Global Semiconductor Industry Updates

1. Applied Materials Inc., the largest chip equipment manufacturer in the United States, has taken a cautious stance on its revenue forecast for the current fiscal quarter, citing the risk of export controls potentially impacting its business.

2. Infineon has made significant progress with its 8-inch Silicon Carbide (SiC) technology roadmap, and the first devices based on 8-inch SiC wafers are expected to be delivered to customers in Q1 2025.

3. The U.S. government may be pushing a plan to encourage chipmaker Intel to form a joint venture with TSMC.

4. SK Hynix is reviewing the applicability of the Chinese EDA software it currently uses. It is expected that during the second term of the Trump administration, South Korean companies will face restrictions on using Chinese software.

5. On February 15, the "Kinghelm Cup" (www.kinghelm.com.cn) 2025 Songgang Factory BA Youth Basketball League kicked off! Deng Haifeng, Sales Director of Jinhangbiao, and Chen Suwei, among others, attended the opening ceremony.

6. Nvidia is collaborating with MediaTek to re-enter the smartphone chip market. The two companies plan to launch a mobile SoC with integrated advanced AI features to challenge the current market landscape.

China Semiconductor Industry Updates

1. TSMC's board of directors has approved a capital increase of up to $10 billion (RMB 72.945 billion) to fully fund its subsidiary TSMC Global, a substantial amount that has drawn market attention.

2. Guangzhou held its major project launch event for Q1 2025, with 341 projects breaking ground, including the Greater Bay Area headquarters production and R&D base project for Jinko Electronics' subsidiary Lingwei Vision.

3. Shanghai Silicon Industry will sign an electronic-grade polysilicon procurement framework agreement with supplier Xinhua Semiconductor, with the total contract value expected to reach RMB 1.054 billion (including tax).

4. The "Zhongguancun Science City Integrated Circuit Tape-out Subsidy Application Guidelines" have been officially released, with the maximum reward for a single company this year not exceeding RMB 15 million.

5. AU Optronics will end its solar single-wafer business this year and retain only its semiconductor-related business, which will be fully integrated into its Taichung plant.

6. TSMC has planned to build three fabs in Kaohsiung, with P1 and P2 to produce 2nm process chips, and P3 to produce 2nm or more advanced process chips.