ELECTRONICS HIGHLIGHT NEW W37.2024

1. Korea accelerates development of HBM supply chain as Japanese companies join

South Korea is accelerating the development of high-bandwidth memory (HBM) supply chains, crucial for AI computing, while Japanese chip equipment makers are securing supply deals with industry leading companies.

Tokyo Electron, Japan’s largest semiconductor equipment manufacturer, is building a fourth R&D center in Yongin, near Seoul, scheduled to open in 2026. The facility will focus on prototype design for customers, emphasizing the importance of development speed.

Yongin is expected to open in 2027, with major investments from SK Hynix and Samsung Electronics to produce HBM. Over the past five years, TEL Korea has doubled its workforce, focusing on equipment maintenance engineers. The demand for HBM is driven by AI servers due to their high performance and low power consumption. The global HBM market is expected to grow sixfold by 2027, reaching $17.5 billion. SK Hynix currently holds about 50% of the market, followed by Samsung Electronics with 40%. South Korea’s domestic supply of semiconductor equipment is limited, meeting only about 20% of demand. To boost domestic production, the government has designated HBM as a strategic technology, providing tax incentives and triple subsidies to foreign manufacturers by 2024.

With relations between Korea and Japan improving, Japanese companies see fewer barriers to investment. This trend is expected to further strengthen Korea’s position as a key player in the global HBM market.

Learn more: Korea accelerates development of HBM supply chain as Japanese companies join

2. India and Singapore sign a cooperation agreement on semiconductors

India and Singapore have signed a cooperation agreement in the semiconductor sector, aimed at strengthening the supply chain and increasing the role of Singaporean companies in the Indian market. The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed during Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s first visit to Singapore since 2018.

The partnership will focus on leveraging the complementary strengths of both countries’ semiconductor ecosystems and improving supply chain resilience. Singapore, a key player in the global semiconductor market, accounts for 11% of the industry and produces 20% of the world’s semiconductor equipment.

Semiconductors are also a priority for India which has launched a $10 billion investment package to strengthen the semiconductor industry, with plans to take the market to $63 billion by 2026. India recently approved the construction of three semiconductor manufacturing plants worth more than $15 billion to produce chips for industries such as defense, automobiles and telecommunications.

Learn more: India and Singgapore sign a cooperation agreement on semiconductors

3. Vishay expands its touch product line to enhance customer supply flexibility and efficiency

Vishay recently announced the expansion of its touch product lines, adding a range of new products designed to provide customers with enhanced options to achieve specific cost/performance ratios. possible in design. The expanded catalog will simplify the sourcing process for Vishay customers, offering more equipment options at a variety of price points.

The expansion includes new products that cater to applications that require higher inductance—exponentially—and higher voltage inductors . Additionally, Vishay has introduced more size variations, ensuring that customers can find the right inductor for any available PCB space, no matter how small.

As part of its expansion strategy, Vishay is investing in capacity upgrades and expansion of IHLP® manufacturing capacity at all facilities, including the newly opened La Laguna plant in Gómez Palacio, Durango, Mexico, as well as China and other parts of Southeast Asia. Capability investments are further positioning Vishay to better serve the global market.

With this product and expanded capabilities, Vishay is better positioned to meet the latest demands and continue to deliver innovative solutions that support customers’ changing design requirements.