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☆ India wants to become a semiconductor powerhouse, but it can't do it on its own
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-26 | by ( Charmaine Jacob | In Charmainemariajacob | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Bhatnagar pointed to how Taiwan's Powerchip Semiconductor Manufacturing Corporation will help India's Tata Electronics to build the country's first 12-inch wafer fab in Gujarat. However, analysts said India first needs to learn the ropes before it can compete with the East Asian giant, especially since its semiconductor manufacturing industry is still at a very nascent stage. "India is far behind China in semiconductor manufacturing. Earlier in September, the U.S. Department of State announced it will partner with the India Semiconductor Mission and India's electronics and IT government body to improve the global semiconductor value chain. "We are encouraging [the] semiconductor industry in a big way.

Persons: Narendra Modi, Eri Ikeda, Trendforce, Bhatnagar, Rishi Bhatnagar, Ikeda, Cozying, Biden, Modi, Jensen Huang, Sundar Pichai, Huang, Thomas Caulfield, Lisa Su, Tarun Pathak, CNBC's Tanvir Gill, Goldman Sachs Organizations: Dixon Technologies, Bloomberg, Getty, India, Indian, CNBC, Department of Management Studies, Indian Institute of Technology, Semiconductor Manufacturing Corporation, Tata Electronics, Micron Technology, Devices, Tata Group, East, External, of Engineering, U.S . Department of State, India Semiconductor, Nvidia, Google, Hindustan Times, AMD, Counterpoint, Apple, Counterpoint Research Locations: Uttar Pradesh, India, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, Taiwan, China, South Korea, U.S, Japan, Gujarat, American, China India, New York, New Delhi, Beijing

☆ AI boom to keep supply of high-end memory chips tight this year, analysts warn
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-14 | by ( Sheila Chiang | In Sheilachiang | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Photographer: SeongJoon Cho/Bloomberg via Getty ImagesHigh-performance memory chips are likely to remain in tight supply this year, as explosive AI demand drives a shortage for these chips, according to analysts. "We expect the general memory supply to remain tight throughout 2024," Kazunori Ito, director of equity research at Morningstar said in a report last week. The demand for AI chipsets has boosted the high-end memory chip market, hugely benefiting firms such Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix, the top two memory chipmakers in the world. High-performance memory chips play a crucial role in the training of large language models (LLMs) such as OpenAI's ChatGPT, which led AI adoption to skyrocket. HBM's production cycle is longer by 1.5 to 2 months compared with DDR5 memory chip commonly found in personal computers and servers, market intelligence firm TrendForce said in March.

Persons: SeongJoon Cho, Kazunori Ito, Morningstar, William Bailey, TrendForce Organizations: Samsung Electronics Co, Galaxy, Bloomberg, Getty Images, SK Hynix, Micron, Samsung Electronics, Nvidia, Samsung, Nasdaq Locations: Seoul, South Korea

☆ Samsung stock: Shares rise after tech firm reports big jump in profit
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-29 | by ( ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

The upbeat outlook from the world’s largest memory chip maker sent its shares 1.8% higher on Tuesday after it reported a more than 10-fold rise in first-quarter operating profit. Operating profit rose to 6.6 trillion won in January to March, up from 640 billion won a year earlier. It was the company’s highest operating profit since the third quarter of 2022. Samsung’s mobile devices business booked a 3.51 trillion won operating profit in the first quarter, down from 3.94 trillion won a year earlier. Rising costs, including increased memory chip prices, dented margins from its flagship Galaxy S24 smartphones launched during the quarter.

Persons: ” Jaejune Kim, Jeff Kim, ” Kim Organizations: Seoul Reuters, Samsung Electronics, Samsung, SK Hynix’s, Nvidia, SK Hynix, AMD, KB Securities, Apple Locations: Seoul, China

☆ Taiwan plays a 'very crucial role' in AI supply chain, says Taiwan Stock Exchange CEO
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-19 | by ( Sheila Chiang | In Sheilachiang | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

watch nowTaiwan plays a critical role in the AI chip revolution and the global semiconductor industry, the chief executive of the Taiwan Stock Exchange told CNBC in an exclusive interview. Sherman Lin, chairman and CEO of Taiwan Stock Exchange Corporation attributed the strong gains on the Taiwan Weighted Index to "the AI revolution." So it means, actually, Taiwan plays [a] very crucial role in AI supply chain and also the semiconductor industry," said Lin. Taiwan also held nearly 80% market share in extreme ultraviolet generation processes, such as 7-nanometer and more advanced technology, said TrendForce. EUV tools are critical in the production of the world's most advanced processors.

Persons: Sherman Lin, Lin, TSMC Organizations: Taiwan Stock Exchange, CNBC, Taiwan Stock Exchange Corporation, Taiwan, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co, Apple, Nvidia, TSMC, U.S, ICT, Samsung, Intel Locations: Taiwan, South Korea, China, Japan, U.S

☆ India wants to be a global chip powerhouse in 5 years
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-18 | by ( Charmaine Jacob | In Charmainemariajacob | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

India wants to be among the world's top five semiconductor producers in the next five years, said Ashwini Vaishnaw, minister of electronics and information technology, railways and communications. The chip industry "is a very complex market, and global value chains and global supply chains are extremely complex in the current context," Vaishnaw said on CNBC's Street Signs Asia on Friday. As of December, Taiwan holds about 46% of global semiconductor foundry capacity, followed by China (26%), South Korea (12%), the U.S. (6%) and Japan (2%), according to market intelligence firm TrendForce. I call it 'trust shoring' because there is a global trust in India," Vaishnaw said. "A lot of our chips are designed in India, and that presence in India is also creating opportunities for a number of Indian companies."

Persons: Ashwini Vaishnaw, Vaishnaw, Narendra Modi, Frank Huang, Rajeev Chandrasekhar Organizations: Qualcomm, CNBC, Tata Electronics, Powerchip Semiconductor Manufacturing Corp, PSMC, Economic Times Locations: India, Taiwan, China, South Korea, U.S, Japan, Chennai

☆ China's Xpeng claims its latest EV model could be an industry 'game changer'
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-05 | by ( Sheila Chiang | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

watch nowChinese electric vehicle company Xpeng told CNBC on Friday that its newly launched X9 model could be a "game changer" for the industry. Xpeng launched the X9 large 7-seater EV on Jan. 1, a car built on its SEPA2.0 architecture for the Chinese market. Xpeng's new launch comes as several domestic EV players such as Nio , Huawei and Zeekr recently revealed new electric vehicles. Stiff competitionCompetition is intensifying in the Chinese EV market, with BYD, Li Auto and Geely among the small number of players that have hit their annual sales targets. Gu is optimistic on China's EV market in 2024 despite challenges, saying that "2024 will be a very competitive year" with new model and brand launches.

Persons: Xpeng, Brian Gu, Emily Tan, Gu, Zeekr, Xpeng Xpeng, Guangdong Huitian, Li Auto, Vincent Sun, Xpeng Nio, Li, BYD, Tesla, TrendForce Organizations: CNBC, Jan, EV, Huawei, Guangdong Huitian, Li Auto Locations: China, Europe, Guangdong, U.S

A smartphone with a displayed NVIDIA logo is placed on a computer motherboard in this illustration taken March 6, 2023. But the red-hot market for AI chips is playing out in the context of vastly expanded U.S. export controls on what Nvidia can sell to China. Jacob Bourne, analyst at Insider Intelligence, said that those China-focused chips could consume vital research resources at Nvidia for products that could end up banned just like its first round of China market chips. Rival Advanced Micro Devices (AMD.O) had earlier touted the quantity of high-bandwidth memory on one of its competing AI chips. Chinese tech company Huawei's (HWT.UL) AI chip is also gaining traction from local firms as U.S. pressure makes it hard to access Nvidia chips.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Nvidia, Jesse Cohen, Colette Kress, Jacob Bourne, Bourne, Chavi Mehta, Max A, Stephen Nellis, Arun Koyyur, Sayantani Ghosh, Matthew Lewis Organizations: NVIDIA, REUTERS, Wall, Nvidia, LSEG, Insider Intelligence, Devices, Google, Microsoft, San, Thomson Locations: China, Israel, Gaza, United States, Bengaluru, Max, San Francisco

☆ The world's two largest memory chipmakers signal demand weakness may have bottomed out
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-07 | by ( Sheila Chiang | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

The recent earnings calls of the world's two largest memory chipmakers signaled that weak demand may have finally bottomed out. This followed a 85.15% drop in first quarter operating profit from the previous quarter and a small 4.68% improvement in second-quarter operating profit from the first quarter. Such memory chips are found in consumer devices such as laptops and smartphones. During the pandemic, companies stockpiled memory chips to meet record electronics demand, but were left with excess inventory when that pressure eased. Inflation has caused consumers to rein in spending and cut back on purchases of consumer devices, driving down demand and prices for memory chips.

Persons: James Lim, Lim, Samsung Organizations: SK Hynix, Dalton Investments, CNBC, South, U.S, Micron

☆ US allows Samsung, SK Hynix to keep getting US tools in China
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Flags of China and U.S. are displayed on a printed circuit board with semiconductor chips, in this illustration picture taken February 17, 2023. The authorization allows them to continue their Chinese chipmaking operations without the headache of applying for U.S. licenses to get new equipment, after new rules issued last October curbed Chinese chipmakers' access to the coveted tools. The October 2022 rules restricted shipments of advanced chips and chipmaking equipment to China as part of a U.S. bid to slow China's technological and military advances. Samsung Electronics makes about 40% of its NAND flash chips at its plant in Xian, China, while SK Hynix makes about 40% of its DRAM chips in Wuxi and 20% of its NAND flash chips in Dalian. The companies together controlled nearly 70% of the global DRAM market and 50% of the NAND flash market as of the end of June, data from TrendForce showed.

Persons: Florence Lo, Karen Freifeld, Chris Sanders, Alexandra Alper, Susan Heavey, Doina Chiacu, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, United, South Korea's SK Hynix, Samsung, U.S, Commerce Department, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing, Samsung Electronics, SK Hynix, Thomson Locations: China, U.S, Nanjing, Xian, Wuxi, Dalian, TrendForce

☆ Taiwan says awaiting US announcement on China chip waiver extension
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-12 | by ( Ben Blanchard | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

South Korea's government said this week that Samsung Electronics (005930.KS) and SK Hynix (000660.KS) will be allowed to supply U.S. chip equipment to their China factories indefinitely without separate U.S. approvals. "Whether it will be the same treatment as Samsung and SK Hynix, it's up to the announcement from the U.S. government," Wang told reporters in Taipei. Samsung and SK Hynix, the world's largest and second-largest memory chipmakers, had invested billions of dollars in their chip production facilities in China and welcomed the move. Samsung Electronics makes about 40% of its NAND flash chips at its plant in Xian, China, while SK Hynix makes about 40% of its DRAM chips in Wuxi and 20% of its NAND flash chips in Dalian. The companies together controlled nearly 70% of the global DRAM market and 50% of the NAND flash market as of end-June, data from TrendForce showed.

Persons: Florence Lo, Wang Mei, Biden, Wang, chipmaker, TSMC, Ben Blanchard, Gerry Doyle Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, U.S, Samsung Electronics, SK Hynix, Samsung, U.S ., United, Korean, Thomson Locations: Rights TAIPEI, Taiwan, China, KS, Taipei, TSMC, United States, Nanjing, Xian, Wuxi, Dalian, TrendForce

☆ South Korean firms get indefinite waiver on US chip gear supplies to China
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-09 | by ( ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

The United States had been expected to extend a waiver granted to the South Korean chipmakers on a requirement for licenses to bring US chip equipment into China. The United States has already notified Samsung and SK Hynix of the decision, indicating that it is in effect, Choi said. Samsung and SK Hynix, the world’s largest and second-largest memory chipmakers, have invested billions of dollars in their chip production facilities in China and welcomed the move. SK Hynix said: “We welcome the US government’s decision to extend a waiver with regard to the export control regulations. The companies together controlled nearly 70% of the global DRAM market and 50% of the NAND flash market as of end-June, data from TrendForce showed.

Persons: ”, Choi, mok, ” Samsung, SK Hynix Organizations: Seoul Reuters, Samsung Electronics, SK Hynix, United, Korean, Samsung, US Department of Commerce, SK Locations: Seoul, China, United States, Xian, Wuxi, Dalian, TrendForce

☆ US to indefinitely extend China waiver for South Korean chipmakers -Yonhap
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Florence Lo/Illustration/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSEOUL, Sept 27 (Reuters) - The U.S. is expected to indefinitely extend a waiver granted to South Korean chipmakers Samsung Electronics (005930.KS) and SK Hynix (000660.KS) on needing licenses to bring U.S. chip equipment into China, Yonhap news agency reported on Wednesday. The U.S. Commerce Department has discussed details with the South Korean chipmakers on which equipment could be used in China, said Yonhap, citing unnamed sources, adding that the U.S. would make related announcements as early as this week. Last year, the chipmakers had received authorisation from the U.S. Commerce Department to supply equipment needed for chip production in China for a year without seeking additional licenses. Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix declined to comment. Samsung Electronics has NAND flash memory production in Xian, China, whereas SK Hynix has DRAM chip production in Wuxi and NAND Flash production in Dalian, in which both companies have invested billions of dollars.

Persons: Florence Lo, Yonhap, 1,353.6600, Joyce Lee, Heekyong Yang, Muralikumar Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, South, Samsung Electronics, SK Hynix, U.S . Commerce Department, South Korean, U.S . Department of Commerce, Samsung, U.S, of Commerce, Thomson Locations: Rights SEOUL, U.S, South Korean, China, Xian, Wuxi, Dalian, TrendForce

☆ South Korea asks US to resolve chip trade issues
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Florence Lo/Illustration/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSEOUL, Sept 22 (Reuters) - South Korea on Friday said it has asked the United States to resolve uncertainties regarding U.S. export controls in the chip sector and subsidies for chip investment. The waiver allowed the South Korean pair to supply equipment for their chip production facilities in China without additional licensing requirements. Bang has sought "active cooperation" from the U.S. Department of Commerce to resolve issues relating to export controls, South Korea's Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy said in a statement without elaborating. Samsung Electronics has NAND flash memory production in Xian, China whereas SK Hynix has DRAM chip production in Wuxi and NAND Flash production in Dalian. The companies together control nearly 70% of global DRAM and 50% of NAND flash markets as at June-end, showed data from TrendForce.

Persons: Florence Lo, Commerce Don Graves, Bang, Joyce Lee, Heekyong Yang, Christopher Cushing Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Industry, U.S, Commerce, Samsung Electronics, SK Hynix, U.S . Department of Commerce, Korea's Ministry of Trade, Energy, TrendForce, Samsung, Thomson Locations: Rights SEOUL, South Korea, United States, Seoul, China, U.S, Korea's, Xian , China, Wuxi, Dalian, Texas

☆ GlobalFoundries opens $4 billion Singapore expansion fab to meet 'demand for essential semiconductor chips'
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-12 | by ( Sheila Chiang | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

A robotic arm moves 300 mm silicon semiconductor wafers inside a sorting machine in a cleanroom at a Globalfoundries Inc. semiconductor fabrication plant. Liesa Johannssen | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesU.S.-headquartered GlobalFoundries announced Tuesday the opening of its $4 billion expansion fabrication plant in Singapore as the contract chipmaker expects "growth in demand for essential semiconductor chips." Singapore supplies 11% of the world's semiconductors, according to the Singapore Semiconductor Industry Association. GlobalFoundries acquired Singapore's Chartered Semiconductor Manufacturing and took over its fabs in 2010. The following June, the Nasdaq-listed semiconductor manufacturer said its first tool had been moved into the Singapore facility.

Persons: Johannssen, GlobalFoundries, chipmaker, Thomas Caulfield, Caulfield, CNBC's Organizations: Inc, Bloomberg, Getty, CNBC, Qualcomm, MediaTek, NXP Semiconductors, 5G, Singapore Semiconductor Industry Association, Partnership, Samsung, Semiconductor Manufacturing, Economic, Board, Nasdaq, CNBC's Sri Locations: Singapore, U.S, Germany

☆ Rivian to benefit next year as EV battery material prices ease - CFO
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The Rivian name shown on one of the carmaker's new electric SUV vehicles in San Diego, U.S., December 16, 2022. REUTERS/Mike Blake/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSept 7 (Reuters) - Electric-vehicle maker Rivian Automotive (RIVN.O) will benefit late this year and in 2024 from a significant deflation for battery material prices, finance chief Claire McDonough said at a technology conference on Thursday. Prices for raw materials used in batteries surged to record highs in recent years on burgeoning demand for EVs, coupled with tight supplies due to the pandemic that were exacerbated by Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Lower costs of battery raw materials could potentially boost margins for Rivian and its rivals who have struggled with high costs and dwindling cash balances. Reporting by Akash Sriram in Bengaluru and Abhirup Roy in San Francisco; Editing by Sriraj Kalluvila and Timothy GardnerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Mike Blake, Claire McDonough, TrendForce, McDonough, Goldman Sachs, Akash Sriram, Abhirup Roy, Sriraj Kalluvila, Timothy Gardner Organizations: REUTERS, Rivian, EVs, Goldman, Thomson Locations: San Diego , U.S, Ukraine, Bengaluru, San Francisco

☆ EV, energy storage battery prices set to fall more - report
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A slide in prices of EV batteries could help the industry cushion profits from a price war started by Tesla (TSLA.O) in January to stoke demand. Prices for battery materials hit record highs during the pandemic as lower borrowing costs buoyed EV demand, but they have been falling since. The average price drop for cells used in EV batteries reached 10%, "highlighting an uninspiring growth pattern in the EV battery market", the research firm said. LFP batteries, widely used for energy storage and inexpensive EVs, were developed in the United States, but China now dominates global production. Prices for batteries used in energy storage have also slid due to weak demand outside of China, forcing battery makers to pare back production to buoy prices.

Persons: TrendForce, EVs, pare, Akash Sriram, Devika Organizations: EV, Tesla, stoke, Consumer, Battery, Thomson Locations: United States, China, EVs, Bengaluru

☆ Chipmakers signal supply glut easing but demand recovery still slow
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-28 | by ( Joyce Lee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

"Demand is recovering very gradually," Woohyun Kim, chief financial officer at SK Hynix, said on an earnings call this week. "The recent improvement in PC shipments has been mainly led by promotions and low-end models, meaning it provided limited impact on chip demand recovery," he said, adding that shipment forecasts for PCs and smartphones this year have been downgraded from earlier predictions. Chipmakers are also increasing production of the high-end chips used to support AI related chips. SK Hynix said demand for AI server memory had more than doubled in the second quarter compared to the first quarter. The company leads the market in high bandwidth memory (HBM) DRAM used in generative AI.

Persons: Florence Lo, Canalys, Woohyun Kim, ChatGPT, Pat Gelsinger, SK Hynix, Logan Purk, Edward Jones, Lam, Tim Archer, 1,278.7400, Joyce Lee, Akash Sriram, Akshita, Chavi Mehta, Tanya Jain, Max A, Cheney, Stephen Nellis, Miyoung Kim, Miral Organizations: REUTERS, Intel, Samsung, SK Hynix, SK, chipmaker Texas, Wall, Manufacturers, KLA Corp, Lam Research, Thomson Locations: SEOUL, China, HBM, Seoul, Bengaluru, Max, San Francisco

In particular, memory chip demand from corporate buyers stocking AI data centres as well as gaming personal computers is expected to increase in the second half of the year, the world's second-biggest memory chip maker said. SK Hynix reported a 2.9 trillion won ($2.28 billion) operating loss in the June quarter, down from 4.2 trillion won profit a year earlier on weak memory chip pricing and demand. AI CHIPSSK Hynix said demand for AI server memory had more than doubled in the second quarter compared to the first quarter. SK Hynix leads the market in high bandwidth memory (HBM) DRAM used in the fast-growing field of generative AI. Samsung, the world's biggest memory chip maker, will report its detailed second-quarter financial results on Thursday.

Persons: SK Hynix, Greg Roh, Nam Dae, 1,274.1300, Joyce Lee, Heekyong Yang, Christopher Cushing, Jamie Freed Organizations: Korea's SK Hynix, Microsoft, SK Hynix's, SK, SK Hynix, Revenue, Samsung Electronics, Hyundai Motor Securities, eBEST Investment, Securities, Samsung, Thomson Locations: SEOUL, KS, HBM

☆ South Korea wants to be a top A.I. hub — its chip dominance could be an advantage
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-06 | by ( Sheila Chiang | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Jung Yeon-je | Afp | Getty ImagesSouth Korea's dominance in the memory chip market and a robust artificial intelligence ecosystem gives it an advantage in the global AI chip race, said industry observers. South Korea dominating in the memory market is definitely an advantage," said James Lim, senior research analyst at Dalton Investments. "South Korea seeks to emerge as a prominent player in rapidly growing and promising areas such as AI semiconductors," said Lee. "South Korea has a robust local AI ecosystem, capable of competing with global tech giants," said Sung Nako, executive for large scale AI development at South Korean internet giant Naver. ChatGPT maker OpenAI's CEO Sam Altman had urged South Korea to lead AI chip production during his meeting with South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol in June.

Persons: Jung Yeon, James Lim, Lee, Dylan Patel, SemiAnalysis, ., TrendForce, Sung Nako, Sam Altman, Yoon Suk, Altman, Dalton's Lim, Geoffrey Cain Organizations: Getty, Dalton Investments, CNBC, Samsung, SK Hynix South, Samsung Electronics, SK Hynix, Science, Micron, South, South Korean, Nvidia, Intel Locations: Seoul, Korea, South Korea, China, U.S

☆ Samsung profit likely lowest in more than 14 years as chip glut persists
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-05 | by ( Joyce Lee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SEOUL, July 6 (Reuters) - Samsung Electronics' (005930.KS) June-quarter profit is expected to plunge 96% on-year to the lowest for any quarter in more than 14 years, as a chip glut continues to drive large losses in the tech giant's cash cow business despite a supply cut. If so, it would be Samsung's lowest profit since the fourth quarter of 2008, when Samsung Electronics reported a consolidated operating loss of about 740 billion won. It compares with an operating profit of 14.1 trillion won in the April-June quarter last year. This is because its chip division, traditionally its biggest earner, likely reported quarterly losses of around 3 trillion to 4 trillion won as memory chip prices fell further and its inventory values were slashed. Despite the current downturn, Samsung is working to increase its share of chip demand from the exploding field of artificial intelligence (AI), such as with high bandwidth memory (HBM) and chip contract manufacturing, they said.

Persons: 1,298.7800, Joyce Lee, Sonali Paul Organizations: Samsung Electronics, Samsung, Apple, Thomson Locations: SEOUL, KS, Seoul

Where can a Chinese buyer purchase top-end Nvidia (NVDA.O) AI chips in the wake of U.S. sanctions? A model similar to OpenAI's GPT would require more than 30,000 Nvidia A100 cards, according to research firm TrendForce. Nvidia's more advanced H100 chips, only on the market since March, appear much harder to come by. He added the premiums currently commanded by Chinese vendors for A100 and H100 chips could collapse in the future as many of the Chinese AI startups that were driving purchases would eventually withdraw from the market. ($1 = 7.8307 Hong Kong dollars)Reporting by Josh Ye in Hong Kong, David Kirton in Shenzhen and Chen Lin in Singapore; Additional reporting by Fanny Potkin in Singapore; Editing by Brenda Goh and Edwina GibbsOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Joe Biden's, OpenAI's, Ivan Lau, Hong, ByteDance, Vinci Chow, Charlie Chai, Josh Ye, David Kirton, Chen Lin, Fanny Potkin, Brenda Goh, Edwina Gibbs Organizations: Nvidia, SEG, Reuters, supercomputing, HK, U.S . Department of Commerce, China's, Information, Tencent Holdings, Taobao, Chinese University of Hong, Thomson Locations: HONG KONG, SHENZHEN, China, U.S, Shenzhen, Hong Kong, India, Taiwan, Singapore, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shanghai

☆ TrendForce says SK Hynix to raise China legacy chip output capacity
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] Memory chips by South Korean semiconductor supplier SK Hynix are seen on a circuit board of a computer in this illustration picture taken February 25, 2022. REUTERS/Florence Lo/Illustration/File PhotoSEOUL, May 4 (Reuters) - South Korea's SK Hynix Inc (000660.KS) plans to expand its legacy chip production capacity at its chip manufacturing facilities in China, market research firm TrendForce said. The world's second-biggest memory chip maker's long-term strategy involves shifting its capacity expansion back to South Korea, while its China chip production site caters to domestic demand in China and the legacy DRAM memory chip market, the TrendForce report said. SK Hynix did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment on Thursday. Last year, SK Hynix said it had received authorisation from the U.S. Commerce Department for a year to supply equipment needed for chip production in facilities in china, without seeking additional licensing requirements.

☆ Samsung quarterly profit set to hit 14-year low amid chip glut
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( Joyce Lee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Samsung, the world's biggest maker of memory chips, TVs and smartphones as of 2022, is a bellwether for global consumption trends. Operating profit likely fell to 1.08 trillion won in the quarter ended March 31, according to a Refinitiv SmartEstimate from 27 analysts, weighted toward those who are more consistently accurate. That is lowest since a 590 billion won profit in the first quarter of 2009, according to company data, and compares with an operating profit of 14.12 trillion won last year. In February, Samsung Electronics said it planned to borrow 20 trillion won from unit Samsung Display to use as operational funds until August 2025. Operating profit at Samsung's mobile business likely fell by 9% to 3.46 trillion won in the March quarter, an average of seven analyst estimates showed.

☆ Factbox: Chinese chipmakers caught in U.S.-China tech spat
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-31 | by ( Josh Horwitz | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

TSMC is the world's most valuable chipmaker and counts Apple Inc (AAPL.O) and Nvidia Corp (NVDA.O) among major clients. Its government-backing and ambition to make high-end chips caught the attention of the United States which put the firm on its Entity List in 2020. To date, most of SMIC's sales are made using the outdated 45 nanometer process node and above. Since late 2020, this specialisation in older chips has proven a boon due to a global shortage of lower-end chips. It produces DRAM at the 19 nanometer node and is moving into the 17 nanometer node - process nodes behind the industry leading-edge.

HONG KONG, Jan 5 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Western Digital (WDC.O) faces a daunting M&A challenge. Both outfits specialise in a type of memory chip called NAND flash, which is used in smartphones, computers and data centre servers. Yet even if the logic for a combination looks more compelling against this backdrop, the M&A hurdles Western Digital faced in 2021 are even more challenging today. The union between Western Digital and Kioxia will be a long slog, but worth it. Shares of Western Digital rose 7.7% to $35.63 during after-hours trading in New York on Jan. 4.

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