Industry analysts agree the semiconductor industry achieved one of its best second quarters in revenue growth, driven by the booming memory device market. The DRAM market, in particular, is expected to reach record growth levels in 2017. The semiconductor industry posted 6.1 percent growth compared to the previous quarter, reaching near record growth in the…
New technologies like the internet of things (IoT), big data, and social learning platforms have the power to transform the supply chain to make them more efficient, leading to competitive advantages across industries. Market research firm Gartner Inc. is betting these technologies will help to further digitize the supply chain over the next five years. In…
There are early signs that a price war is looming in the DRAM market, and it should be no surprise considering the cyclical nature of the memory device industry. DRAM prices have been steadily rising for about a year, but that upward trend may be coming to an end with planned capex and production capacity…
Could merger mania be headed to the power electronics industry? The acquisition of IXYS by Littelfuse may mark the start of industry consolidation in the mature insulated-gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) market, according to Yole Développement. Yole analysts believe the leading position of Infineon is forcing IGBT suppliers to bolster their technical expertise and market position…
Artificial intelligence (AI) will impact the semiconductor industry in two key ways over the next several years, according to TrendForce. AI is expected to create demand for new technologies, opening up new market opportunities, and improve the semiconductor fabrication process. With new products and platforms related to AI rolled out over the past year in…
The impact of Hurricane Harvey on the global supply chain will be worse than expected due to the dependence on chemicals and intermediate products across a range of industries, according to supply chain experts at Resilinc, a provider of supply chain risk and resiliency solutions. Other contributing factors are an interconnected global supply chain and…
Strong demand and rising prices for DRAM and NAND flash memory is driving capital expenditure budgets in 2017. Semiconductor capital spending is forecast to grow between 10 to 20 percent this year. Although memory device manufacturers are investing in both production capacity as well as technology migrations, tight supply of DRAM and NAND flash is…
S3 Semiconductors (S3semi), the custom semiconductor business of the S3 Group, is refocusing its strategy to provide a design-to-delivery custom chip service for industrial and communications OEMs. Rather than just deliver design services and intellectual property (IP), the company said it will now focus on converting electronic systems and boards into mixed-signal ICs and delivering…
Contract prices for NAND flash increased by three to 10 percent in the second quarter of 2017, and are expected to keep rising in the third quarter, according to DRAMeXchange, a division of TrendForce. Buyers also faced tight supply throughout the second quarter, which is likely to continue into 2018, according to analysts. The memory device…
DRAM buyers continued to face tight supply and rising prices in the second quarter of 2017 with no relief in sight in the second half of the year. Pricing for DRAMs is expected to remain on an upward trend, while production capacity expansion will be limited in the second half of 2017. Suppliers are expected…