Business and Markets

Global Manufacturing Growth has Slowed, but is Still Positive (Chart 1)Most key countries/regions saw a slowdown in growth in March based on their respective Purchasing Managers Indices. And in one case – South Korea – manufacturing moved into contraction.   February 2018 March 2018 Japan...

Co-author: Sungho Yoon, Senior Market Research Analyst at SEMIChip makers continue to struggle to secure more silicon wafers to meet market demand as production capacity has reportedly fallen short of their needs, particularly in the 300mm wafer segment – a trend that has led to record-low...

Fueled by heavy government investment, IC packaging and testing in China generated $29 billion in revenue in 2017, making China the world’s largest consumer of packaging equipment and materials, according to SEMI’s recent China Semiconductor Packaging Industry Outlook report. The report, based on...

After a record January, Taiwan-listed electronics companies, many of which manufacture in China, reported significant drops in February sales. A number of events likely contributed: Far fewer working days in February due to Lunar New Year factory shutdowns Inflated January production and shipments...

Following through on his 2016 campaign promise, President Trump is implementing trade policies that buck conventional wisdom in Washington, D.C. and among U.S. businesses. Stiff tariffs and the dismantling of longstanding trade agreements – cornerstones of these new actions – will ripple through...

Foreign investment, which fuels technological innovation, productivity, and broad-based growth, is critical to the semiconductor industry’s long-term success. That stream of billions of dollars in investment, however, is at risk of narrowing as a result of the industry’s growing scrutiny by the...

The White House has released its fiscal year (FY) 2019 budget proposal just as Congress secured a two-year budget deal that will begin the process of wrapping up the rest of FY 2018 and set the government’s top line spending for FY 2019 as well. Included in both of these plans are funding levels...

As China embarks on the Made in China 2025 plan with electronics and semiconductor technology as one of the Top 10 focus areas, China's semiconductor industry has an unprecedented growth opportunity. However, besides the huge investment required, the China IC industry is faced with strong...

This is an exciting year to be in the semiconductor industry: semiconductor-related companies are trading at all-time highs and most expect record device shipments and revenues as well as equipment revenues. This growth is primarily fueled by demand drivers such as Automotive Electronics, Medical...

In the shadow of other more trendy news about China and Memory fab investments, 200mm fabs continue to “flex their muscles.” At least 500,000 wafers per month (wpm) capacity, or a 10 percent expansion, is forecast for 200mm fabs from this year through 2021. This includes capacity from a number of...