Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix have initiated tests on their Memory semiconductors for immersion cooling, a cutting-edge thermal management solution for servers and data centers, aiming to enhance performance and efficiency.

SK hynix reported that the manufacturing yield of the 3D DRAM, stacked in five layers, recorded 56.1%.

Samsung Electronics is set to resume the foundational construction of its new semiconductor factory, P5, in Pyeongtaek, as the semiconductor industry begins to recover. The decision comes in response to the rapidly growing demand for storage semiconductors, particularly driven by the AI boom. With the construction of P5 expected to provide significant production capacity for both Memory and system semiconductors, the factory's completion is anticipated to be in April 2027, subject to market conditions.

Micron Technology, a leading semiconductor manufacturing company based in Boise, Idaho, USA, experienced a fire incident at its backend factory in Houli, Taiwan, on June 20th, 2024. According to reports from Taiwanese media, the fire broke out at 5:34 PM and was accompanied by gas leakage and white smoke. The local fire department arrived to find that the factory personnel had already extinguished the flames. Fortunately, there were no injuries reported, and the cause of the fire remains unclear.

Kioxia has outlined its roadmap for developing 1,000-layer 3D NAND technology, projecting a significant increase in NAND chip density to 100 Gbit/mm2 by 2027. While the company is determined to maintain and expand its market share with this advancement, its partner Western Digital has expressed a different perspective on the future of 3D NAND development, potentially signaling a divergence in their collaborative strategy.

Transcend, a prominent Memory product manufacturer, has shared its market outlook during its shareholders' meeting, projecting a sustained high inventory value of 5 billion New Taiwan Dollars and gross margins expected to exceed 30%. The company attributes this to the upcoming launch of AI PC products, which will significantly boost demand in the channel market, and the potential for increased sales in the industrial application sector.

Samsung Electronics' Memory semiconductor division has unveiled plans for an organizational restructuring in the second half of the year, signaling a potential breakthrough in core businesses such as High Bandwidth Memory (HBM). The announcement was made during a town hall meeting led by the new head of the Device Solutions (DS) division, emphasizing the importance of synergy and streamlining within the company.

Driven by the global surge in AI technology, Micron Technology is actively expanding its High Bandwidth Memory (HBM) production capabilities worldwide. According to Nikkei Asia, Micron aims to rapidly increase its market share in the HBM sector to approximately 20% by 2025, aligning with its overall revenue share in the DRAM industry.

The first reviews for Asus' Vivobook S 15 OLED, powered by Qualcomm's new Snapdragon X Elite SoC, indicate that the chip does not deliver on its promised performance. Despite strong multicore benchmark results, the notebook lags in application performance, Memory tests, and gaming capabilities, suggesting that further optimization is required from Qualcomm and Microsoft.

The global semiconductor industry is on track for significant capacity expansion, with the Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International (SEMI) reporting an expected increase of 6% in 2024 and 7% in 2025, setting new records for manufacturing capacity. This surge is primarily driven by the application of artificial intelligence (AI) in data centers and advanced devices, with a projected 13% growth in 5-nanometer and below process technologies in 2024.

Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix are pioneering the integration of 3D DRAM technology with cutting-edge hybrid bonding technology to significantly enhance the performance of Memory chips. This innovative approach is expected to revolutionize the field of semiconductor storage by offering higher data transfer rates and reduced power consumption.

Amidst the AI boom driving a surge in high-speed chip demand, the advanced packaging sector heats up, with Japanese wafer cutting machine giant DISCO projected to reap significant benefits. As chip dimensions approach the atomic scale, advanced packaging, which involves tightly stacking and encapsulating different chips to reduce data transmission time and energy consumption, is becoming a focal point in the semiconductor supply chain. DISCO, a semiconductor equipment manufacturer, anticipates a substantial increase in its Q1 profits due to growing demand in the electric vehicle (EV) power semiconductor and generative AI sectors.

Samsung Electronics is set to revolutionize the high bandwidth Memory (HBM) market with the introduction of a 3D packaging service for HBM chips, expected to be utilized in the upcoming HBM4 generation in 2025. This advancement marks a significant step in the evolution of chip packaging technology, with potential implications for the burgeoning AI chip industry.

QLC technology allows for the storage of four bits per cell, compared to three bits for TLC, and two and one bit for Multi-Level Cell (MLC) and Single-Level Cell (SLC), respectively. This means QLC NAND can further increase storage capacity compared to other NAND types.

SK hynix claimed that its HBM, manufactured with the company’s unique Mass Reflow-Molded Underfill (MR-MUF) technology, is 60% sturdier than products made using Thermal Compression-Non-Conductive Film (TC-NCF).