I used to be part of the custom silicon management team at Apple. I’ve seen how great a challenge it is to pull off a custom silicon strategy within a one year product cycle. Apple is the perfect example of this custom silicon model since they develop the best mobile processors in the world for their products. Which also includes other… Read More
Chip Startups are Succeeding with Silicon Catalyst and Partners Like Arm
Earlier this year I wrote about Silicon Catalyst and a potent new addition to their In-Kind and Strategic Partner Programs, Arm. Fast-forward to today and there are real results to report. As I mentioned in the prior post, Silicon Catalyst provides a unique incubator environment which includes deeply discounted technology … Read More
Sign Off Design Challenges at Cutting Edge Technologies
As semiconductor designs for many popular products move into smaller process nodes, the need for effective and rapid design closure is increasing. The SOCs used for many consumer and industrial applications are moving to FinFET nodes from 16 to 7nm and with that comes greater challenges in obtaining design closure. einfochips,… Read More
No Intel and Samsung are not passing TSMC
Seeking Alpha just published an article about Intel and Samsung passing TSMC for process leadership. The Intel part seems to be a theme with them, they have talked in the past about how Intel does bigger density improvements with each generation than the foundries but forget that the foundries are doing 5 nodes in the time it takes… Read More
Noose tightens on SMIC- Dead Fab Walking?
-US Administration to “blacklist” SMIC- Cutting off ALL US help
-A slow death versus a quick death (unlike Jinhua)
-There is enough time on way out door to leave scorched earth
-Reports in the Media about SMIC being “Blacklisted”
It has been widely reported that SMIC will be added to the US “Blacklist”… Read More
Applied Materials Will Regain Semiconductor Equipment Lead From ASML in 2020
On December 2, 2019, I posted a SemiWiki article entitled “ASML Will Take Semiconductor Equipment Lead from Applied Materials in 2019.”Since losing its dominance for the first time since 1990 in 2019, Applied Materials is poised to lose its retake the 2020 lead in the semiconductor equipment market. ASML led the… Read More
Webinar: 5 Reasons Why Others are Adopting Hybrid Cloud and EDA Should Too!
With the complexity of transistors at an all time high and growing foundry rule decks, fabless companies consistently find themselves in a game of catch up. Semiconductor designs require additional compute resources to maintain speed and quality of development. But deploying new infrastructures at this current speed is a tall… Read More
China Semiconductor Bond Bust!
– Tsinghua $198M Bond Bust
– Good for memory: Samsung Micron LG Toshiba –
– Not good for chip equipment
– Could China Credit Crunch hit more than foundry embargo?
– Damage to China memory positive for other memory makers
– Not good for chip equip if customers can’t get money
China’s… Read More
Is Apple the Most Valuable Semiconductor Company in the World?
– The new M1 chip unveils previously hidden asset
– Could/should Apple sell semiconductors?
– Are servers next?
– The M1 chip appears to be a rousing success and the beginning of a new era
Essentially 100% of all early reports on the performance of the M1 chip have come back with stellar reviews. Great performance… Read More
Semiconductor Boom in 2021
The third quarter 2020 semiconductor market totaled $114 billion, up 11.0% from second quarter 2020, according to World Semiconductor Trade Statistics (WSTS). The 3Q20 growth was the highest since 11.6% in 3Q16. The strong 3Q20 growth follows a 2.1% decline in 2Q20 versus 1Q20. The second quarter is normally a healthy growth … Read More


TSMC Formally Sues Ex-SVP Over Alleged Transfer of Trade Secrets to Intel