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ROHM has completed the acquisition of the assets of Solar Frontier’s former Kunitomi Plant located in Japan, on November 7, 2023, based on its basic agreement signed with Solar Frontier.
The Plant will be operated by LAPIS Semiconductor, a subsidiary of the ROHM Group, as its Miyazaki Plant No.2. It will become the Group’s main production site for SiC power devices and is aiming to start operation during 2024.
The ROHM Group will continue to strengthen its production capacity in accordance with its Medium-Term Management Plan while keeping abreast of market conditions, and will also thoroughly enhance its BCM system to ensure a stable supply of products to customers.
Original – ROHM
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Engineered for maximum power density, this half-bridge module can serve to construct excellent H-bridges and sixpacks. Far higher current handling, enhanced power loss dissipation, greater scalability than a solution with a single-module footprint – the flowDUAL delivers all this and more.
In combination with VINcoPress and advanced die-attach technology, this new baseplate-less module from Vincotech is your first choice for a wide range of high-power use cases where utmost efficiency and reliability are top priorities.
Main benefits
- Outstanding, ≥99% conversion efficiency brings down overall costs
- Low stray inductance and symmetrical chip layout enable higher switching frequency and lower system costs
- Greater supply chain security with
– the new flow E3 industry standard-compatible housing (CTI >600)
– the latest multi-sourced SiC devices - Excellent thermal performance with VINcoPress technology to decrease junction temperature and increase lifetime
- Pre-applied PC-TIM rated for 150°C helps reduce production cost
Applications
- Industrial drives
- Embedded drives
- EV Chargers
- Solar
- UPS
Original – Vincotech
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Siltronic announced the production of the first wafers in its latest state-of-the-art 300 mm fab in Singapore. The production marks an important milestone in the strategic capacity expansion of Siltronic’s global production network.
“It fills me with immense pride to see the production of the first wafers from the line. This is a decisive milestone in the history of Siltronic. I am delighted to see that the test wafer production has started slightly ahead of schedule. I would therefore like to congratulate and thank all the employees and suppliers involved for their contributions. We look forward to supplying our customers with leading-edge wafers from this new state-of-the-art fab,” said Dr. Michael Heckmeier, CEO of Siltronic AG.
Despite many challenges, including the global pandemic and supply chain constraints, the construction of the new fab, which started in 2021, is on schedule and on budget. By the end of 2024, around 2 billion Euro will have been invested into this greenfield project. This will be followed by further investments on a smaller scale to further ramp the production.
The large-scale project covers an area of approximately 20 soccer fields. At peak construction times, more than 5,000 workers were on site for both construction activities and facilities installation. The fab is supported by approximately 5,500 piles which extend up to 60 meters into the ground. In total, 150,000 m³ of concrete and more than 35,000 tons of steel have been used.
In the mid-term, the new fab is expected to be highly cost efficient due to the high degree of automation and deployment of digitalization, coupled with its strategic proximity to the existing 200- and 300 mm fabs in Singapore, which will lead to economies of scale and synergies.
The new fab will serve both medium and long-term demand growth in the semiconductor market, which is driven by megatrends such as digitalization, artificial intelligence, and electromobility. As originally planned, the production ramp phase will commence from the beginning of next year.
“The trust and support of our customers has been a key factor for this investment. In the ramp phase, sales from the new fab have been secured to a high degree by long-term agreements. Customers have also contributed significantly to the initial financing of the fab through prepayments,” added Claudia Schmitt, CFO of Siltronic AG.
Original – Siltronic
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GlobalFoundries Inc. (GF) announced preliminary financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2023.
Key Third Quarter Financial Highlights
- Revenue of $1,852 million.
- Gross margin of 28.6% and adjusted gross margin of 29.2%.
- Operating margin of 14.1% and adjusted operating margin of 17.4%.
- Net income of $249 million and adjusted net income of $308 million.
- Adjusted EBITDA of $667 million.
- Cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities of $3.4 billion.
“In the third quarter, GF’s dedicated teams across the world delivered financial results at the upper end of the guidance ranges we provided in our August earnings release,” said Dr. Thomas Caulfield, president and CEO of GF. “Although the global economic and geopolitical landscape remains uncertain, we are collaborating closely with our customers to support their efforts to reduce inventory levels, while growing long-term partnerships to drive foundry innovation and differentiation across essential end-markets.”
Recent Business Highlights
- The U.S. Department of Defense awarded GF a new 10-year contract for a supply of securely manufactured, U.S.-made semiconductors for use across a wide range of critical aerospace and defense applications.
- GF expanded its world-class global operations with official openings at its fabrication plant in Singapore and new operations support facility in Penang, Malaysia, creating a total of 1,300 high-value jobs.
- GF announced its most advanced RF technology, 9SW RFSOI, that will offer significant improvements in performance and integration for 5G and wireless communication applications.
Original – GlobalFoundries
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GlobalWafers held its board meeting to approve its financial statements for the third quarter ended on September 30, 2023 with the consolidated revenue reached NT$17.4 billion with -2.9% QoQ and -3.7% YoY; gross profit of NT$6.4 billion with -5.7% QoQ and -19.4% YoY, gross profit margin of 36.6% with -1.1% QoQ and -7.1YoY; operating income of NT$4.8 billion with -7.4% QoQ, -23.8% YoY, operating income margin of 27.8% with -1.3% QoQ and-7.3% YoY; net profit of NT$5.5 billion with 15.7% QoQ and 8.4% YoY.
Q323 revenue was impacted by customers’ inventory adjustments, and gross profit decreased slightly compared with Q223 mainly due to depreciation. Yet, along with the rise in the share price of Siltronic AG held by GlobalWafers and other operation performance, Q323 net profit margin of 31.9%, still hit the record high! Additionally, the NT$12.73 EPS recorded its highest performance over the same period!
The consolidated revenue for the first three quarters in 2023 reached NT$53.9 billion with 3.8% YoY; gross profit of NT$20.7 billion with -8.1% YoY, gross profit margin of 38.3% with -5.0% YoY; operating income of NT$16.1 billion with -13.3% YoY, operating income margin of 29.9% with -6.0% YoY; net profit of NT$15.3 billion, with 60.1% YoY, net profit margin of 28.4% with 10.0% YoY; EPS of NT$35.22 which was close to the full-year EPS of 2022 ( NT$35.31). For the first three quarters in 2023, GlobalWafers set new highest record in revenue, net profit margin and EPS!
The board meeting also approved the company to issue unsecured corporate bonds, with total amount not exceeding NT$14 billion. This plan aims to raise medium and long-term capitals to fund various initiatives, including replenish the working capital, support green investment plans, and purchase machine and equipment, etc.
While alleviated inflation catalyzed by global monetary policy, there are signs of recovery in the semiconductor industry driven by stabilized demand, balanced inventories, and growth in the automotive and industrial sectors. Nevertheless, based on industry cycle experience, since the semiconductor wafers sector is positioned in the upstream of the supply chain, its recovery is still a few months behind the end market.
The ongoing war, energy crises, and inflation concerns are also casting a shadow over the macro environment. Looking forward to 2024, underpinned by customers’ inventory reabsorption, the emergence of AI and automation, and the expansion of new facilities, an upturn is likely to happen barring any uncertainties such as geopolitics.
Downturn in the memory market led to production cuts and an increase in average selling prices (ASPs), alongside the adjustment in product mix, bringing equilibrium to the global memory market. Furthermore, technological advancements in compound semiconductors are revitalizing the demand and investment in this sector, further enhancing market penetration.
As a projected rebound in the semiconductor equipment market in 2024, the increase in downstream equipment investments is expected to stimulate demands for upstream materials. Standing as a reliable provider of a comprehensive product portfolio of high-quality wafers, GlobalWafers will continue to stably supply our customers’ needs. With a strong focus on research and development, GlobalWafers further extends its dedication to providing a full range of SiC and GaN products to meet diverse requirements.
Original – GlobalWafers
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Power Integrations announced financial results for the quarter ended September 30, 2023. Net revenues for the third quarter were $125.5 million, up two percent compared to the prior quarter and down 22 percent from the third quarter of 2022. Net income for the third quarter was $19.8 million or $0.34 per diluted share compared to $0.26 per diluted share in the prior quarter and $0.80 per diluted share in the third quarter of 2022. Cash flow from operations for the third quarter was $26.7 million.
In addition to its GAAP results, the company provided non-GAAP measures that for the third quarter of 2023 exclude stock-based compensation, amortization of acquisition-related intangible assets and the related tax effects. Non-GAAP net income for the third quarter of 2023 was $26.6 million or $0.46 per diluted share compared to $0.36 per diluted share in the prior quarter and $0.84 per diluted share in the third quarter of 2022. A reconciliation of GAAP to non-GAAP financial results is included with the tables accompanying this press release.
Commented Balu Balakrishnan, chairman and CEO of Power Integrations: “Our results and forecast reflect the broad-based demand weakness and elevated supply-chain inventories cited by many of our peers this quarter. Notwithstanding the uncertain short-term outlook, our products are winning in the market, design activity remains healthy, and we are making excellent progress on growth initiatives such as EVs, efficient drivers for brushless DC motors, and our proprietary GaN technology.
“We took the next step on our GaN roadmap last month with the introduction of InnoSwitch™ ICs incorporating a 1250-volt PowiGaN™ switch. This breakthrough not only extends the efficiency benefits of GaN to a wider range of applications but also demonstrates that GaN will be a more cost-effective alternative to silicon carbide in the years ahead.”
Power Integrations paid a dividend of $0.19 per share on September 29, 2023, and will pay a dividend of $0.20 per share on December 29, 2023, to stockholders of record as of November 30, 2023. During the third quarter the company repurchased approximately 24,000 shares of its common stock for $1.8 million. The company had $73.4 million remaining on its repurchase authorization as of September 30, 2023.
Financial Outlook
The company issued the following forecast for the fourth quarter of 2023:
- Revenues are expected to be $90 million plus or minus $5 million.
- Gross margins are expected to be similar to the third-quarter levels.
- GAAP operating expenses are expected to be approximately $50 million; non-GAAP operating expenses are expected to be approximately $42.5 million. Non-GAAP expenses are expected to exclude about $7.5 million of stock-based compensation.
Original – Power Integrations
