Latest Semiconductor News Update on Dec 17 to 23, 2023

Synopsys seeks to acquire engineering software company Ansys Inc

Synopsys Inc, a maker of software used in chip design, has submitted an offer to acquire Ansys Inc, an engineering software vendor with a market capitalization of nearly $30 billion. The move would create a new design software giant and mark one of the first big merger deals of the new year. If successful, the deal could be concluded in early 2024. But besides Synopsys, there are other acquirers. It is reported that Ansys received a bid that is much higher than $400 per share, so it is not yet certain whether Synopsys’ bid can win.

ASML ships industry's first High-NA EUV lithography machine to Intel

Dutch semiconductor equipment maker ASML said on Thursday it is shipping the first of its new "High NA" EUV lithography tool to Intel's D1X facility in Oregon. The technology has huge implications for both companies, which are among the most important in the semiconductor industry. Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger pledged that his company got the first of the new machines, demonstrating his commitment to returning to the forefront of manufacturing technology. For ASML, it is rolling out the new technology with the goal of keeping the chip industry dependent on its equipment.

Samsung to establish advanced packaging R&D base in Yokohama, Japan

Japan announced on Thursday that it will subsidize Samsung Electronics' advanced semiconductor R&D facility up to 20 billion yen ($140 million) in Yokohama Minato Mirai 21 District, accounting for half of the total investment.

The R&D lab is expected to become a global center for the development of next-generation packaging technologies that enhance chip performance by stacking chips in three dimensions. And it will focus on research into semiconductor post-processing packaging technologies for artificial intelligence and 5G communications.

SOT-MRAM could replace SRAM as a last-level cache

Imec recently presented a highly robust spin-orbit torque magnetic random-access memory (SOT-MRAM) for high-performance computing. At its core, SOT-MRAM stores information in the form of electron spin. Using magnetic fields, the spin of quantum particles can be modified to encode 1s and 0s for later use in a nonvolatile fashion, saving on power for densely integrated memory chips. These results make it a promising candidate to replace SRAM as the last level cache in high-performance computing (HPC) applications. Just like SRAM, it offers high switching speeds (in the sub-nanosecond range) and unlimited durability.

In addition, SOT-MRAM bit cells can achieve lower standby power consumption than SRAM at high cell density with a smaller size, which translates into higher bit packing density.

World's first UCIe heterogeneous chiplet test chip

Recently, Synopsys and Intel developed the first test chip using the Universal Chiplet Interconnect Express (UCIe) protocol to connect chiplets manufactured in different processes. It demonstrates UCIe traffic between Synopsys UCIe PHY IP and Intel UCIe PHY IP, simulating each test chip using the Synopsys VCS functional verification tool. The successful pairing mimicked the mixing and matching of chips that might occur in real-world multi-chip systems, demonstrating that this approach is commercially viable.

Taiwan's AUO to end display production in Singapore this month

As demand for LCD screens continues to be sluggish, display manufacturer AUO Corporation will shut down its production line in Singapore at the end of this month, affecting up to 500 employees. In this regard, AUO has asked the equipment manufacturer to move the production equipment from Singapore back to Taiwan, China, and let some Taiwanese workers working in the factory can choose to transfer back home or move to Vietnam, where AUO is expanding its display module manufacturing capabilities. This move highlights headwinds facing the LCD industry as organic light-emitting (OLED) displays become increasingly popular in everything from smartphones to tablets and laptops.

TSMC Chairman Mark Liu to step down

On December 19, TSMC announced that the company’s chairman Mark Liu will retire after next year’s shareholders’ meeting and will no longer participate in the next director election. TSMC's Nomination and Corporate Governance and Sustainability Committee recommended chief executive officer C.C. Wei to take over as the next chairman, and the final result of the next board of directors election in June next year will take effect. It is reported that Mark Liu joined TSMC in 1993 and took over as chairman after founder Morris Chang retired in June 2018.

Chipmaker Qorvo to sell some China facilities to Luxshare Precision Industry

American chipmaker Qorvo has agreed to sell its assembly and test facilities in China to contract manufacturer Luxshare Precision Industry. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed and are expected to close in the first half of 2024. Qorvo added that after the transaction is completed, Luxshare Precision will acquire the operations and assets of each factory, including the property, plant and equipment, and existing employees, while Qorvo will continue to retain its sales, engineering and customers in China.

Arm lays off over 70 engineers in China

Arm Holdings Plc recently laid off over 70 software engineers in China and will move some positions outside the country. Approximately 15 of the laid-off employees will be transferred to different positions to work on China-related projects; and the related laid-off positions are currently filled by contract software engineers who have participated in projects across Arm's global operations. The company's move mirrors that of major chip companies including Qualcomm Inc., which cut global staff levels earlier this year as the semiconductor industry faces a downturn due to sluggish demand for electronics. For example, in November, Arm gave a disappointing sales forecast amid falling smartphone sales.