Semiconductor industry weekly update

Dolphin Design, recognised for its expertise in analogue and mixed-signal intellectual property (IP), has announced the successful tape-out of its inaugural 12nm FinFET test-chip, incorporating advanced audio IPs. 

This achievement reinforces Dolphin Design's leadership in power management and audio IP sectors, aligning with the company's ambitious performance objectives and responding to the growing demands for high performance and low power solutions. Dolphin Design is poised to become the go-to source for energy-efficient, high-performance audio IPs, committed to pioneering innovations in the semiconductor IP landscape.

Kalray collaborates with Arm to enhance data processing and AI acceleration

Kalray, a frontrunner in data processing and management technologies, has partnered with Arm to boost data processing and artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities. This collaboration will combine Kalray's Data Processing Unit (DPU) technology with Arm's extensive partner ecosystem, aiming to offer cutting-edge solutions to developers. By integrating Arm's Neoverse Coherent Mesh Network technology into its next-gen DPU chiplet, Kalray seeks to facilitate AI processing across diverse applications, making it more efficient and powerful.

SEMI reports decline in global silicon wafer shipments and revenue in 2023

The SEMI Silicon Manufacturers Group (SMG) has reported a significant downturn in global silicon wafer shipments, decreasing by 14.3% to 12,602 million square inches, with revenues dropping by 10.9% to $12.3 billion in 2023. This decline is attributed to reduced end-demand and an extensive inventory correction across the sector. The memory and logic segments saw a notable decrease in 12-inch wafer orders, while a weakened demand in foundry and analogue services led to reduced 8-inch wafer shipments.

SMIC reports positive fourth quarter performance in 2023

Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation (SMIC) has unveiled its consolidated results for the fourth quarter of 2023, showcasing a 3.6% revenue increase to $1.68 billion. Despite a 13% revenue decline year-over-year, SMIC anticipates a steady to slightly positive revenue growth in the first quarter of 2024, with gross margins expected to range between 9% and 11%.

TSMC witnesses robust revenue growth in January 2024

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), a leading semiconductor manufacturer, has reported a substantial revenue increase of 22.4% from the previous month and a 7.9% increase year-over-year in January 2024, indicating sustained demand for its semiconductor products.

VeriSilicon and innobase launch 5G RedCap/4G LTE dual-mode modem solution

In a strategic move, VeriSilicon and Innobase have introduced a dual-mode modem solution catering to mid-to-high-speed IoT applications, combining 5G RedCap and 4G LTE capabilities. This development marks a significant step in expanding VeriSilicon's wireless communication IP portfolio, offering comprehensive solutions for a variety of applications including smart vehicles and industrial IoT.

Trilinear Technologies to Integrate DisplayPort automotive extensions standard

Trilinear Technologies has announced its collaboration with industry partners to incorporate VESA's DisplayPort Automotive Extensions (DP AE) into automotive systems. This initiative aims to upgrade automotive display connectivity, enhancing performance and flexibility for next-gen in-car displays. Trilinear is set to bring DP AE support to the market by Q2 2024, improving the automotive industry's connectivity and advanced driver-assistance systems.

Socionext showcases next-gen SoC solutions at Embedded World 2024

Socionext Europe is gearing up to present its latest SoC innovations at Embedded World 2024 in Nuremberg, focusing on security, IoT, and e-mobility. The company will demonstrate its breakthrough 60 GHz radar sensor technology, highlighting the transformative potential of its SoC solutions.

SKAIChips adopts Ceva Bluetooth IP for ESL IC development

Ceva has announced SKAIChips Co. Ltd.'s licensing of its RivieraWaves Bluetooth 5.4 IP for creating an Electronic Shelf Label (ESL) IC, aiming for cost efficiency and minimal power consumption. This collaboration is set to propel the ESL market growth, with Bluetooth-enabled ESLs becoming increasingly significant.

Tenstorrent and Blue Cheetah accelerate AI and RISC-V Chiplet solutions

Tenstorrent has entered a licensing agreement with Blue Cheetah to utilise its die-to-die interconnect IP, enhancing the development of AI and RISC-V chiplet solutions. This partnership aims to foster a chiplet-based ecosystem, offering cost-effective, high-performance, and energy-efficient designs.

Movellus honoured by Frost & Sullivan for Aeonic IP portfolio

Movellus has been awarded the 2024 North American Technology Innovation Leadership Award by Frost & Sullivan for its Aeonic™ Digital IP Platform, recognised for enhancing power consumption, reliability, and performance across various applications. Movellus's innovative solutions stand out for their system performance optimisation and power efficiency.

Rambus reports strong financial outcomes for fourth quarter and fiscal year 2023

Rambus has announced impressive financial results for Q4 2023, with $122.2 million in GAAP revenue, reflecting the company's strategic execution and product leadership. The company anticipates continued growth in licensing billings for Q1 2024, maintaining its momentum in the semiconductor industry.

UMC reports January 2024 sales figures

United Microelectronics Corporation (UMC) has reported a slight decrease in sales for January 2024 compared to the previous year, with net sales totalling NT$19,013,697. Despite the dip, UMC remains a prominent player in the global semiconductor foundry market, offering advanced manufacturing services across various sectors.

Arasan achieves ISO26262 ASIL-C certification for 2nd Gen CAN IP

Arasan has announced its 2nd Gen CAN IP Trio has attained ISO26262 ASIL-C certification, ensuring safety for automotive System-On-Chips (SoCs) and extending its applicability to other critical industries. This certification highlights Arasan's commitment to delivering high-quality, safety-compliant automotive IP solutions.

YorChip and Digitho partnership to secure Chiplet supply chain

YorChip, Inc. has partnered with Digitho to enhance the security of Chiplets in the supply chain, a critical component for ensuring Known Good Die (KGD) in final assembly. This collaboration is pivotal in addressing the growing Chiplet market, projected to exceed $47 billion by 2031, by embedding unique IDs in each Chiplet to ensure security and reliability.

Oregano Systems Highlights syn1588 IP Cores for Precision Clock Synchronisation
Oregano Systems has showcased the syn1588 IP Cores, offering precise clock synchronisation with nanosecond-level accuracy, adhering to the IEEE 1588 Standard. These IP cores are designed to support real-time synchronisation in distributed networks, demonstrating Oregano Systems' commitment to precision and customer support in clock synchronisation technologies.

Eliyan achieves 64Gbps data rate on 3nm Chiplet interconnect

Eliyan Corporation has announced the successful tape-out of its high-performing PHY solution for multi-die architectures, achieving a 64Gbps/bump bandwidth on a 3nm process. This milestone underscores Eliyan's capability in enabling efficient die-to-die connectivity, compatible with emerging interconnect standards and enhancing bandwidth efficiency for Die-to-Memory applications.

Global semiconductor sales experience decline in 2023 with hopeful rebound

The global semiconductor industry witnessed an 8.2% sales decrease in 2023, totalling $526.8 billion. Despite this downturn, a late-year rebound offers optimism for the industry, with projections of a 13.1% sales increase in 2024. The logic product sector led sales, with automotive ICs experiencing significant growth, showcasing the industry's resilience and potential for recovery.

Nordic Semiconductor expands partnership with Arm for processor and security IP

Nordic Semiconductor has secured a multi-year Arm Total Access license, ensuring access to Arm's processor and security technology for its future products. This agreement strengthens the long-standing partnership between the two companies, enabling Nordic to develop comprehensive IoT solutions across various sectors, emphasising powerful processors and machine learning capabilities.

Faraday announces collaboration for 64-core Arm-based SoC development

Faraday Technology Corporation has revealed its collaboration with Arm and Intel for the development of a 64-core System-on-Chip (SoC) using Intel 18A technology. Aimed at data centre servers and high-performance computing, this Arm-based SoC is part of Faraday's initiative to accelerate SoC development, reducing chip development time and fostering innovation in the industry.