s leadership.”
Biden’s Infrastructure Plan: Which Sectors Would Benefit?
Wall Street Journal
“Semiconductors are a clear winner,” Mr. Kaminski wrote, with the industry being offered “$50 billion to subsidize domestic research and manufacturing”…. “We applaud the president’s leadership on this issue,” the Semiconductor Industry Association said in a statement welcoming his offer. The group appeared less enthusiastic, however, about Mr. Biden’s plan to fund the subsidies with an increase in corporate taxes, adding that it hoped the president would ensure “a globally competitive corporate tax system.”
China cuts taxes to spur semiconductor development
Associated Press
China announced tax breaks to spur growth of its semiconductor industry following U.S. sanctions that alarmed the ruling Communist Party by cutting off access to American processor chips for tech giant Huawei and some other companies.
China manufacturing rebounds in March amid tech, virus risks
Associated Press
China’s factory activity rebounded in March from a three-month slowdown as export orders rose, a survey shows. A monthly index of manufacturing issued by the China’s statistics agency and an industry group rose to 51.9 from February’s 50.6 on a 100-point scale on which numbers above 50 show activity expanding.
Chip charge: Chinese phone, car, home appliance companies join semiconductor rush
Reuters
Smartphone maker Xiaomi has joined a rush of Chinese tech companies venturing into the semiconductor sector, announcing a new chip to help smartphone cameras process images.
China’s Tech Giants Have Chip Ambitions, Too
Wall Street Journal
China has pushed hard to be self-sufficient in semiconductors, and state-backed chip firms have raised huge sums. But Beijing’s ambitions will ultimately depend on the country’s vibrant private sector, too. Chinese leaders have listed advanced semiconductors among the core technologies they view as choke points vulnerable to foreign pressure, a problem clearly demonstrated by the Huawei saga.
New Trade Representative Says U.S. Isn’t Ready to Lift China Tariffs
Wall Street Journal
The U.S. isn’t ready to lift tariffs on Chinese imports in the near future, but might be open to trade negotiations with Beijing, according to U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai.
U.K.-U.S. Trade Deal Is Likely Years Away as Biden Shifts Focus
Bloomberg
The U.K. and the U.S. are unlikely to be ready to strike a trade deal before 2023, in a blow to British hopes of a quick win from Brexit, according to people familiar with the matter. President Joe Biden’s administration is focused on other priorities such as China and investing in domestic programs to boost the U.S. economy, and his legal power to fast-track a trade accord through Congress is due to expire on July 1.
USTR’s Tai tells European officials she wants ‘more positive’ trade ties
Reuters
U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai told European officials she wanted to develop “a more positive and productive” trade relationship with Europe, despite disputes over aircraft subsidies and digital services taxes.
Computing Where Data Resides
Semiconductor Engineering
Computational storage is starting to gain traction as system architects come to grips with the rising performance, energy and latency impacts of moving large amounts of data between processors and hierarchical memory and storage.
New Uses For AI
Semiconductor Engineering
AI is being embedded into an increasing number of technologies that are commonly found inside most chips, and initial results show dramatic improvements in both power and performance.
How To Measure ML Model Accuracy
Semiconductor Engineering
Machine learning (ML) is about making predictions about new data based on old data. The quality of any machine-learning algorithm is ultimately determined by the quality of those predictions.
SIA Statement on Meeting with U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo
Press Release
“We greatly appreciated meeting with Secretary Raimondo yesterday to discuss advancing policies – including federal investments in domestic semiconductor manufacturing and research and ensuring access to global markets – that will strengthen the competitiveness of the U.S. chip industry and spur growth and innovation throughout our economy. We look forward to working with the Secretary and other leaders in the Administration and Congress to ensure continued U.S. leadership in this foundational technology.”
Combating semiconductor shortage a priority, U.S. Commerce chief says
Reuters
“As Secretary of Commerce, combating the semiconductor shortage and investing in American manufacturing of semiconductor technology is going to be a priority of mine and I look forward to working alongside leaders like the Semiconductor Industry Association,” Raimondo said in a statement released by the Commerce Department.
Jobs Act potentially a boon for semiconductor research
Electronics360
“At a time when federal funding for chip research has been flat as a share of GDP for years, even as the governments of global competitors are massively increasing their research investments, robust tax incentives for private sector research assume even greater importance,” said John Neuffer, president and CEO at SIA. “We applaud the bipartisan group of leaders in Congress for introducing this timely legislation to promote U.S. R&D, urge its swift enactment, and look forward to working with policymakers to advance semiconductor research in the United States.”
Bold Federal Investments in Semiconductor Technology Needed to Grow U.S. Economy and Create Jobs of the Future
Morning Consult – Op-Ed by Bob Bruggeworth, 2021 SIA Chair and President, CEO, & Director of Qorvo
To reinforce U.S. leadership in the technologies critical to innovation, jobs, national security, and our resilience to future crises, policymakers must prioritize the bedrock of modern technology — semiconductors.
Raimondo Steps into ‘Privacy Shield’ Talks and Bones Up On the Semiconductor Shortage
Politico
Raimondo met with senior executives from the Semiconductor Industry Association to discuss steps that could be taken to address the current shortage of chips and to boost U.S. production over the long term. “Semiconductors are America’s fourth largest export, and critical to our economic competitiveness and national security,” she said in a statement after the meeting. “I believe we need to make strong investments in domestic manufacturing, research, and workforce, and help strengthen America’s global leadership in semiconductor manufacturing and innovation.”
In charts: Asia’s manufacturing dominance
Financial Times
The Semiconductor Industry Association, a US trade body, and Boston Consulting Group, the consultancy, estimate that a new fabrication facility to produce semiconductors could cost roughly one-third more to build and operate in the US over 10 years than a similar facility in Taiwan, South Korea or Singapore.
From houses to cars and bikes, everything is getting more expensive as supply-chain issues cripple the economic reopening
Business Insider
John Neuffer, the president of the Semiconductor Industry Association, told The New York Times that while chip companies have been working hard to meet demand, it takes time to develop such complex products.
Why a global chip shortage is screwing up America’s pickup trucks
Recode
Because chip manufacturing is a long, complex process — the Semiconductor Industry Association says lead times for semiconductor orders can be as long as 26 weeks — surging demand and limited supply have caused ripple effects that the manufacturers and customers are still feeling a year later. “Making a semiconductor is perhaps the most highly complex manufacturing process on the planet,” Falan Yinug, SIA’s director of industry statistics and economic policy, told Recode. “It can involve more than a thousand process steps and hundreds of advanced machines needed to pack tens of billions of transistors on a chip the size of a quarter.”
US-China tech war: state-led economy crucial to meet challenges of American sanctions, says prominent economist
South China Morning Post
China’s socialist economic model that mixes strong government direction and support within a market economy is the key to faster development and meeting technology challenges posed by US sanctions, according to Bai Chong-en, dean of the School of Economics and Management at Tsinghua University.
Move Over Huawei, Xiaomi Is China’s New Smartphone King
Wall Street Journal
The swift decline in Huawei Technologies Co.’s smartphone business under the weight of U.S. sanctions has left an opening in the market. A different Chinese technology giant is filling the void, Xiaomi Corp.
China’s tech giants face a reckoning with the regulators
Financial Times
Consumers occupy a peculiar role in China’s tech landscape. They are valued customers of the gigantic platforms such as Tencent, ByteDance and Alibaba, whose strategists try to anticipate their every need. But they tend to lack a collective voice, meaning it is hard to fight privacy violations or manipulative selling strategies.
U.K.-U.S. Trade Talks Can Build on Trump’s Plan, Envoy Says
Bloomberg
Trade talks with the U.S. will seek to build on “well-channeled lines” established during negotiations with the Trump administration while seeking to incorporate new priorities favored by President Joe Biden, the U.K. envoy to Washington said.
U.S. Speaks with EU, U.K. About Resolving Airbus-Boeing Dispute
Bloomberg
President Joe Biden’s trade representative held her first meetings with counterparts from the European Union and U.K. with all sides expressing desire to resolve a dispute over subsidies to manufacturers Boeing Co. and Airbus SE.
U.S. trade chief Tai talks WTO, China, climate in first calls with counterparts
Reuters
New U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai pledged to rebuild alliances and actively engage on international trade in her first calls as the top U.S. trade negotiator with key partners and the World Trade Organization.
Semiconductor qubits scale in two dimensions
Science Daily
The heart of any computer, its central processing unit, is built using semiconductor technology, which is capable of putting billions of transistors onto a single chip. Now, researchers have shown that this technology can be used to build a two-dimensional array of qubits to function as a quantum processor.
Gallium Oxide: The Supercharged Semiconductor
IEEE Spectrum
Today, GaN is the undisputed champion for solid-state RF power applications, and it has arrived in radar, 5G wireless, and will soon be common in the power inverters used in electric vehicles. You can even buy GaN-based USB wall chargers now that have remarkably high power levels for their compact size.
Demand For IC Resilience Drives Methodology Changes
Semiconductor Engineering
Applications that demand safety, security, and resilience are driving new ways of thinking about design, verification, and the long-term reliability of chips on a mass scale.
What Goes Wrong In Advanced Packages
Semiconductor Engineering
Advanced packaging may be the best way forward for massive improvements in performance, lower power, and different form factors, but it adds a whole new set of issues that were much better understood when Moore’s Law and the ITRS roadmap created a semi-standardized path forward for the chip industry.
EUV Pellicles Finally Ready
Semiconductor Engineering
After a period of delays, EUV pellicles are emerging and becoming a requirement in high-volume production of critical chips.
American Innovation and Jobs Act Would Advance U.S. Leadership in Semiconductor Research
Press Release
“The semiconductor industry is among the most R&D-intensive sectors in the world, and semiconductor innovation is critical to America’s ability to create and lead the game-changing technologies of today and tomorrow.”
U.S. Must Fabricate High-End Chips Again
WSJ – Letter to the Editor by John Neuffer
Your editorial “The Semiconductor Shortage” (March 13) is right that government action is not needed to correct the short-term supply-demand imbalance causing the global chip shortage, but wrong that the U.S. can “prod” its way to stronger domestic semiconductor production and more secure chip supply chains in the long term.
World going through unprecedented chip shortage, China trade body says
Reuters
The world is going through an unprecedented chip shortage, Zhou Zixue, a senior official with the China Semiconductor Industry Association, said on Wednesday, after semiconductor sales grew 18% last year.
China slams US plan to expel phone carriers in tech clash
Associated Press
China’s government called on Washington to drop efforts to expel three state-owned Chinese phone companies from the United States in a new clash over technology and security. The Federal Communications Commission voted to begin revoking the companies’ U.S. licenses due to security risk.
China’s top chipmaker to build a $2.35 billion plant with government funding
CNBC
Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation (SMIC), China’s largest and most important chipmaker, is building a new factory in Shenzhen that will cost $2.35 billion. The company and the government of the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen will jointly put capital into the project.
US and China trade angry words at high-level Alaska talks
BBC
US and Chinese officials have exchanged sharp rebukes in the first high-level talks between the Biden administration and China, taking place in Alaska. Chinese officials accused the US of inciting countries “to attack China”, while the US said China had “arrived intent on grandstanding”.
US and China trade barbs after Blinken warns of need to respect global order or face a ‘more violent world’
CNN
A first face-to-face meeting between US and Chinese officials got off to a heated start in Anchorage, Alaska, on Thursday as US Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s statement that the Biden administration would bring up “deep concerns” about some of China’s actions around the world was met with immediate pushback from Chinese counterparts, sparking an unusually public exchange of diplomatic barbs.
Tai confirmed as top U.S. trade negotiator
Washington Post
Katherine Tai, a longtime congressional staff lawyer, won Senate confirmation as the first woman of color to serve as the top U.S. trade negotiator. The Senate approved her nomination 98-0, marking a rare bipartisan agreement in a deeply-divided Washington.
U.S. Trade Czar Tai to Discuss Trade Deal With U.K. Next Week
Bloomberg
Newly confirmed U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai will speak with her British counterpart, Secretary Liz Truss, next week to further talks on a possible trade agreement. The call between Tai and Truss will likely happen Monday, according to a person familiar with the matter, who asked not to be identified because the plans are private.
U.S. Wants India’s Help on China, but There Are a Few Sticking Points
Wall Street Journal
The Biden administration is working to embed India in a network of countries in sharp competition with China, though they need to smooth over disagreements that include human rights and New Delhi’s acquisition of a Russian defense system.
Long Lead Times Seen For Equipment
Semiconductor Engineering
A story that has been overlooked in the many semiconductor stories in 2021 is the long lead times for semiconductor equipment. In some cases, lead times have stretched out to 12 months or more for some equipment. Some tools, including 200mm systems, simply aren’t available.
Designing 2.5D Systems
Semiconductor Engineering
As more designs hit the reticle limit, or suffer from decreasing yield, migrating to 2.5D designs may provide a path forward. But this kind of advanced packaging also comes with some additional business, organizational, and technical challenges.
Chasing After Carbon Nanotube FETs
Semiconductor Engineering
Carbon nanotube transistors are finally making progress for potential use in advanced logic chips after nearly a quarter century in R&D. The question now is whether they will move out of the lab and into the fab.
The semiconductor chip shortage, what’s causing it, why it matters, and what we need to do about it / John Neuffer, President and CEO, Semiconductor Industry Association.
GoodStory
There’s a global semiconductor chip shortage brought on by the massive supply chain disruptions due to the COVID-19 pandemic. And it’s hurting U.S. industries in a big way.
China’s Rise Drives a U.S. Experiment in Industrial Policy
WSJ
“This industry is fiercely competitive and fiercely market driven,” said John Neuffer, head of the SIA. “There is one piece here where we don’t have a level playing field, and that’s the semiconductor manufacturing. This one piece of our industry needs fixing.” With a $50 billion incentive program, the SIA predicts the U.S. share of capacity would rise to 14% in a decade. Time, it says, is of the essence: Manufacturers are deciding now on locations that will lift capacity 56% in the next decade.
Is the chip shortage a “crisis”? Depends who’s talking
Fierce Electronics
The large chipmaker trade organization, Semiconductor Industry Association, has notably avoided calling the semi shortage a “crisis” but does refer to it as a “global chip shortage.” In a blog, SIA’s director of industry statistics and economic policy Falan Yinug said the semi industry is “substantially increasing its fab capacity utilization, a term that refers to the percentage of total available manufacturing capacity that is being used at any given time.”
A Global Computer Chip Shortage Shows Danger of U.S. Production Trends
Scientific American
President Joe Biden’s executive order calling for a review of supply chains for critical products put a spotlight on the decades-long decline in U.S. semiconductor manufacturing capacity. Semiconductors are the logic and memory chips used in computers, phones, vehicles and appliances. The U.S. share of global semiconductor fabrication is only 12%, down from 37% in 1990, according to the Semiconductor Industry Association.
Tech Continues Push for Semiconductor Funding
Politico
“Taking these actions will help to spur U.S. chip manufacturing, solidify U.S. leadership in semiconductor research and development, and better meet the projected long-term growth in the demand for chips,” nine associations wrote in a new letter. It is signed by the Information Technology Industry Council, Semiconductor Industry Association, TechNet and BSA | The Software Alliance, among others.
Europe seeks semiconductor boost, first quantum computer
Reuters
The European Union wants to produce a fifth of the global output of cutting-edge semiconductors at the end of this decade and make its first quantum computer in five years, as part of efforts to cut its dependence on non-European technologies.
Apple to open semiconductor center in Germany
Automotive News Europe
Apple plans to establish a European silicon design center in Munich, Germany, and invest more than 1 billion euros ($1.2 billion) over the next three years in expanding its team there and in research and development.
Chinese exports surge as global demand recovers from virus
Associated Press
China’s exports surged 60.6% over a year earlier in the first two months of 2021, after factories reopened and global demand started to recover from the coronavirus pandemic. Exports rose to $468.9 billion, customs data showed, accelerating from December’s 18.1% gain and nearly double the growth expected by forecasters.
China’s semiconductor imports surged year-on-year in January-February period amid global chip shortage
South China Morning Post
Despite vows by foundries to quickly ramp up capacity expansion plans, industry experts warned that the supply-demand imbalance cannot be solved by “flipping a switch”. “Semiconductor manufacturing is not suited to rapid and large shifts in demand, since it takes time to ramp up semiconductor production,” US trade group the Semiconductor Industry Association said in a recent report.
China Targets AI, Chips Among Seven Battlefronts in Tech Race With U.S.
WSJ
In a draft economic blueprint unveiled at the country’s annual legislative gathering, officials said they would boost research and development spending by more than 7% annually over the five years to the end of 2025. That will account for a higher percentage of gross domestic product than in the previous five-year period.
U.S. Trade Deficit Widened in January as Americans Bought More Imported Goods
WSJ
The U.S. trade deficit widened in January as American consumers stepped up purchases of computers, cellphones, flat-screen TVs and other imported products. The deficit in trade of goods and services expanded by 1.9% to a seasonally adjusted $68.2 billion in January, the Commerce Department said, compared with a $66.97 billion gap in December.
Biden smooths tensions with Europe, pausing tariffs in Boeing-Airbus dispute
Politico
President Joe Biden moved to smooth over trade tensions with the European Union by agreeing to temporarily suspend duties the two sides have imposed on billions of dollars of each other’s goods in a long-running aircraft subsidy dispute involving aerospace rivals Boeing and Airbus.
UK delays post-Brexit import checks to give more time to prepare
Reuters
Britain delayed the introduction of a range of post-Brexit import checks on goods from the European Union by around six months, saying businesses needed more time to prepare because of the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.
Domain-Specific Memory
Semiconductor Engineering
Domain-specific computing may be all the rage, but it is avoiding the real problem. The bigger concern is the memories that throttle processor performance, consume more power, and take up the most chip area.
MRAM Evolves In Multiple Directions
Semiconductor Engineering
Magnetoresistive RAM (MRAM) is one of several new non-volatile memory technologies targeting broad commercial availability but designing MRAM into chips and systems isn’t as simple as adding other types of memory.
Preventing Chips From Burning Up During Test
Semiconductor Engineering
It’s become increasingly difficult to manage the heat generated during IC test. Absent the proper mitigations, it’s easy to generate so much heat that probe cards and chips literally can burn up. As a result, implementing temperature-management techniques is becoming a critical part of IC testing.
AI Commission Calls for Federal Investments in Semiconductor Manufacturing and Research
Blog Post
Today, the National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence (NSCAI) released its final report outlining a comprehensive strategy to meet the opportunities and challenges of the emerging AI era.
Global Semiconductor Sales Increase 13.2% year-to-year in January
Press Release
“Global semiconductor sales got off to a strong start in 2021, increasing both year-to-year and month-to-month in January,” said John Neuffer, SIA president and CEO. “Global semiconductor production is on the rise to meet increasing demand and ease the ongoing chip shortage affecting the auto sector and others, and annual sales are projected to increase in 2021.”
Industrial policy: If China does it, why can’t we?
Market Place
“In 1990, we accounted for 37% of global semiconductor production. Now we account for 12%,” said John Neuffer, president of the Semiconductor Industry Association. “Central governments all around the world give massive incentives to build semiconductor fabrication facilities, or fabs. The U.S. government does not do that.” There’s growing bipartisan support now to change that. The defense authorization act passed last year laid the groundwork for multibillion-dollar incentives to build plants.
From Politics to PlayStation 5: A Timeline of the Silicon Chip Supply Disruption
Cheddar
According to the Semiconductor Industry Association, America’s share of the global industry has fallen from 37 percent in 1990 to 12 percent today. While many U.S. industry leaders and politicians have long encouraged and actively facilitated globalization, coronavirus has created a new awareness of the vulnerabilities that can come with a world-spanning supply chain.
Semi sales jump 13% as chipmakers woo Congress for billions
Fierce Electronics
Semiconductor Industry Association President John Neuffer took the growth as an opportunity to note that the production increase is helping meet increasing demand which will “ease the ongoing chip shortage affecting the auto sector and others.” He also noted that annual sales are projected to rise in 2021.
As China Rises, the US Builds Toward a Bigger Role in AI
WIRED
On February 11, the Semiconductor Industry Association asked the president to increase funding for semiconductor manufacturing. The letter notes that America’s share of global chip manufacturing has dropped to 12 percent, from 37 percent in 1990. “Our technology leadership is at risk in the race for preeminence in the technologies of the future,” including artificial intelligence, advanced cell networks, and quantum computing,” the association wrote.
Biden can’t fix the chip shortage any time soon. Here’s why.
The Washington Post
Semiconductor executive Tom Caulfield knew a crisis was brewing when he started getting frantic calls from big automakers just before Christmas. The Santa Clara, Calif.-headquartered company did its best to ramp up production for car manufacturers at its three big factories in the United States, Germany and Singapore, Caulfield said in an interview. But its efforts alone couldn’t fix a supply problem that had been building for months as an unprecedented surge of demand far outstripped supplies across the globe, leaving manufacturers of all kinds in the lurch.
Chipmakers are hustling to make auto chips–and say it’s not a hustle
Fierce Electronics
The Semiconductor Industry Association released a blog that explained how it takes time to ramp up production for the chip shortage. There are up 1,400 steps in overall production of a chip wafer, with up to 26 weeks to manufacture a finished chip. “What this ultimately means is the semiconductor industry is currently doing all it possibly can in the short-term to increase utilization and meet increased demand both in the auto sector and more broadly for all customers,” the SIA blogger wrote.
Global semiconductor sales up 13.2% y-o-y in January to US$40b, says SIA
The Edge Markets
SIA president and chief executive officer (CEO) John Neuffer said global semiconductor sales got off to a strong start in 2021, increasing both y-o-y and month-on-month (m-o-m) in January. “Global semiconductor production is on the rise to meet increasing demand and ease the ongoing chip shortage affecting the auto sector and others, and annual sales are projected to increase in 2021,” he said.
U.S. panel recommends export ‘choke points’ to prevent Chinese dominance in semiconductors
Reuters
The National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence (NSCAI), a U.S. national security commission recommended Congress tighten up “choke points” on chipmaking technology to prevent China from overtaking the United States in semiconductors in the coming years.
China will ‘vigorously support’ semiconductor industry, IT ministry head says, as country seeks self-sufficiency in chip-making
South China Morning Post
The head of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology said China’s semiconductor industry grew three times faster in 2020 than global peers. The minister also acknowledged geopolitical challenges and addressed a new law regulating rare earths, important elements for chips.
U.S. Enlists Allies to Counter China’s Technology Push
Wall Street Journal
The Biden administration’s goal is to stay ahead of China in semiconductors, artificial intelligence and other advances that are expected to define the economy and military of the future. By combining efforts, the U.S. and its allies can vastly outspend China, whose research-and-development budget now nearly matches the U.S.
Where China is investing in semiconductors, in charts
TechNode
China is vastly increasing investment in semiconductors. In 2020, cash flowing into China’s semiconductor firms amounted to RMB 227.6 billion (around $35.2 billion) through the primary and secondary markets, a stunning 407% increase from the previous year, according to TechNode’s research.
Biden administration to consider carbon border tax as part of trade agenda: USTR
Reuters
The Biden administration said it would consider carbon border adjustment taxes to help cut greenhouse gas emissions in global trade and to combat China’s use of forced labor among Uighur Muslims in its western Xinjiang region.
US suspends tariffs on UK exports in Airbus-Boeing trade dispute
Financial Times
The US will temporarily lift punitive tariffs on £550m worth of UK exports such as Scotch whisky and Stilton cheese, imposed as part of a row with the EU over subsidies to Boeing and Airbus, in an attempt to de-escalate one of the longest trade disputes in modern history.
US Trade Deficit up 1.9% in January on Record Goods Imports
U.S. News & World Report
The level of imported goods to the U.S. in January reached unprecedented levels and pushed the trade deficit 1.9% higher as the coronavirus pandemic continues to distort global commerce.
EU lawmakers stall vote to ratify EU-UK trade deal in protest
Reuters
The European Parliament abandoned its plan to set a date for voting on the EU-UK trade deal, in protest at what the European Union sees as Britain’s unlawful changes to Northern Irish Brexit arrangements.
Scientists induce artificial ‘magnetic texture’ in graphene
Phys.Org
Graphene is incredibly strong, lightweight, conductive … the list of its superlative properties goes on. It is not, however, magnetic—a shortcoming that has stunted its usefulness in spintronics, an emerging field that scientists say could eventually rewrite the rules of electronics, leading to more powerful semiconductors, computers and other devices.
Predicting And Avoiding Failures In Automotive Chips
Semiconductor Engineering
Experts at the Table: New approaches rely on more and better data, but it also requires sharing of data across the supply chain.
Security Provisioning Moves Out Of The Factory
Semiconductor Engineering
Security credentials traditionally have been provisioned during chip manufacturing, often as a final part of the testing process. That’s starting to change. Programmable options could have big impact on supply chain readiness.
Chiplets For The Masses
Semiconductor Engineering
Chiplets are a compelling technology, but so far they are available only to a select few players in the industry. That’s changing, and the industry has taken little steps to get there, but timing for when you will be able to buy a chiplet to integrate into your system remains uncertain.
Auto OEMs Face New Competitive Threats
Semiconductor Engineering
Automotive design and manufacturing are undergoing a fundamental shift to the left as cars increasingly are electrified and chips take over more functions formerly done by mechanical parts, setting the stage for massive disruption across a supply chain that has been in place for decades.
Semiconductor Industry Welcomes President Biden’s Executive Order on Critical Supply Chains
Press Release
“We welcome today’s executive order and stand ready to work with the Biden administration to ensure the strength and resilience of America’s semiconductor supply chains. As part of this effort, we urge the president and Congress to invest ambitiously in domestic chip manufacturing and research. Doing so will ensure more of the chips our country needs are produced on U.S. shores, while also promoting sustained U.S. leadership in the technology at the heart of America’s economic strength and job creation, national security, and critical infrastructure.”
SIA Applauds Sen. Schumer Announcement on Promoting U.S. Competitiveness
Press Release
“We appreciate Sen. Schumer’s strong leadership in advancing legislation to promote U.S. semiconductor manufacturing and research and applaud his announcement today aimed at taking the next critical steps to improve U.S. competitiveness. The key to winning the global competition for leadership in the game-changing technologies of the future is to turbocharge U.S. innovation. To help accomplish that goal, we urge the Biden administration and Congress to invest boldly in domestic semiconductor manufacturing and research. Doing so will help keep the United States on top in this foundational technology, while also strengthening America’s economy, job creation, national security, and critical infrastructure.”
Chip Sales Remain Strong in Challenging Year
EE Times
Chip sales have remained strong in this challenging year, but we at the Semiconductor Industry Association believe that federal manufacturing and research investments present a crucial opportunity. Global demand for semiconductors rose to near-record highs in 2020. With millions around the globe forced to go online for many activities they would have previously done in person — from work to learning to shopping to seeing their friends and loved ones — the world relied more than ever on semiconductors and the technologies they enable. As a result, industry sales for the year ticked up 6.8% from the 2019 total, reaching $440 billion.
Biden Orders Broad Supply-Chain Review Amid Chip Shortages
WSJ
The Semiconductor Industry Association also welcomed the efforts while urging the president and Congress to invest more in domestic chip manufacturing and research. “Doing so will ensure more of the chips our country needs are produced on U.S. shores, while also promoting sustained U.S. leadership in the technology at the heart of America’s economic strength and job creation, national security, and critical infrastructure,” the group said.
Amid Shortfalls, Biden Signs Executive Order to Bolster Critical Supply Chains
NYT
Bob Bruggeworth, the chairman of the Semiconductor Industry Association and the chief executive of Qorvo, a semiconductor company, said his industry was ready to work with the Biden administration. He urged the president and Congress to “invest ambitiously” in manufacturing and research. “Doing so will ensure more of the chips our country needs are produced on U.S. shores, while also promoting sustained U.S. leadership in the technology at the heart of America’s economic strength and job creation, national security and critical infrastructure,” Mr. Bruggeworth said.
Biden to press for $37 billion to boost chip manufacturing amid shortfall
Reuters
The chip industry has pressed the Biden administration and Congress to take action to fund the provisions of the law. “We urge the president and Congress to invest ambitiously in domestic chip manufacturing and research,” the Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) said earlier on Wednesday.
Biden Signs Order Seeking Homegrown Fixes For Shortfalls Of Foreign-Made Items
NPR
John Neuffer, the chief executive of the Semiconductor Industry Association, says the shortages caused by the pandemic demonstrated how quickly problems can get out of hand if even just one piece of the supply chain is broken — or delayed. “For the long term, I think what the review is going to find is we need to have more semiconductors made here in the good ‘ol U.S. of A.,” said Neuffer.
Top U.S. Senate Democrat directs lawmakers to craft bill to counter China
Reuters
The Semiconductor Industry Association welcomed Schumer’s announcement and urged Biden and Congress to invest “boldly” in domestic semiconductor manufacturing and research. “Doing so will help keep the United States on top in this foundational technology, while also strengthening America’s economy, job creation, national security, and critical infrastructure,” SIA CEO John Neuffer said in a statement.
Executive Order Paves Way for $37bn to Boost U.S. Chip Capacity
EE Times
The industry clearly welcomed the order. The SIA released a statement from Bob Bruggeworth, president, CEO & director of Qorvo and 2021 SIA board chair. SIA represents 98 percent of the U.S. semiconductor industry by revenue. He said: “We welcome today’s executive order and stand ready to work with the Biden administration to ensure the strength and resilience of America’s semiconductor supply chains. As part of this effort, we urge the president and Congress to invest ambitiously in domestic chip manufacturing and research. Doing so will ensure more of the chips our country needs are produced on U.S. shores, while also promoting sustained U.S. leadership in the technology at the heart of America’s economic strength and job creation, national security, and critical infrastructure.”
Biden signs supply chain order after ‘positive’ meeting with lawmakers
The Hill
“We urge the president and Congress to invest ambitiously in domestic chip manufacturing and research,” SIA said. “Doing so will ensure more of the chips our country needs are produced on U.S. shores, while also promoting sustained U.S. leadership in the technology at the heart of America’s economic strength and job creation, national security, and critical infrastructure.”
Biden signs executive order to address chip shortage through a review to strengthen supply chains
CNBC
In a letter to Biden last week, several industry associations including SIA, the Advanced Medical Technology Association and the Motor & Equipment Manufacturers Association wrote that the U.S. should incentivize new semiconductor manufacturing plants to be established in the country to compete effectively with other nations that have invested in chip production.
US-China tech war: calls for Biden to fund US semiconductors grow louder in Washington
South China Morning Post
US Republican Senator Tom Cotton, who is on Beijing’s sanctions list, has joined the public debate among industry groups and think tanks in advocating US government support for the country’s semiconductor manufacturing industry as part of a broader effort to win the tech war with China.
Huawei unveils flagship foldable smartphone for China market
Associated Press
Struggling under U.S. sanctions, Huawei unveiled a folding smartphone with an 8-inch (20-centimeter) -wide screen to show off its tech prowess but said it will be sold only in China. The Mate X2 highlights the challenges for Huawei Technologies Ltd. after Washington cut off access to U.S. processor chips and Google services.
US must scrap tariffs and end restrictions on Chinese tech, Wang Yi says
South China Morning Post
Foreign Minister Wang Yi urged the United States to scrap tariffs on Chinese imports and remove restrictions on the tech sector, laying out conditions for restoring damaged China-US relations.
Trade won’t be on ‘back burner’ for Biden, USTR pick Tai tells Senate
Politico
U.S. Trade Representative nominee Katherine Tai pushed back on concerns the Biden White House will “stand still” on trade policy during her confirmation hearing, telling senators she does not expect to be sidelined in policymaking. Senators from both parties pressed Tai on the Biden administration’s pledge to not negotiate any major new trade deals until it secures domestic economic stimulus from Congress.
U.S. partners in Asia may not wait around as Biden prioritizes domestic issues
CNBC
President Joe Biden’s administration has indicated that trade talks are not high on its agenda for now — but that may be what the U.S. needs to get closer to its partners in Asia-Pacific, said two former American trade officials.
Britain agrees to EU request for more time to ratify Brexit trade deal
Reuters
Britain has agreed to the European Union’s request to delay ratification of their post-Brexit trade agreement until April 30. Earlier this month, the EU asked Britain if it could take extra time to ratify the agreement by extending until April 30 provisional application of the deal to ensure it was in all 24 of the bloc’s languages for parliamentary scrutiny.
Completely Autonomous Radar Sensor for Smart Motion Sensing
EE Times
Widely used PIR sensors detect the infrared radiation of a person, an animal, or an object at mid-infrared wavelengths. However, with rising temperatures, their reliability decreases dramatically.
Firmware Skills Shortage
Semiconductor Engineering
Good hardware without good software is a waste of silicon, but with so many new processors and accelerator architectures being created, and so many new skills required, companies are finding it hard to hire enough engineers with low-level software expertise to satisfy the demand.
When Is Verification Done?
Semiconductor Engineering
Even with the billions of dollars spent on R&D for EDA tools, and tens of billions more on verification labor, only 30% to 50% of ASIC designs are first time right. This means more efficient verification is needed but there is no exact science to indicate when to stop verifying.
Broad Coalition of Tech, Medical, Auto, Other Business Leaders Urge President Biden to Fund Domestic Semiconductor Manufacturing, Research in Infrastructure Plan
Press Release
The Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA), along with a broad coalition of 16 other tech, medical, auto, and other business groups, today in a letter urged President Biden to work with Congress to fully fund domestic semiconductor manufacturing and research provisions established in the recently enacted National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).
Trade in Transition: The Importance of Re-Establishing U.S. Trade Leadership
Blog Post
The first two months of 2021 saw leadership transitions with major repercussions for global semiconductor trade. In the United States, the new Biden administration is now in charge of leading a post-pandemic economic recovery defined by calls for supply chain resilience in critical technologies.
Global Chip Shortage Challenges Biden’s Hope for Manufacturing Revival
NYT
“Chip companies are working hard to meet demand from the auto and other sectors,” he said, “but these are highly complex products that can take months to produce, so it’s unfortunately not like flipping a switch.” Mr. Neuffer said the shortages highlighted the need for the U.S. government to “invest now in domestic semiconductor manufacturing and research so the new chips we need are produced right here on U.S. shores.”
Automakers, medical device firms ask Biden for U.S. chip factory subsidies
Reuters
A group of chipmakers last week sent a similar letter. Congress authorized programs last year to provide subsides for chip research and factory construction, but U.S. lawmakers still need to provide specific funding for the program. “To be competitive and strengthen the resilience of critical supply chains, we believe the U.S. needs to incentivize the construction of new and modernized semiconductor manufacturing facilities and invest in research capabilities,” the business groups wrote in their letter on Thursday.
Chipmakers, Business Groups Ask for Domestic Funding in Recovery Bill
Politico
A coalition of semiconductor manufacturers and various other industry groups is pushing the Biden administration to include funding to incentivize domestic production of semiconductors in the next stimulus bill. In a letter to President Joe Biden today, the Semiconductor Industry Association and an array of other industry groups like Autos Drive America, TechNet, AdvaMed, the National Association of Manufacturers and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce called for “robust funding” of programs enacted in this year’s NDAA designed to incentivize manufacturing in the U.S. after demand swings during the pandemic caused chip shortages.
CEOs Urge President Biden to Fund Chips, Executive Order Expected
EE Times
“Semiconductors power essential technological advancements across healthcare, communications, clean energy, computing, transportation, and countless other sectors, and chip-enabled technologies have helped keep us productive and connected during the pandemic,” said John Neuffer, SIA president and CEO. “By investing boldly in domestic semiconductor manufacturing incentives and research initiatives, President Biden and Congress can reinvigorate the U.S. economy and job creation, strengthen national security and semiconductor supply chains, and ensure the U.S. remains the leader in the game-changing technologies of today and tomorrow.”
SIA board urges president Biden to prioritise funding for the industry
Evertiq
The Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) Board of Directors, comprised of CEOs and senior executives at U.S. chip companies, has penned a letter to President Biden urging him to include substantial funding for semiconductor manufacturing and research in the administration’s economic recovery and infrastructure plan.
Biden to tackle chip shortage while U.S. semi execs and UAW urge domestic production
Fierce Electronics
In a letter to President Biden, 21 board members of the Semiconductor Industry Association urged him to include funds for incentives for U.S. chip manufacturing and research in the form of grants and tax credits. SIA CEO John Neuffer said that investing in domestic chip production incentives and research, President Biden and Congress “can reinvigorate the U.S. economy and job creation, strengthen national security and semiconductor supply chains and ensure the U.S. remains the leader in the game-changing technologies of today and tomorrow.”
U.S. manufacturing production rises solidly despite semiconductor shortage
Reuters
Output at U.S. factories increased more than expected in January even as a shortage of semiconductors weighed on the production of motor vehicles, pointing to resilience in the manufacturing sector recovery. Manufacturing production rose 1.0% last month after gaining 0.9% in December, the Federal Reserve said on Wednesday. That was the ninth straight monthly advance in factory production.
Biden to order review of U.S. reliance on overseas supply chains for semiconductors, rare earths
CNBC
President Joe Biden will direct his administration to conduct a review of key U.S. supply chains, including those for semiconductors, high-capacity batteries and rare earth metals. The White House plans to review gaps in domestic manufacturing and supply chains that are dominated by or run through “nations that are or are likely to become unfriendly or unstable.”
Biden on ‘Short Leash’ as Administration Rethinks China Relations
NYT
And his policies may have worsened American competitiveness in some areas, according to a report published Wednesday by the consulting firm Rhodium Group and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce China Center. The report found steep costs from the kind of economic “decoupling” that Mr. Trump pursued, including a $190 billion annual loss in American economic output by 2025 if all U.S.-China trade was subject to the type of 25 percent tariff that Mr. Trump imposed on $250 billion of Chinese goods.
China’s political power grows with its capital markets
Axios
Thanks to a mandate for outside investment and its strong rebound from the coronavirus pandemic, China’s financial markets are drawing record high chunks of global capital — particularly from U.S.-based investors — and are poised to keep growing.
China overtakes U.S. as Europe’s main trading partner for the first time
CNBC
The latest figures, released by Eurostat, showed that China now has an even bigger role in how European economies perform. European Union exports to China grew by 2.2% last year and imports rose by 5.6%. In comparison, exports to the U.S. dropped by 8.2% and imports fell by 13.2%.
Cutting China off from the U.S. would cost America hundreds of billions of dollars, report says
CNBC
The U.S. economy could lose more than $1 trillion worth of production and long-term global competitiveness if the White House pursues a sharp separation with China, according to a report.
‘Let’s think big’ – Germany wants to work closely with Biden on trade, China, climate
Reuters
Germany wants Europe and the United States to strengthen transatlantic ties with a trade deal to abolish industrial tariffs, a WTO reform to increase pressure on China and a joint carbon-emission trading system to protect the climate.
India trade minister says will work with U.S. on new trade package
Reuters
Indian Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal said he will engage with the new U.S. Trade Representative’s office on a trade deal after a previous attempt to seal a limited accord failed. Negotiators from both countries struggled to conclude a ‘mini’ trade package for months as both New Delhi and Washington sparred over a range of issues, including tariffs. Goyal said he would make a new start with the new U.S. administration.
The EU says it’s going to get tough on trade — and that could have ramifications for U.S., China
CNBC
The European Union will take a new approach to international trade, recognizing that it’s time to stand up for itself after challenging times with countries like the U.S.
Shortages, Challenges Engulf Packaging Supply Chain
Semiconductor Engineering
A surge in demand for chips is impacting the IC packaging supply chain, causing shortages of select manufacturing capacity, various package types, key components, and equipment.
Technology based on rodent neurons may point the way to the tactile internet
TechXplore
Imagine you are playing an immersive game in which you are dropped into an unknown landscape with a directive to find a certain location. To advance forward in the game, you must also map the terrain so that you can then share your initial location and your map with another remote player.
Design For Reliability
Semiconductor Engineering
Circuit aging is emerging as a mandatory design concern across a swath of end markets, particularly in markets where advanced-node chips are expected to last for more than a few years. Some chipmakers view this as a competitive opportunity, but others are unsure we fully understand how those devices will age.
FeFETs Bring Promise And Challenges
Semiconductor Engineering
Ferroelectric FETs (FeFETs) and memory (FeRAM) are generating high levels of interest in the research community. Based on a physical mechanism that hasn’t yet been commercially exploited, they join the other interesting new physics ideas that are in various stages of commercialization.
Semiconductor Industry Leaders Urge President Biden to Prioritize Funding for Semiconductor Manufacturing, Research
Press Release
“Semiconductors power essential technological advancements across healthcare, communications, clean energy, computing, transportation, and countless other sectors, and chip-enabled technologies have helped keep us productive and connected during the pandemic,” said John Neuffer, SIA president and CEO. “By investing boldly in domestic semiconductor manufacturing incentives and research initiatives, President Biden and Congress can reinvigorate the U.S. economy and job creation, strengthen national security and semiconductor supply chains, and ensure the U.S. remains the leader in the game-changing technologies of today and tomorrow.”
U.S. Chip Industry Urges Biden to Support Domestic Production
Bloomberg
The Semiconductor Industry Association sent a letter Thursday to Biden to include “substantial funding for incentives for semiconductor manufacturing, in the form of grants and/or tax credits” in his administration’s stimulus package.
U.S. chip industry calls on Biden administration to fund factories
Reuters
“Working with Congress, your administration now has an historic opportunity to fund these initiatives to make them a reality,” the chip group wrote. “We believe bold action is needed to address the challenges we face. The costs of inaction are high.”
Semiconductor EO Inbound
Politico
In a letter to Biden on Thursday, the Semiconductor Industry Association emphasized the role of semiconductors in helping the U.S. pull out of the pandemic, from fueling economic recovery to improving broadband access and infrastructure. (“Semiconductor-enabled technologies have aided researchers in developing life-saving vaccines and helped Americans work and learn remotely,” the board of directors wrote.) Without more investment, they warned, foreign adversaries making strides in semiconductor manufacturing and research may upstage the U.S. in fields like 5G, AI and quantum computing.
Biden Team Pledges Aggressive Steps to Address Chip Shortage
Bloomberg
The executives, who sit on the board of the Semiconductor Industry Association, asked Biden to include “substantial funding for incentives for semiconductor manufacturing, in the form of grants and/or tax credits” in his recovery and infrastructure plans.
Biden to sign executive order addressing chip shortage
The Hill
“Our share of global semiconductor manufacturing has steadily declined from 37 percent in 1990 to 12 percent today,” the companies wrote. “This is largely because the governments of our global competitors offer significant incentives and subsidies to attract new semiconductor manufacturing facilities, while the U.S. does not. As a result, the U.S. is uncompetitive in attracting investments in new fab construction and our technology leadership is at risk in the race for preeminence in the technologies of the future, including artificial intelligence, 5G/6G, and quantum computing,” they wrote.
Top chip CEOs ask Biden to fund semiconductor incentives.
Washington Post
In their letter, they write: “We therefore urge you to include in your recovery and infrastructure plan substantial funding for incentives for semiconductor manufacturing, in the form of grants and/or tax credits, and for basic and applied semiconductor research. We believe bold action is needed to address the challenges we face. The costs of inaction are high.”
White House scrambles to address global chip shortage
Financial Times (subscription required)
On Thursday, the chief executives of big companies in the semiconductor industry wrote to Biden to demand that funding for domestic semiconductor manufacturing be included in his infrastructure recovery plan…Without further support, the letter warned, the country’s “technology leadership is at risk”.
The Biden Team Wants to Transform the Economy. Really.
The New York Times Magazine
The semiconductor industry has lobbied for tens of billions of dollars to upgrade production facilities and build new ones, on the grounds that semiconductors are a foundational technology — sort of like mechanically engineered stem cells that power everything from 5G mobile networks to autonomous vehicles and the internet of things. John Neuffer, the chief executive of the Semiconductor Industry Association, says supply shortages during the pandemic have focused minds in Washington on the importance of domestic production.
US Chip Sector Continues to Grow as Global Sales Rebound in 2020
Electronic Design
“While global demand for semiconductors is on the rise, the share of global chip production done in the US has declined,” said John Neuffer, SIA president and CEO, in a statement, “and that disparity will only intensify without US government action to level the global playing field. It is imperative the federal government fully fund incentives for more domestic chip production and investments in chip research so the US can benefit from growing demand and product more semiconductors.”
Winning With Uncle Sam’s Help
NYT
To stay competitive against China, should the United States become a little more like it? I’m being provocative, but that’s essentially the question behind the U.S. government’s plans to provide financial help to American-made computer chips, and maybe to other homegrown technologies, too.
Carmakers have been hit hard by a global chip shortage — here’s why
CNBC
Falan Yinug, director of industry statistics and economic policy at the Semiconductor Industry Association, says the chip shortage in the automotive industry is largely the result of substantial swings in demand due to the pandemic and the increased use of semiconductors in advanced vehicles….“Making a semiconductor is one of the most complex manufacturing processes,” he said. “Lead times of up to 26 weeks are the norm in the industry to produce a finished chip. Most industry analysts believe the current short-term supply shortage will ease in the coming months as supply adjusts to meet demand.”
The Biden administration is working to help address global semiconductor chip shortage
The Verge
The group urged the administration to include “substantial funding for incentives for semiconductor manufacturing, in the form of grants and / or tax credits, and for basic and applied semiconductor research,” in the upcoming stimulus package. But it’s unclear if the administration intends to do that.
Biden’s China Tech Policy at Crossroads Over Commerce Security Pick
WSJ
As the Biden administration charts its course on China policy, a coming political appointment to a key Commerce Department post could offer clues to how the White House will address security risks posed by Chinese tech companies.
Biden Raises Concerns With China’s Xi in First Call Since Election
NYT
President Biden spoke Wednesday evening with President Xi Jinping of China, raising concerns about Beijing’s aggressive policies abroad and human rights abuses at home in the first conversation between the two leaders since Mr. Biden’s election.
China issues new anti-monopoly rules targeting its tech giants
Reuters
China’s market regulator released new anti-monopoly guidelines on Sunday that target internet platforms, tightening existing restrictions faced by the country’s tech giants.
U.S. to look at more restrictions on tech exports to China
Reuters
The Biden administration will look at adding “new targeted restrictions” on certain sensitive technology exports to China in cooperation with allies, a senior official said on Wednesday ahead of the new president’s first call with China’s leader Xi Jinping.
China’s SMIC Says It’s Missing Out on the Chip Boom Due to U.S. Restrictions
Wall Street Journal
China’s largest maker of computing chips said restrictions placed by the Trump administration would crimp its pace of growth, despite the booming demand for semiconductors creating a global shortage.
U.K. Favors Comprehensive Over Quick U.S. Trade Deal, Envoy Says
Bloomberg
The U.K. wants to prioritize depth rather than speed in completing work on a free-trade agreement with the U.S., the nation’s ambassador said. Britain anticipates that the Biden administration may want to add issues like labor and the environment to the agreement that the two nations began to negotiate under the Trump administration.
Key House Democrat Hopeful for U.K., Kenya Trade Deals in 2021
Bloomberg
A key House Democrat said he’s hopeful that talks for free-trade deals with the U.K. and Kenya can be completed this year even as President Joe Biden focuses on enforcement of existing agreements with the U.S.’s biggest partners.
Analysis: In a harsher trade world, EU arms itself for future conflicts
Reuters
Hardened by the pain of Brexit, clashes with the Trump presidency and a new realism over China, a bruised European Union is due to set out a future trade policy designed to help it deal with partners it does not trust.
New Type of DRAM Could Accelerate AI
IEEE Spectrum
One of the biggest problems in computing today is the “memory wall”—the difference between processing time and the time it takes to shuttle data over to the processor from separate DRAM memory chips.
DRAM’s Persistent Threat To Chip Security
Semiconductor Engineering
A well-known DRAM vulnerability called “rowhammer,” which allows an assailant to disrupt or take control of a system, continues to haunt the chip industry. Solutions have been tried, and new ones are being proposed, but the potential for a major attack persists.
Usage Models Driving Data Center Architecture Changes
Semiconductor Engineering
Data center architectures are undergoing a significant change, fueled by more data and much greater usage from remote locations.
What Do Feedback Loops For AI/ML Devices Really Show?
Semiconductor Engineering
AI/ML is being designed into an increasing number of chips and systems these days, but predicting how they will behave once they’re in the field is, at best, a good guess.
Merging memory and computing in nanoscale devices for efficient computation
Research Matters
Modern computers carry out computations — also called ‘logical operations’ — on massive amounts of data that are stored in specialised memory devices.
Semiconductor Shortage Highlights Need to Strengthen U.S. Chip Manufacturing, Research
Blog Post
Semiconductors are the brains of modern electronics, enabling highly advanced technologies in healthcare, communications, computing, and transportation, among many other applications. Global semiconductor sales increased 6.5 percent in 2020, demonstrating growing demand for chips across a range of end markets.
Global Semiconductor Sales Increase 6.5% to $439 billion in 2020
Press Release
“Global semiconductor sales increased moderately on an annual basis in 2020, weathering a challenging macroeconomic environment brought on by the pandemic and other factors,” said John Neuffer, SIA president and CEO. “While global demand for semiconductors is on the rise, the share of global chip production done in the U.S. has declined from 37% in 1990 to 12% today, and that disparity will only intensify without U.S. government action to level the global playing field. It’s imperative the federal government fully fund incentives for domestic chip manufacturing and investments in chip research so the U.S. can benefit from growing demand and produce more semiconductors needed to strengthen our economy, national security, and critical infrastructure.”
Chip Industry Rebounded in 2020 as Lockdown Fueled Demand
Bloomberg
U.S. companies accounted for 47% of total sales last year, maintaining the country’s status as home to the biggest chip companies. But the amount of manufacturing in the U.S. continues to decline. Just 12% of chip production was done in U.S. factories in 2020, down from 37% in 1990. “That disparity will only intensify without U.S. government action to level the global playing field,” SIA Chief Executive Officer John Neuffer said.
Chip sales rose 6.5% globally in 2020 after year-end rush
Reuters
“Over the next 10 years, semiconductor manufacturing is going to grow 56%,” Neuffer said. “We want to make sure we’re getting a bigger piece of the manufacturing pie.”
Semiconductor Sales Rose 6.5% in 2020
The Motley Fool
The SIA quoted its CEO, John Neuffer, as saying, “While global demand for semiconductors is on the rise, the share of global chip production done in the U.S. has declined from 37% in 1990 to 12% today, and that disparity will only intensify without U.S. government action to level the global playing field.”
SIA, IDC Report Strong Q4 Semi Sales, and Demand Headed Up
Printed Circuit Design & Fab
“Global semiconductor sales increased moderately on an annual basis in 2020, weathering a challenging macroeconomic environment brought on by the pandemic and other factors,” said John Neuffer, president and CEO, SIA.
Global semiconductor sales increased by 6.5 percent in 2020 to $439B
The Burn-In
While the global semiconductor industry enjoyed growth during 2020, the same cannot be said for the U.S. market. Neuffer notes that the country’s share of global chip production has dropped to just 12 percent—down more than 25 percent since 1990. He says, “…that disparity will only intensify without U.S. government action to level the global playing field. It’s imperative the federal government fully fund incentives for domestic chip manufacturing and investments in chip research so the U.S. can benefit from growing demand and produce more semiconductors needed to strengthen our economy, national security, and critical infrastructure.”
Auto chip shortage could be helped with supply chain AI technology, analyst suggests
Fierce Electronics
Across chips for all industries, not just autos, the analysts on the SIA event agreed that more semiconductor capacity is coming online because fabs are spending more on capital equipment this year that will be used to make chips. “The future is bright,” Ford said. “I’m an optimist. What drives growth is difficult. How many anticipated the smartphone?”
U.S. senators urge White House action on auto chip shortage
Reuters
A group of 15 U.S. senators on Tuesday including Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Republican John Cornyn urged the White House to work with Congress to address the global semiconductor shortage that is hampering auto manufacturing.
Ford Expected to Slash Vehicle Production Over Chip Shortage
WSJ
The Covid-19 crisis led many auto manufacturers to pull back on production early on in 2020 and then dial back their forecasts for the remainder of the year. But demand for cars and trucks has since rebounded faster than expected, leading to constraints on certain critical parts, including computer chips. Chip plants have been effectively running flat out, and with manufacturing capacity constrained, car companies and electronics makers are competing for limited output.
China Stockpiles Chips, Chip-Making Machines to Resist U.S.
Bloomberg
China is taking decisive steps to protect itself from a widening U.S. technology ban, with imports of computer chips and the machines that make them surging last year.
China strategies bloom in Washington
Axios
A proliferation of new policy ideas often accompanies a changing of the guard in Washington. But this time around, growing concern over China’s rise has driven debate into overdrive, as numerous stakeholders present competing visions for a U.S. response.
Huawei, SMIC join forces in Sino-US chip war
Asia Times
The Sino-US semiconductor war just got a little more interesting, with big news from China’s industrial chip industry. Experts from China’s public and private sector are joining forces to standardize the mainland semiconductor market to protect national supply chain lines in the ongoing US trade war on China.
China semiconductors: Beijing moves to prevent tax incentive abuse with new policy draft
South China Morning Post
China clarified eligibility rules for semiconductor companies seeking tax incentives in a draft policy issued on Friday, a move aimed at preventing abuse of the system after many firms outside the sector jumped in looking for quick profit gains.
Trump’s trade war on China was a failure in every possible way
Axios
The Biden administration plans to review the phase one U.S.-China trade deal, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said on Friday. Based on publicly available data, it’s hard to imagine they’ll find anything other than a debacle.
Britain says China has damaged trust in global trade system
Reuters
Britain said China had contributed to an erosion of trust in the global trade system, offering to work with the European Union, Japan the United States and others to clamp down on what it sees as unfair subsidies for state-owned enterprises.
UK applying to join Asia-Pacific free trade pact CPTPP
BBC
The UK will apply to join a free trade area with 11 Asia and Pacific nations, a year after it officially left the EU. Joining the group of “fast-growing nations” will boost UK exports, the government says.
At USTR, a straight-shooter will have to navigate Biden’s old guard in Washington
Politico
World leaders may experience some whiplash when sitting down to negotiate with U.S. Trade Representative nominee Katherine Tai. Tai is known throughout Washington for her calm, good-natured negotiating style. In many ways, she is the antithesis of her predecessor, the gruff, contentious Robert Lighthizer, who ruffled feathers from Brussels to Beijing.
Dramatically lowering costs of semiconductor electron sources
Science Daily
Engineers have discovered technology that could slash the cost of semiconductor electron sources, key components in devices ranging from night-vision goggles and low-light cameras to electron microscopes and particle accelerators.
Designing Low Energy Chips And Systems
Semiconductor Engineering
Energy optimization is beginning to shift left as design teams begin examining new ways to boost the performance of devices without impacting battery life or ratcheting up electricity costs.
Bridging The Gap Between Smart Cities And Autonomous Vehicles
Semiconductor Engineering
Smart city planners and carmakers are wrestling with similar problems and goals, but they are working at very different paces and often with different technologies — despite the fact that these two worlds will need to be bridged in order to be useful.
Longer Chip Lifecycles Increase Security Threat
Semiconductor Engineering
The longer chips and electronic systems remain in use, the more they will need to be refreshed with software and firmware updates. That creates a whole new level of security risks, ranging from over-the-air intercepts to compromised supply chains.
U.S. Bolsters Domestic Microchip Manufacturing
Engineering.com
“The next step is for leaders in Washington to fully fund the NDAA’s domestic chip manufacturing incentives and research initiatives,” said Bob Bruggeworth, SIA chair and president and CEO of Qorvo, a radio frequency (RF) chipmaker.
Nation Should Invest in Electronics Critical Infrastructure
National Defense
The National Defense Industrial Association’s relatively new Electronics Division has a clear interest in the CHIPS for America Act and the American Foundries Act, which are currently before Congress.
Roaring ’20s For The Chip Industry
Semiconductor Engineering
2020 was a good year for the semiconductor industry and the EDA industry that fuels it, but 2021 has the opportunity to be even better. New end application markets continue to open, and what were once seen as technical hurdles are leading to a multitude of innovative solutions, all of which need suitable tooling.
Expect ‘tough’ quarters ahead as chipmakers look to catch up with auto sector demand, Credit Suisse says
CNBC
It will take months for chipmakers to catch up with a shortfall in supply for the auto sector, predicts Randy Abrams, head of Taiwan research at Credit Suisse’s equity research department.
Huawei moves into smart vehicles as US sanctions stymie 5G and semiconductor ambitions
South China Morning Post
Huawei’s ambitions became more obvious last November when the company merged its smart vehicle business into the consumer segment that handles smartphones. The telecoms specialist is up against fierce competition from rival Chinese tech giants eyeing the same opportunity in smart vehicles and autonomous driving.
China Joins Global Push to Rein in Tech Companies
Wall Street Journal
Beijing is adding new momentum to efforts in Brussels and Washington to curb the power of big tech companies. China recently joined the chorus of governments advancing plans to impose new competition obligations on a small cadre of large technology companies, like Amazon.com Inc., Facebook Inc. and Alibaba Group Holding Ltd.
Commerce Nominee Pledges Tough China Stance, but Mum on Huawei Blacklist
Wall Street Journal
President Biden’s pick for Commerce secretary pledged a tough line against Chinese trade and technology threats, but stopped short of saying she would continue the Trump administration’s blacklisting of Huawei Technologies Co.
China, New Zealand ink trade deal as Beijing calls for reduced global barriers
Reuters
China and New Zealand signed a deal on Tuesday upgrading a free trade pact to give exports from the Pacific nation greater access to the world’s second-largest economy.
Biden reportedly bonded with UK leader Boris Johnson over their mutual love of trains, as the UK pushes for a new trade deal
Business Insider
President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Boris Johnson spoke by phone, with some of their conversation reportedly focusing on a mutual love of train travel. Official readouts of the first Biden-Johnson call focused on cooperation between the two countries in tackling climate change, trade, COVID-19, and “global health security.”
Global economy to grow 5.5 per cent in 2021 after 3.5 per cent contraction in 2020, IMF forecasts
South China Morning Post
China’s economy seen growing 8.1 per cent in 2021 as recovery continues, while the US could rebound to 4.3 per cent growth, according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF). IMF praises US, European Union and Japan economic stimulus measures but warns that recovery is contingent on control of the coronavirus.
First flashes of Brexit trade trouble appear in UK data
Reuters
Early signs of disruption caused by Britain’s shift to its new, less open trading relationship with the European Union are emerging in economic data. Manufacturers and services firms have been hit hard by supply chain and export disruption, according to data company IHS Markit.
The Good, Bad And Unknowns Of Flexible Devices
Semiconductor Engineering
Flexible hybrid electronics are beginning to proliferate in consumer, medical, and industrial applications due to their comparatively low weight, thin profile, and the ability to literally bend the rules of design.
Big Changes In Verification
Semiconductor Engineering
Verification is undergoing fundamental change as chips become increasingly complex, heterogeneous, and integrated into larger systems.
China boosts semiconductor production in 2020, but imports keep apace, frustrating self-sufficiency goals
South China Morning Post
China’s production of integrated circuits and industrial robots surged in 2020, as the country boosted its output of hi-tech products amid tighter US restrictions, according to official industrial statistics. A similar growth rate in imported chips, however, suggests China remains far from its goal of self-sufficiency in the critical technology.
EXCLUSIVE-Trump slams China’s Huawei, halting shipments from Intel, others -sources
Reuters
In an email seen by Reuters documenting the actions, the Semiconductor Industry Association said on Friday the Commerce Department had issued “intents to deny a significant number of license requests for exports to Huawei and a revocation of at least one previously issued license.” Sources familiar with the situation, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said there was more than one revocation.
China’s Car-Chip Shortage Could Persist for as Long as a Decade
Bloomberg
China’s automotive-chip shortage could persist for as long as a decade, but it has little to do with the current supply glitches snarling production, according to the official who oversees the nation’s key new energy vehicle technology development platform.
A Year On, China Falls Short on Trade-Deal Targets
Wall Street Journal
The U.S.-China trade pact signed a year ago is being credited for improving business conditions for some American companies, even if a cornerstone of the deal—China’s commitment to greatly increase purchases of U.S. goods—has fallen short.
China car production hit by semiconductor shortages
DigiTimes
Many carmaking plants in China have reduced production in the wake of serious shortages of automotive semiconductor components, according to industry sources.
Domestic investment needed before new trade deals: U.S. Treasury pick Yellen
Reuters
The Biden administration will prioritize domestic investments in workers and infrastructure before embarking on any new free trade agreements, Janet Yellen, U.S. President Joe Biden’s nominee for Treasury Secretary, told lawmakers.
UK would be ‘lucky’ to strike trade deal in Biden’s first term, says former ambassador
The Independent
A former UK ambassador to the US has warned that it is unlikely that Britain will be able to strike a trade deal with Washington in Joe Biden’s first term as president.
Brazil’s Bolsonaro says he wants free trade agreement with U.S. in letter to Biden
Reuters
Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro wrote to newly inaugurated U.S. President Joe Biden that he hoped the two countries would pursue a broad free trade agreement during Biden’s tenure.
The Chip Industry’s Next-Gen Roadmap
Semiconductor Engineering
Todd Younkin, the new president and chief executive of the Semiconductor Research Corp. (SRC), sat down with Semiconductor Engineering to talk about engineering careers, R&D trends and what’s ahead for chip technologies over the next decade. What follows are excerpts of that conversation.
Covid-19: Semiconductors at the Heart of Turmoil
EE Times
After two successive high-growth years, the global semiconductor market declined 12% year-over year (YoY) to $412 billion in 2019. We attribute this decline to the cyclicality in product pricing, sluggish smartphone demand, and global trade unrest. According to the Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA), annual sales declined across all regions: Europe (-7.3%), China (-8.7%), Asia Pacific/All Other (-9.0%), Japan (-10.0%), and the Americas (-23.8%).
German carmakers enlist Merkel as they battle chip shortage
Financial Times
Germany’s carmakers have turned to Angela Merkel’s government in an effort to help ease a massive shortage in semiconductors that threatens to cripple production in one of the country’s biggest industries.
Hidden Costs In Faster, Low-Power AI Systems
Semiconductor Engineering
Chipmakers are building orders of magnitude better performance and energy efficiency into smart devices, but to achieve those goals they also are making tradeoffs that will have far-reaching, long-lasting, and in some cases unknown impacts.
Stronger, Better Bonding In Advanced Packaging
Semiconductor Engineering
System-in-package integrators are moving toward copper-to-copper direct bonding between die as the bond pitch goes down, making the solder used to connect devices in a heterogenous package less practical.
48V Applications Drive Power IC Package Options
Semiconductor Engineering
The manufacturing process and die get most of the attention, but the packaging plays an important part in enabling and limiting performance, manufacturability, particularly when it comes to reliability of power devices.
Hard-To-Hire Engineering Jobs
Semiconductor Engineering
In the United States, the Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) has long maintained that the U.S. has a shortage of engineers and needs to address that shortage through immigration policies. “SIA member companies experience challenges finding enough qualified U.S. workers with the advanced graduate level education, skills, and expertise needed to compete for the design and manufacture of advanced semiconductors,” according to an SIA white paper.
Worldwide semiconductor market reaches $39.4B, up 7% Y/Y
Seeking Alpha
“Global sales of semiconductors continued to rise in November, increasing on a year-to-year basis by the highest percentage since March. Annual sales in 2020 are tracking well ahead of the total from 2019, despite substantial headwinds caused by the pandemic and other macroeconomic factors. Sales into the Americas remained strong in November, increasing year-to-year by a double-digit percentage for the eleventh consecutive month.” said John Neuffer, SIA president and CEO.
Lack of Tiny Parts Disrupts Auto Factories Worldwide
NYT
Automakers braced for turmoil when the pandemic hit. They expected supply chain disruptions and plummeting sales. But they never figured that a year later one of their biggest problems would be PlayStations.
Semiconductor shortage forces automobile production cuts
Associated Press
A widening global shortage of semiconductors for auto parts is forcing major auto companies to halt or slow vehicle production just as they were recovering from pandemic-related factory shutdowns.
China’s Huawei backtracks after filing for patent to identify Uyghur faces
CNN
Chinese technology company Huawei is backtracking on a patent application it filed for a facial recognition system intended to identify Uyghurs from other Chinese ethnicities. Filed in July 2018 by Huawei and the government-affiliated Chinese Academy of Sciences, the patent application said the “identification of pedestrian attributes is very important” in facial recognition technology.
China makes new laws to regulate hi-tech sector a major priority for next five years
South China Morning Post
China’s leadership has vowed to ramp up legislation to regulate tech firms and ensure the supporting legal system keeps up with the pace of the country’s digital economy as a policy priority for the next five years.
China 2020 exports up despite virus; surplus surges to $535B
Associated Press
China’s exports rose in 2020 despite pressure from the coronavirus and a tariff war with Washington, boosting its politically volatile trade surplus to $535 billion, one of the highest ever reported.
Biden aims for new course on trade, breaking with Trump and Democratic predecessors
Washington Post
Biden’s handling of trade policy is expected to represent a departure from that of both Trump and past Democratic presidents. Labor and environmental concerns move to center stage.
French think tank calls for united front with US to control semiconductor technology transfers to Chinese military
South China Morning Post
The European Union should create a united front with the US to tighten control of the transfer of semiconductor technologies to China that could be used to advance weapons developed by the Chinese military, according to the recommendation from a French think tank.
France’s hopes lift as US freezes tariffs over tech tax
Associated Press
France’s government breathed a sigh of relief after the U.S. indefinitely delayed tariffs on French cosmetics and other goods designed as retaliation for a French tax on technology giants.
U.K.-U.S. Race for Mini Trade Deal Slowed by Trump’s Mob Crisis
Bloomberg
The U.S. and the U.K. were racing to reach a limited trade agreement before the political crisis in Washington jeopardized plans to announce a deal within days, according to three people briefed on the negotiations.
Die-To-Die Stress Becomes A Major Issue
Semiconductor Engineering
Stress is becoming more critical to identify and plan for at advanced nodes and in advanced packages, where a simple mismatch can impact performance, power, and the reliability of a device throughout its projected lifetime.
Verification’s Inflection Point
Semiconductor Engineering
Functional verification is nearing an inflection point, brought on by rising complexity and the many tentacles that are intermixing it with other disciplines. New abstractions or different ways to approach the problems are needed.
More Data, More Memory-Scaling Problems
Semiconductor Engineering
Memories of all types are facing pressures as demands grow for greater capacity, lower cost, faster speeds, and lower power to handle the onslaught of new data being generated daily. Whether it’s well-established memory types or novel approaches, continued work is required to keep scaling moving forward as our need for memory grows at an accelerating pace.
Testing Silicon Photonics In Production
Semiconductor Engineering
As silicon photonics costs come down, the technology is being worked into new applications, from connectivity to AI. But full commercial production requires testing those photonic circuits before shipping them.
SIA Condemns Lawlessness in Washington
Press Release
The Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) released the following statement today from president and CEO John Neuffer in response to today’s violence in Washington, D.C. “We condemn the unthinkable chaos and lawlessness in our nation’s capital today and strongly support Congress’ decision to swiftly and safely resume the constitutionally mandated process for affirming the presidential election results. The peaceful transfer of power is the bedrock of our democracy and is essential to America’s ability to overcome the significant, unprecedented challenges facing our country.”
Global Semiconductor Sales Increase 7 Percent Year-to-Year in November
Press Release
“Global sales of semiconductors continued to rise in November, increasing on a year-to-year basis by the highest percentage since March,” said John Neuffer, SIA president and CEO. “Annual sales in 2020 are tracking well ahead of the total from 2019, despite substantial headwinds caused by the pandemic and other macroeconomic factors. Sales into the Americas remained strong in November, increasing year-to-year by a double-digit percentage for the eleventh consecutive month.”
Semiconductor Industry Applauds NDAA Enactment, Urges Full Funding for Semiconductor Manufacturing and Research Provisions
Press Release
The Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) today applauded Congress for enacting the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), legislation that includes Title XCIX, “Creating Helpful Incentives to Produce Semiconductors for America,” which authorizes federal incentives to promote semiconductor manufacturing and federal investments in semiconductor research. SIA represents 98 percent of the U.S. semiconductor industry by revenue and nearly two-thirds of non-U.S. chip firms.
Global chip sales climb 7% in November
Fierce Electronics
Global sales for all of 2020 are tracking well ahead of 2019 “despite substantial headwinds caused by the pandemic and other macroeconomic factors,” noted SIA CEO John Neuffer in a statement. The November uptick of 7% was the highest percentage increase on a year-to-year basis since March.
Global semiconductor sales 7% higher year-on-year in November — SIA
The Edge Markets
Global sales of semiconductors rose 7% year-on-year (y-o-y) to US$39.4 billion in November 2020, from US$36.9 billion a year ago, said the US-based Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA).
Global Semi Sales Up 7% in November
Printed Circuit Design & Fab
“Global sales of semiconductors continued to rise in November, increasing on a year-to-year basis by the highest percentage since March,” said John Neuffer, SIA president and CEO. “Annual sales in 2020 are tracking well ahead of the total from 2019, despite substantial headwinds caused by the pandemic and other macroeconomic factors. Sales into the Americas remained strong in November, increasing year-to-year by a double-digit percentage for the eleventh consecutive month.”
The story of semiconductors in 2020: Why initial gloom gave way to optimism
IoT News
Neuffer noted in a statement that annual sales in 2020 were tracking well compared with 2019 ‘despite substantial headwinds’ caused by the pandemic among other factors. Cliff Leimbach, senior analyst for memory and storage at Omdia, noted stay-at-home rules kept demand for data centres and infrastructure strong – as well as 5G and smartphones – enabling a solid uptick for semiconductors.
Global semiconductor sales growth driven by post-pandemic trends in two major regions
The Burn-In
The Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) recently reported global electronic components sales of $39.41 billion in November, a 7 percent year-over-year increase. That means the worldwide chip market experienced its largest yearly expansion since the first quarter of 2020 last month. The organization also predicts full-year global semiconductor sales in 2020 will exceed 2019’s total despite COVID-19 related disruption.
$2B in grants for smart cities suggested among 24 tech ideas for Biden and new Congress
Fierce Electronics
The CHIPS Act had garnered wide support from U.S.-based semiconductor companies with the Semiconductor Industry Association urging full funding of the semiconductor provisions. SIA has noted a decline in chip production in the U.S. in recent decades, arguing that robust set of incentives could create 70,000 jobs at 19 new semiconductor fabs over the next decade.
5G to fuel semiconductor demand
DigiTimes
Unfavorable macro conditions, including the US-China trade war and COVID-19, have been slowing down 5G deployments across the globe, but 5G will still play a crucial role in driving growth in the semiconductor market, according to industry sources.
Trump bars U.S. transactions with eight Chinese apps including Alipay
Reuters
U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday signed an executive order banning transactions with eight Chinese software applications, including Ant Group’s Alipay mobile payment app, the White House said, escalating tensions with Beijing two weeks before President-elect Joe Biden takes office.
China’s State Capitalism Collides With Its Technological Ambitions
WSJ
Can China’s hybrid state-capitalist economy learn to worship—or at least genuflect a bit deeper—at the altar of efficiency? As relations with wealthier, technologically advanced countries deteriorate, that is probably the most crucial economic question of the 2020s. There are signs of real progress, much of it ironically driven by foreign pressure and the fear of stagnation as links with more open economies erode. But the enduring power of Chinese state-owned companies and their pull over the financial sector still represent huge vulnerabilities.
Tencent invests in Chinese A.I. chip start-up as part of $279 million funding round
CNBC
Tencent has pumped more money into a Chinese artificial intelligence (AI) chip start-up as the technology giant bets on the growing domestic industry for semiconductors.
New York Stock Exchange again says it will delist 3 Chinese telecoms
Axios
The New York Stock Exchange again reversed course and announced it would delist three major Chinese telecom companies — China Mobile, China Telecom, China Unicom Hong Kong.
US trade deficit jumps to $68.1 billion in November
Associated Press
The U.S. trade deficit jumped to $68.1 billion in November, the highest monthly deficit in 14 years, as a surge in imports overwhelmed a smaller increase in exports. The November gap between what America buys from abroad compared to what it sells abroad rose by 8% from the October deficit of $63.1 billion, the Commerce Department said.
U.S. Says India’s Trade Policies a Barrier for New Investments
Bloomberg
A senior U.S. diplomat has criticized Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s trade policies, saying growing restrictions on market access and limits on the free flow of data are standing in the way of the South Asian nation becoming an alternative to Chinese supply lines.
Will the Sudden E.U.-China Deal Damage Relations With Biden?
New York Times
The European Union embarked on a trade deal with China believing that engagement with Beijing was the best way to alter its behavior and make it a committed stakeholder in the international system. But that was seven years ago. The deal was quietly sealed in the final weeks of last year.
Car Industry Changing Under The Hood
Semiconductor Engineering
After an initial burst of autonomous activity, the automotive ecosystem regrouped, re-evaluated its goals, and is now ready to begin deploying new technologies made possible by modern development approaches and forward-looking vehicle architectures.
Testing More To Boost Profits
Semiconductor Engineering
Not all chips measure up to spec, but as more data becomes available and the cost of these devices continues to rise, there is increasing momentum to salvage and re-purpose chips for other applications and markets
Electronics Supply-Chain Trust Standards Emerge
Semiconductor Engineering
Creative new ideas for electronics supply-chain trust are in rich supply, whether securing identity, protecting logistics, or establishing provenance. But underlying these efforts are wide-ranging standards in development from a broad set of organizations.
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