SK Hynix has created a new high-level position for its maintenance department.The chipmaker said on Monday that the area will now have a position called Master, the highest career level for those in the field.Masters, the top position for equipment maintenance in wafer fabrication, will aim to leave

Sony’s dominance in the global CMOS image sensor market seems unchangeable.According to analyst firm Omdia, the Japanese tech giant had a market share of 51.6% during the third quarter last year, triple that of second-place Samsung’s 15.6%.The global CMOS image sensor market was worth US$4.733 billi

Samsung Foundry, the contract chip-producing business unit of Samsung, has built a system that allows its key partners to have sales and maintenance rights of the chip giant’s IPs.The company has previously done this on its own but it seems it is now making a middleman distribution system for its IP

South Korean chipmakers Samsung and SK Hynix are planning to procure fewer silicon wafers used in chip production than they initially planned going forward, TheElec has learned.The chipmakers discussed the issue with their respective wafer suppliers sometime during the fourth quarter, sources said.S

Samsung has recently begun procuring ammonium hydroxide, more commonly known as ammonium water, from ENF, TheElec has learned.SK Hynix was also considering procuring the water from a global supplier, likely Germany’s BASF, sources said.These moves by the South Korean chipmakers threatens the positio

Samsung is planning to build pilot lines by the end of the year for its planned new fabs in South Korea and the US, TheElec has learned.The pilot lines will be built at P4 in Pyeongtaek, South Korea, and another one in Taylor, Texas. Samsung recently shared these plans with its suppliers for the fab

The price of neon gas used in wafer fabrication, or semiconductor production, is beginning to drop.The precious gas used in excimer laser gas for lithography at one time saw a price jump of 20 times last year.This was due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine which burdened supply chains and customers beg

Samsung is expecting its annual operating profit from semiconductor sales in 2023 to be around 13.1 trillion won, TheElec has learned.This figure was shared with its employees in a note sent to employees on Wednesday explaining their expected bonus payment amounts to be paid in January from their pe

The cost of the new fab Samsung is building in South Korea has increased significantly since the third quarter due to global inflation, TheElec has learned.The cost of building additional facilities and its P3 fab at Pyeongtaek has increased by over 1 trillion won.Samsung C&T, Samsung Engineering, a

Chip gas firm TEMC has won Samsung as a customer for its neon gas, which is used in chip production, TheElec has learned.Neon gas prices have skyrocketed since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine started.TEMC succeeded in producing the rare gas on its own, allowing Samsung to add them as their supplier tim

Investment in fabless chip companies that design semiconductors continue to drop in South Korea.TheElec talked to multiple sources in the country’s fabless scene __ all voiced their concern that spending in the sector by funds is drying up.A CEO of a local fabless chip firm said that the investment

Samsung’s Mobile Experience (MX) Business has formed an application processor (AP) solution development team within the business, TheElec has learned.The team will be led by executive vice president Choi Won-joon, who was also named the head of MX Development during Samsung’s annual reorganization e

Samsung has begun construction of its new chip foundry fab in Taylor, Texas, TheElec has learned.The tech giant has placed orders for the equipment it needs to build the cleanroom.Samsung has placed orders for the system ceiling material, outdoor air conditioning, and other equipment that it will in

Prices of quartz used in the production of computer chips are expected to increase again, TheElec has learned.Their prices already increased during the earlier part of the year but are expected to increase another 10%.This is because of the increase in raw material prices as well as the unfavorable

South Korean chip foundries are seeing the operation rate of their fabs drop steeply, TheElec has learned.With the exception of Samsung, which is still seeing high demand from advanced nodes, local foundry companies such as DB Hitek, Key Foundry, Magnachip, and SK Hynix System IC are seeing their op

Pellicles used in Arf and Krf processes in wafer fabrication are in short supply.This is because more fabless companies in China are rising daily, while overall demand for the commodity has increased as chipmakers aim to develop new semiconductors.In South Korea, only FST manufactures pellicles and

Wonik Group has acquired a display driver IC (DDI) fabless chip firm only a year old, TheElec has learned.The move is highly unusual as the group has so far focused on mostly material and production equipment for chips and displays.Wonik Holdings, the holding company of the business group, wholly ac

South Korean blank mask manufacturer S&S Tech is planning to install deposition machines used in the production of blank masks for use in extreme ultraviolet (EUV) next month.The installation is the final step ahead of production and the company is planning for commercial mass production to start in

The legal dispute between the City of Dangjin and Ram Technology over the company’s planned hydrogen fluoride factory has started this month.The company had filed an administrative lawsuit against the city after it refused Ram Technology’s plan to build a factory at Dangjin back in August 2021.Hydro

Fab equipment coating and cleaning solution firm Komico is planning to spend at least US$30 million to expand its factory in Austin, Texas, TheElec has learned.The move is done to better react to customer Samsung’s demand there as the tech giant is building a new foundry fab in Taylor.It provides Sa