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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...

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Global demand for memory chips is expected to rebound next year, driven by the spread of 5G services, according to new market research reports. 2019 saw chipmakers, such as Samsung Electronics Co. and SK Hynix Inc., suffer from a decline in sales revenue, on account of excessive inventories and lower demand from corporate customers. According to the latest data from research firm IHS Markit, semiconductor sales fell by 15 percent to US $111 billion in the July-September quarter, down 15 percent on 2018. Forecasts predicted that the world’s semiconductor sales would remain weak and post a 12 percent year-on-year sales...

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According to a new report published by Global Market Insights, the global Field Programmable Gate Array (FGPA) market is forecast to experience rapid growth, reaching $13 Billion by 2026. Technological advancements and innovations in the FPGA field are likely to be key contributors to growth during the forecast period. In addition, the rise in the number of strategic collaborations and partnerships, combined with the development of new products are expected to accelerate growth in coming years. The rising number of applications and product enhancements are also likely to drive future the market. Key players operating in the FPGA market are...