1. SEMICONDUCTOR CAPEX IS EXPECTED TO RISE 34% TO A RECORD $152 BILLION IN 2021
Worldwide semiconductor capex is on track to surge 34% to $152.0 billion in 2021, its strongest percentage gain since a 41% increase in 2017. The foundry segment is forecast to represent 35% of all semiconductor capital spending in 2021, the largest portion of capex spending among the major product/segment categories. TSMC, the world’s largest foundry, is forecast to account for 57% of the $53.0 billion in foundry spending this year. Samsung is also making significant investments in its foundry operations.
Details: http://www.semimedia.cc/?p=11349
2. INTEL TO INVEST $7 BLN IN NEW PLANT IN MALAYSIA, CREATING 9,000 JOBS
Intel Corp will invest more than $7 billion to build a new chip-packaging and testing factory in Malaysia, expanding production in the country following a global shortage of semiconductors. The new advanced packaging facility in Malaysia is expected to begin production in 2024.
3. US-CHINA TRADEWAR: US TO SHUT ALL DOORS TO CHINESE CHIP MANUFACTURER
US Officials want to close regulatory loopholes that have allowed SMIC to buy critical US technology. The Chinese chip manufacturer is prohibited from buying US tools “uniquely required” to build chips with 10-nanometer circuits and smaller, which is close to the leading edge of semiconductor manufacturing technology. Separately, Americans are also banned from investing in Chinese artificial intelligence giant SenseTime Group Inc. Apparently more Chinese technology companies will soon be added to the Commerce Department’s entity list as well as the Treasury list.