The burgeoning semiconductor shortage of 2021 hit chipmakers “like a ton of bricks,” according to one distributor. Of course, that’s not the phrase semiconductor suppliers would use. But the supply chain is in the midst of a perfect storm. A convergence of events is creating what’s expected to be a shortage of CPUs, MPUs, memory,…
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…
With component sales prices and profit margins under consistent pressure, distributors have moved up to value chain to offer more value-added solutions. Embedded computing is one segment that’s been targeted by the channel; in fact, Avnet Inc. has made embedded one of the cornerstones of its new, streamlined distribution strategy. Embedded is an area that…
The global LED market weathered a tough year in 2015, according to market research firm Yole Developpment. The entry of Chinese players to the market and lower-than-anticipated demand in the LED backlight and LED lighting markets drove prices down. For the first time ever, global packaged LED revenue declined, according to Yole, reaching $15 billion…
Despite a small increase in bill-of-materials cost, the new Xbox One S delivers for consumers in terms of improved performance and features, according to preliminary results from the Teardown Analysis Service at global business information provider IHS Markit (Nasdaq: INFO). The combined hardware and manufacturing cost of the new Xbox One S game console from…
Mid-way into 2016, the electronics supply chain continues to be hammered by numerous challenges, many of them versions of old problems but which still pack the capacity to do extensive damage to sales and profits at OEMs, component manufacturers and distributors alike. Some of the current difficulties facing electronics makes, however, are emerging from new…
Hurt by slowing demand in the automotive industry and exchange rate fluctuations, the automotive semiconductor market only grew 0.2 percent in 2015, reaching $29 billion, according to IHS. Despite the challenges, there were a flurry of mergers and acquisitions last year, which caused a shift in the automotive semiconductor rankings. One of the biggest was…
Texas Instruments (TI) maintained its leading position as the largest industrial semiconductor supplier in 2015, followed by Infineon Technologies and Intel, according to the latest IHS Inc. research. Rounding out the top five ranking are STMicroelectronics, which fell to number four, and Analog Devices, which maintained its number five position. Semicast Research also recently released…
Sales of wireless semiconductors grew almost four percent, reaching $56 billion in 2015, while revenue for the total semiconductor market dropped two percent to $347 billion, according to IHS Inc. The wireless market includes logic and analog semiconductors used in a variety of connectivity, mobile phones, media tablets, and mobile infrastructure applications. Due to lower…
Active-matrix organic light-emitting diode (AMOLED) displays are finally gaining traction after years of manufacturing and materials development. The displays, which can be manufactured on thin and flexible substrates are lighter, use less power and are more colorful than liquid crystal displays (LCDs). However, because OLEDs can be produced using ink-jet-type processes, materials development has been slow…