SemiVoice

➀ LB Semicon, a South Korean outsourced semiconductor assembly and test (OSAT) firm, plans to significantly increase its revenue from overseas within the next three years; ➁ The company aims to achieve this by reducing its reliance on display driver ICs (DDIs); ➂ LB Semicon CEO Namseong Kim announced this during a press conference in Seoul.

➀ SK Hynix has secured a significant order for HBM from Broadcom; ➁ The chips will be used in an AI computing chip for a major technology company; ➂ The deal is expected to enhance SK Hynix's market position in high-performance memory.

➀ Park Systems' atomic force microscope (AFM) is in high demand among global chipmakers; ➁ The demand is driven by the necessity of the AFM for hybrid bonding processes; ➂ The company has already supplied test equipment to some chipmakers and is in discussions with others.

➀ LB Semicon and its subsidiary LB Lusem will provide turn-key packaging services for power management chips used in AI data centers. ➁ The services will include processing for both the front and back sides of wafers. ➂ They will also offer testing for the chips.

➀ 3ALogics is planning to launch around ten new NFC-based wireless charging chips next year; ➁ The company has selected to focus on approximately 10 categories of NFC chips from over a hundred; ➂ CEO Park Kwang-beom emphasized the strategic choice for success.

➀ SK Hynix has strengthened its executive team with a significant number of promotions at the end of the year. ➁ Executive Vice President Ahn Hyun has been promoted to President and also appointed as Chief Development Officer (CDO). ➂ Ahn previously led SK Hynix’s N-S Committee.

➀ FOUP cleaner manufacturer ISTE is expanding into plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) equipment; ➁ The CEO of the fab equipment maker, Cho Chang-hyun, mentioned this during the company’s conference; ➂ The PECVD equipment market is 30 times larger than the FOUP market.

➀ LB Semicon and DB Hitek have announced a collaboration to co-develop an enhanced redistribution layer (RDL) for high-power chips; ➁ The RDL is a metal layer that connects the I/O pad within the chip to the outside world; ➂ This collaboration aims to improve the performance and connectivity of high-power chips.

➀ Samsung is conducting research to modify the packaging method for the LPDDR used in iPhones; ➁ The change is in response to Apple's request to convert the LPDDR IC into a discrete package; ➂ The new packaging will involve packaging the LPDDR separately.

➀ Isu Petasys has abandoned its plan to acquire carbon nanotube manufacturer JEIO; ➁ The decision was personally ordered by Kim Sang Beom, the chairman of Isu Group; ➂ Isu Petasys will forgo the 15.8 billion won deposit that was already paid.

➀ Samyang NC Chem, a photoresist firm, has been fined 16 times in the past six years; ➁ The fines have raised concerns as the company is preparing for its IPO; ➂ The company operates two factories in Gongju City, South Choongcheong Province.

➀ Samsung's year-end reshuffle is centered on its chip division; ➁ The company is facing what it describes as a crisis with growing concerns about the division's future; ➂ Samsung announced new presidents for the Device Solutions (DS) division.

➀ DeepX is set to receive the production wafer for its DX-M1 chip from Samsung Foundry by the end of the year; ➁ The chip's multi-project wafers are being produced in collaboration with design house Gaonchips and Samsung Foundry; ➂ DeepX has entered into a 7.2 billion won production deal with Gaonchi.

➀ Samsung has significantly reduced the amount of photoresist (PR) used in the photolithography process for its 3D NAND flash production. ➁ The company plans to use only half the amount of PR in future NAND production. ➂ The move is part of Samsung's effort to enhance its manufacturing efficiency and reduce costs.

➀ TCK announced on Friday that it has won a patent infringement lawsuit against YMC and Wycom over silicon carbide (SiC) rings; ➁ The lawsuit was filed four years ago, and TCK was also seeking damages; ➂ The patents relate to SiC structures capable of withstanding plasma and possess certain physical characteristics.

➀ South Korean chip storage company Mdevice has received preliminary approval to list on Kosdaq; ➁ The company filed for the listing in September; ➂ The listing is based on a special rule allowing unprofitable companies to go public.

➀ SK Hynix has commenced production of its 321-layer NAND chip; ➁ The chip features the highest number of layers in the industry; ➂ The product was first introduced at Flash Summit 2023 in August.

➀ YEST announced that it will supply 11.16 billion won worth of eFurnace to SK Hynix; ➁ The eFurnace is used for purifying wafers and enhancing their electrical properties; ➂ SK Hynix is expected to use the equipment in HBM production.

➀ Point2 Technology, a fabless chip company, is aiming for a valuation of over 1 trillion won upon its listing on the Korean bourse Kosdaq in 2026; ➁ The company CEO, Sean Park, has stated that they expect revenues of over 10 billion won in 2025, increasing to 50 billion won and 100 billion won in 2026 and 2027 respectively.

➀ Telechips is focusing on mid-end SoCs for the global car market; ➁ The strategy is to compete with larger rivals like Qualcomm and MediaTek; ➂ Lee, the CEO, highlighted the importance of staying competitive.

➀ Neosem reported its highest third quarter profit ever; ➁ The strong sales of its Gen 5 SSD testers contributed to the profit; ➂ The demand for its DDR5 server DIMM module tester, used in AI infrastructure, was also high.

➀ SemiFive is expected to exceed $70 million in revenue after only five years of operation; ➁ The company is a Design Solution Partner (DSP) to Samsung Foundry; ➂ SemiFive offers its own SoC design platform to its fabless customers.

➀ Chips&Media, a South Korean video IP firm, announced the acquisition of TSMC's 3nm library; ➁ This will allow Chips&Media's customers to assess compatible IPs before contract signing; ➂ The move signifies a strategic partnership between the two companies.

➀ SK Hynix is scheduled to provide samples of its Gen 5 HBM, HBM3E 16H, in early 2025; ➁ The HBM3E 16H features 16 stacked DRAM dies and will utilize mass reflow molding technology; ➂ SK Hynix CEO Kwak Noh-jung announced this at an event hosted by SK Group.

SK Hynix CEO Kwak Noh-jung confirmed production plans for HBM3E 12H, indirectly denying rumors of delays, while rejecting concerns over Nvidia's AI accelerator issues.

Hundreds of Samsung engineers apply for SK Hynix job amidst Samsung's chip business crisis; Engineer exodus to other companies and government, concerns about Samsung's competitiveness.

ADTechnology collaborates with Samsung and Arm for AI chiplet development, enabling better performance and reduced costs through modular chip design.

Wonik D2I anticipating OLED DDI supply deal with Samsung Display, expected to go through final quality test in November.

➀ SK Hynix has placed a significant order for thermal compression bonders from ASMPT; ➁ The equipment is for the production of HBM3E 12H, SK Hynix's newest high-bandwidth memory; ➂ The order includes over 30 units of the equipment.

➀ Contract prices of DRAM and NAND dropped by over 10% in September; ➁ The decline was due to low demand for PCs and consumer electronics; ➂ DDR4 8Gb 1Gx8 prices fell by 17.07% to US$1.7.