Latest Semiconductor News Update on Mar 10 to 16, 2024

Cerebras unveils 900000-core 125 PetaFLOPS wafer scale engine

Cerebras unveils Wafer Scale Engine-3, the world's largest and fastest AI processor. According to reports, at the same power consumption and the same price, WSE-3 has twice the performance of the previous record holder Cerebras WSE-2. It powers the Cerebras CS-3 AI supercomputer for AI training.

Cerebras Systems stated that this new device is built using TSMC’s 5nm process and contains 900000 AI cores, 4 trillion transistors, 125 PetaFLOPS AI performance, and external memory of 1.5TB or 1.2PB. It will be used to train some of the industry's largest artificial intelligence models, capable of training AI models with up to 24 trillion parameters, in addition, the cluster size it creates is as high as 2,048 CS-3 systems.

Spain, Andalusia, and imec to set up 300mm chip R&D line

Spain, Andalusia, and imec announced they have signed an MoU outlining their intent to establish a dedicated chip technology trial line in Malaga (Andalusia). The new innovation facility is designed to complement imec’s existing 300mm advanced CMOS process line in Leuven, Belgium. imec said in a press release that the new facility is designed to meet industry needs for research and development, prototyping and pave the way for the manufacturing of promising new technologies. The facility will leverage the advantages of leading 300mm semiconductor process technology to drive new applications in healthcare, life sciences, photonics, augmented and virtual reality, and precision sensing.

Samsung accelerates R&D of glass substrate chips

According to rumors from unnamed industry insiders, Samsung has decided to invest heavily in the research and development of glass substrates. Samsung has assembled a coalition consisting of its Samsung Electro-Mechanics, Samsung Electronics, and Samsung Display divisions to develop and commercialize glass substrates in the shorted time possible. In fact, Samsung Electro-Mechanics announced back at CES its intention to mass-produce glass substrates by 2026. Glass substrates could be a "game changer" capable of changing the dynamics of the semiconductor market. Competition in a previously process-focused market is expected to expand into materials.

In production, traditional plastic substrates and silicon interposers have reached their limitations. Plastic substrates have rough surfaces that make it difficult to etch thin circuits on them, and their sensitivity to heat can cause warping when the chips are thermally bonded. With the development, Silicon interposers make up for the shortcomings of plastic substrates, but require expensive equipment for pre-processing. Glass substrates overcome these shortcomings. They are more heat-resistant than plastic, less prone to warping during processing, and have a flat surface that facilitates etching of fine circuits. So they provide the best solution for combining multiple high-performance chips on a larger area than current substrates.

Apple acquires AI startup called DarwinAI

Apple has acquired Canada AI startup DarwinAI, adding new technology to its arsenal ahead of a big push into generative AI in 2024. And earlier this year, dozens of DarwinAI employees joined Apple’s AI department.

It is reported that DarwinAI has developed AI technology that can visually inspect parts during the manufacturing process, and provides services to customers in a range of industries. One of its core technologies makes AI systems smaller and faster, a technology that could help Apple as it focuses on running AI on devices rather than entirely in the cloud. In addition, Apple CEO Tim Cook previously promised at the annual Apple shareholder meeting that the company will break new ground in the field of AI this year. And there is speculation that Apple will release a blockbuster product at the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in June this year.

Samsung poised to win over $6 bln for expanded US investment

The U.S. plans to award more than $6 billion to Samsung Electronics Co (005930.KS), opens new tab, helping the chipmaker expand beyond a project in Texas it has already announced. The funding from the chip bill will be one of several major incentives that the Commerce Department is expected to announce in the coming weeks, including more than $5 billion in funding for TSMC. Samsung will also receive significant additional investment in the U.S, people familiar with the matter said.

Intel's incentive deal is expected to be announced next week, with other advanced chipmakers expected to follow. TSMC said in a statement that it has been discussing incentive funds with the U.S. government and has made steady progress. Separately, chipmakers such as Intel, Micron Technology and Samsung Electronics are in discussions with the U.S. Department of Commerce to share a total of about $28 billion in subsidies for their respective advanced factories. And the figures for each company have not yet been finalized.

Samsung rumored to raise NAND prices by 15-20%

There are reports that Samsung plans to renegotiate NAND flash memory prices with major mobile, PC, and server customers between this month and next month, aiming to increase prices by 15 to 20%. After more than a year of oversupply, Samsung's NAND flash memory prices were once flat at cost, so it plans to bring prices back to reasonable levels.

According to data from research institution TrendForce, global NAND Flash industry revenue reached US$11.49 billion in Q4 2023, a quarterly increase of 24.5%. This growth was mainly due to the recovery of terminal demand due to year-end promotions and the expansion of orders in the parts market. Memory chip shipments increased significantly year-on-year. Among them, Samsung still maintains its leadership position. As for Q42023, NAND revenue was US$4.2 billion, a year-on-year increase of 44.8%, and the growth rate was also the highest among manufacturers. And the average sales price of Samsung's NAND products increased by 12% month-on-month.