Dongwoon Anatech was supplying its closed-loop autofocus driver IC to Xiaomi for the latter’s augmented reality (AR) glasses, TheElec has learned.The chip is used to control where the lens is during camera focusing.An open-loop driver sends electricity to the voice coil motor. It is cheaper to make

Fab and display equipment maker Wonik IPS has hired an ex-Samsung chip expert in its recent reorganization, TheElec has learned.The company named Ahn Tae-hyuk as head and president of its semiconductor research lab.Ahn was last the executive vice president at Samsung SDI, where he oversaw their smal

Samsung on Tuesday introduced its new mobile application processor Exynos 2200.The processor is made using its 4nm EUV process and packs new GPU and CPU, the company said.Samsung originally planned to unveil Exynos 2200 on January 11, but the event was canceled.Exynos 2200 packs a new GPU called Xcl

GCT Semiconductor, the fabless chip designing subsidiary of Anapass, is planning to launch a new 5G chipset it co-developed with Verizon this year, TheElec has learned.The South Korean company had been co-developing the chipset with the US telco since 2019.The chipset follows 3GPP 5G New Radio Relea

System chip startup Skaichip said on Monday that it will launch its Series A funding round next month.The company, founded in April 2019, offers wireless charging technology that uses radio frequency (RF).Unlike current wireless charging that requires devices to be close by to the charger, Skaichip’

System semiconductor design firm Coasia said on Wednesday that it will be supplying SoCs for heated e-cigarette to Jiangsu Tobacco.Delivery of the SoCs will begin mid-year when Jiangsu Tobacco designates its e-cigarette developer, the South Korean firm said.Coasia has been developing the chips with

South Korean chip foundry firm DB HiTek said on Wednesday that it has developed process technologies for 130-nanometer (nm) and 110nm RF front-end chips.RF front-end are transceivers used in IT devices from smartphones to IoT modules.It is comprised of an antenna tuner, switch, low noise amplifier,

Semiconductor deposition and etching equipment firm TES’ gas-phase etching equipment (GPE) has passed Samsung Electronics’ quality test, TheElec has learned.It is highly like that the fab equipment maker will supply the GPE equipment to Samsung Foundry within the year.GPE equipment is a dry etching

Samsung said on Friday that it recorded 76 trillion won in revenue and 13.8 trillion won in operating income in the fourth quarter of 2021.Revenue increased by 23.48% year-on-year while operating income jumped 52.49% over the same time period.But the operating income figure is below South Korean ana

Revenue from fab equipment is expected to reach US$124.3 billion in 2022, according to analyst firm VLSI Research.This will be an increase of 22% year-on-year. VLSI Research said that demand for fab equipment that wasn’t met because of supply chain disruptions last year has been pushed to 2022.Coupl

Extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography is a hot topic in the semiconductor industry right now.Interest in the technology has steadily risen since Samsung first adopted an EUV equipment for its 7-nanometer (nm) foundry service in 2017.The need for more advanced chips in 3nm and 2nm nodes, which is fue

South Korean fabless chip firm Nextchip said it will show off its SoCs on image signal processing (ISP) and advanced driver assistance systems at CES 2022, which starts on Wednesday.The performances of these chips, Apache 4 and Apache 5, will be demonstrated at its booth in Las Vegas.Nextchip will s

Gas sensor firm Senko said on Tuesday that it has begun supplying gas detectors to South Korean chip giant SK Hynix.It will be supplying 3,600 units to SK Hynix this year, in a deal worth 3 billion won.The chip giant is likely to open a bid for more gas detectors so the total number of units Senko w

SK Hynix said on Thursday that it has completed the first phase of its acquisition of Intel’s NAND and solid-state drive (SSD) business.The South Korean chipmaker acquired Intel’s SSD business based in the US and their NAND flash fab in Dalian, China, after Chinese authorities approved the deal earl

Fab equipment maker YEST was currently developing an anion exchange membrane (AEM) water electrolysis machine, TheElec has learned.The move is seen as the company’s attempt to enter the so-called ‘green hydrogen’ business, where hydrogen is produced without carbon emission.South Korea’s Ministry of

S&S Tech was currently focusing on improving the defects on its blank mask for extreme ultraviolet (EUV) process in wafer fabrication, TheElec has learned.Blank masks are used to make the pattern masks to draw circuit designs on the wafer during the EUV lithography process.Molybdenum-silicon (Mo-Si)

AI chip firm DeepX is planning to launch four neural processing unit (NPU) chips during the third quarter of 2022, TheElec has learned.The chips, model named Genesis, are aimed at edge device, autonomous driving and data center applications, people familiar with the matter said.DeepX will use Samsun

Atomic force microscope firm Park Systems has developed an inspection equipment for masks used in the extreme ultraviolet (EUV) process in wafer fabrication, TheElec has learned.The equipment can inspect the mask for defects and improvements without damaging it, people familiar with the matter said.

Overlay equipment maker Auros Technology is aiming to expand its revenue from overseas next year to account for 30% of its total, TheElec has learned.Overseas revenue currently accounts for 10% of its total revenue.It is aiming to win new customers, mostly in Greater China, to meet its aim, people f

E-SOL has supplied its extreme ultraviolet (EUV) pellicle transmittance measuring kit to a South Korean chipmaker, TheElec has learned.The company has installed its EUV pellicle transmission and reflectance measurement system (EPTR) at the production line of the customer, people familiar with the ma