Financial
• The fourth quarter revenue for the top 10 foundries were up 7,9% at a value of $30,49 billion. The annual total revenue reached $111,54 billion. This growth was largely driven by the demand for smartphone components and peripheral PMICs. TSMC’s premium 3 nm process pushed its global market share past the 60% threshold in Q4 2023.
• It is reported that the global sales of EVs reached 13,03 million in 2023, a growth rate of 29,8%. This represents a significant slowdown in growth compared to 2022, which saw a growth rate of 54,2%. China remains the largest market for EVs, accounting for 60% of the global market share. Tesla continues to lead the rankings with a 19,9% market share, with Chinese company BYD a close second.
• The revenue generated by NAND Flash grew 24,5% in Q4 2023, hitting $11,49 billion. This surge is attributed to a stabilisation in end-demand and an expansion in component market orders driven by price chasing. The corporate sector’s continued positive outlook and strategic stockpiling have further fuelled this growth, which is forecast to increase another 20% in the first quarter of 2024.
• The market for smartphone camera optical technology is expected to have a resurgence with the help of AI-driven smartphone trends. Samsung’s AI-packed flagship phone, the S24 series, has advanced generative AI applications driving it. The embedded ProVisual Engine algorithm on which it runs promises extraordinary quality by enhancing clarity, significantly stabilising images, and removing noise and shake.
• For the second consecutive year, a drop in salaries for software developers was seen. This downward trend in 2022 and 2023 came after the industry saw its peak in 2021, largely being driven by the panic caused during the COVID-19 pandemic. Data showed that senior developers and developers, with four to six years of experience, were the only categories not to experience this decline.
• Global server shipments are forecast to increase by 2,05% in 2024, with AI servers accounting for 12% of them. This amounts to a total number of server shipments expected to reach 13,6 million units this year. Foxconn is expected to see the highest growth rate, with an annual increase between 5 and 7%. This is due to significant orders from the likes of Dell (16G platform), AWS (Graviton 3 and 4), Google (Genoa), and Microsoft (Gen9).
• The enterprise SSD industry reached a total of $23,1 billion in revenue in Q4 2023, and this growth trend is continuing into Q1 of 2024. The third quarter last year saw suppliers dramatically cutting production, which underpinned enterprise SSD prices. The fourth quarter then saw a resurgence in contract prices, driven by a surge in buying activity and increased demand from server companies. A 20% revenue growth in this sector is expected in Q1 2024.
• DRAM also saw a large growth in Q4 2023, due to rising prices and memory volume. The industry has reported a 29,6% QoQ revenue increase reaching a total of $17,46 billion. A forecasted 20% increase in DRAM prices are expected in the first quarter of 2024.
Companies
• The grand opening of TSMC’s Kumamoto Plant took place on 24 February. Currently, TSMC holds a dominant 60% of global foundry revenues, and this is set to increase with the new addition. This is the company’s first factory in Japan as it sets out to explore spreading its production to other countries worldwide. TSMC is expecting the new plant to produce up to 50 000 wafers per month, focusing mainly on 22/28 nm processes but with a small amount of 12/16 nm processes thrown into the mix.
• Avnet ASIC has been appointed as a Value Chain Aggregator by TSMC. The appointment positions Avnet ASIC as a channel for TSMC ASIC customers, offering a full turnkey solution from design inception to layout and mass production. The collaboration signifies a landmark agreement within Avnet, enhancing the offerings by combining the strong technology of TSMC with the ASIC design and manufacturing capabilities of Avnet ASIC.
• TDK Corporation was recently named a 2024 Clarivate Top 100 Global Innovator for its leadership in digital and energy transformation. Since 2012, the Top 100 Global Innovators programme has identified companies at the pinnacle of the global innovation landscape by measuring the ideation culture that produces patents and drives growth.
• The company has also been awarded an A ranking in the CDP Supplier Engagement Rating for the fourth consecutive year. CDP works on environmental issues such as climate change, and provides a ranking for over 450 companies worldwide.
• Andrew Mthembu has been named as executive chairman of EOH Holdings. This appointment is on an interim basis, starting on 1 April, until a replacement can be found for outgoing chief executive Stephen van Coller. Mthembu will be in the role for up to six months, after which he will return to a non-executive role in the company.
• Oxford PV has set a new solar panel efficiency world record. Their next-generation tandem solar panel achieves 25% efficiency. Produced in collaboration with the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems, the panel achieved this significant increase on the more typical 24% efficiency of commercial modules. Oxford PV, a spin-out of the University of Oxford, is a developer of perovskite-on-silicon tandem solar cells, which have a theoretical maximum efficiency of over 43%, compared to less than 30% for silicon solar cells.
• NeoCortec, manufacturer of ultra-low-power bi-directional wireless mesh network modules, has recently extended its network of distributors by signing a new global distribution agreement with DigiKey, a worldwide distributor of high-service electronic components and automation products. The modules suit a broad range of applications based on IoT and Cloud-based sensor networks, including smart buildings, metering, security, and agriculture.
• DesignCon 2024 recently announced its Best Paper Awards winners with six Samtec authors named alongside colleagues from other organisations. DesignCon Best Paper Awards serve to acknowledge authors as leading practitioners in semiconductor and electronic design.
• Cell C has appointed El Kope as chief financial officer and executive director for finance. Kope, a chartered accountant, joined Cell C in September 2022 as the executive head for financial planning and analysis. She stepped into the Acting CFO role in August 2023 after the departure of the previous CFO.
• Panasonic has extended its collaboration with Hera Group to expand its NexMeter technology. The NexMeter, launched in 2019 as a smart gas meter, has evolved to incorporate advanced safety features. It is compatible with green gas mixtures like hydrogen and biomethane.
• Analog Devices has been awarded the US FDA 510 clearance for its Sensinel CPM system. The Sensinel CPM is the next-generation solution for management of cardiopulmonary diseases like heart failure. Patients self-apply the wearable device for three to five seconds in which time the device records and uploads the data to ADI’s Sensinel CPM intelligent cloud for further analysis using proprietary algorithms.
Technologies
• The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have delivered a small, but significant, advancement in timing technology. Compact chips have been developed that seamlessly convert light into microwaves which reduces timing jitter. This jitter, which is the small, random changes in a timing signal, has been reduced to a mere 15 femtoseconds. According to NIST, this technology could improve GPS, the quality of phone and internet connections, the accuracy of radar and sensing systems, and other technologies that rely on high-precision timing.
• Researchers from Japan and Germany have developed a method to produce large crystals (> 50 mm) using a laser-based process, and without a crucible. These high-purity semiconductor crystals are required for power electronics in applications like electric cars and photovoltaics. To perform this, a team at the Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology ILT in Aachen has developed a process-adapted optical system for use with a 20 kW laser. The laser is initially split into five partial beams with a maximum of 4 kW each. The partial beams are then deflected via large, water-cooled mirrors to heat the crystal in the centre of the setup evenly, offset by exactly 72°
• Electric vehicles could significantly increase the likelihood of pothole formation due to their relative mass in comparison to their internal combustion engine siblings. In a research paper published by the University of Leeds, it was found that EVs cause 2,24 times more stress on roads than their petrol counterparts, and 1,95 times more than comparative diesel-powered vehicles. The biggest contributor to an EV’s mass is the battery pack which, on average, comes in at around 454 kg.
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