Author: Claire Anderson

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The spread of the coronavirus, also known as Covid-19, has rattled the electronics industry. From smartphones to LCD televisions, a significant volume of the world’s consumer technology is manufactured in China, or relies on parts made there. China is the world’s largest manufacturer of smartphones, computers and televisions, exporting billions of dollars of electronic goods annually. The new coronavirus has had an obvious and immediate impact on that productivity, with factories and offices halting operations across the country. According to analysts, the global electronic supply chain is likely to take a serious hit, depending on how quickly the virus spreads,...

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Last year, the semiconductor industry suffered its worst downturn since the dot-com bubble burst in 2001, causing industry sales to plunge by 32%. According to the Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA), 2019 was the industry’s worst annual slump in nearly two decades, with a 12.1% year-on-year drop in revenue to $412.1 billion. “Amid a confluence of factors, including ongoing global trade unrest and cyclicality in product pricing, worldwide sales of semiconductors were down considerably in 2019, falling 12% year-to-year,” commented John Neuffer, president and CEO of the SIA. Q4 2019 showed more promise, with a slower rate of decline in comparison...

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Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC), the world’s largest contract chipmaker, has announced that 2020 will see its consolidated sales increase by 17% year-on-year. During an investors conference, watched closely by the equity markets at home and abroad, TSMC’s chief executive officer, CC Wei, said that he predicts the company will benefit from higher demand this year for smartphones, high performance computer devices, automotive electronics, and the Internet of Things related applications. TSMC expects that its advanced 7 nanometer process, the latest technology which the chipmaker has started mass producing, will continue to make a significant contribution to the company’s sales...

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Multi-layer ceramic capacitor (MLCC) suppliers are gearing up for a record 2020, thanks to the wave of 5G technology set to head into production, including the upcoming iPhone 12. China is leading the way with orders for components needed to produce 5G devices early this year. Japanese firm Tiyo Yuden, one of Apple's suppliers, is expecting to benefit from the demand as 5G smartphones use roughly 30% more capacitors than 4G devices. The MLCCs manufactured by the firm are the building blocks of the modern world. The tiny components are made of metallic plates and are used in electronic circuits...

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US firm DuPont has decided to invest $28 million in South Korea to produce photoresists and other materials by 2021. The move will help in reducing the country’s heavy reliance on Japan for key materials used in chip manufacturing. Japan currently produces approximately 90% of photoresists, which are thin layers of material used to transfer circuit patterns onto semiconductor wafers. In July 2019, Japan imposed curbs on Korean exports of three materials including photoresists, amid a bilateral diplomatic row over wartime labourers. This prompted South Korean tech firms to diversify their supply chains. Although Japan reversed its restrictions on photoresist...