Global Semiconductor Industry Updates

1. On March 12, 2025, Intel announced that the board of directors has appointed Chen Liwu as CEO.  

2. Texas Instruments unveiled a miniature MCU at Embedded World 2025, measuring just 1.38 square millimeters, priced at only 20 cents per unit for bulk purchases.  

3. On March 12, nine European countries, led by Germany, announced the formation of the "Semiconductor Alliance."  

4. NXP Semiconductors released the next-generation S32K5 series MCU for automotive applications, the first 16nm FinFET MCU with embedded MRAM in the automotive industry.  

5. Swedish power battery company Northvolt has filed for bankruptcy in Sweden due to the depletion of its cash reserves.  

6. Skoda, the Czech automobile manufacturer under the Volkswagen Group, plans to lay off 8,200 employees to manage costs related to the transformation to electric vehicles.

China Semiconductor Industry Updates

1. Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) will establish a 80 billion yuan innovation fund to support the development of industries such as semiconductors.  

2. The total number of plasma etching equipment reactors shipped by China Micro company has exceeded 5,000 units globally.  

3. Kinghelm and Slkor (www.slkoric.com) are once again recruiting global agents and distributors in 2025, taking a solid step toward expanding into international markets.  

4. The 8-inch silicon carbide substrate production line built by Sanan in Chongqing has started production, with a current capacity of 500 wafers per week.  

5. The first photolithography machine has arrived at the advanced packaging and testing production base of XinZhiWei, which will complete its first production line and gradually achieve mass production, with an annual packaging and testing capacity of 120,000 wafers after full production.  

6. Qinghe Crystal Technology released the world’s first independently developed C2W & W2W dual-mode hybrid bonding equipment.