Applied Materials at the 2024 Design Automation Conference

Applied Materials at the 2024 Design Automation Conference
by Daniel Nenni on 06-18-2024 at 4:00 pm

DAC 2024 Banner

What is Applied Materials doing in an EDA trade show?
New semiconductor market segments such as AI, automotive and connected devices are growing at an accelerated pace and placing constant increased pressures on the PPAC (power, performance, area, cost) system requirements. In the past, these growing PPAC demands were addressed… Read More


KLAC- OK Quarter & flat guide- Hopefully 2025 recovery- Big China % & Backlog

KLAC- OK Quarter & flat guide- Hopefully 2025 recovery- Big China % & Backlog
by Robert Maire on 01-30-2024 at 6:00 am

KLAC Foundry Logic

– KLAC reported an OK QTR & flat guide-waiting for 2025 recovery?
– China exposure remains both risk & savior & big in backlog
– Wafer inspect strong- Patterning on long slide- PCB biz for sale
– Some bright spots but memory still weak- Foundry/Logic OK

Bumping along the bottom of the cycle
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AMAT- Facing Criminal Charges for China Exports – Overshadows OK Quarter

AMAT- Facing Criminal Charges for China Exports – Overshadows OK Quarter
by Robert Maire on 11-19-2023 at 8:00 pm

Criminal Investigation

– News that AMAT facing criminal charges for violating China sanctions
– Sounds like Ion implant tools sent to SMIC in China via South Korea
– Criminal probe goes back to shipments starting in 2021 & 2022
– Overshadows an otherwise OK quarter and outlook

Reuters broke the news on the day of earnings
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Has U.S. already lost Chip war to China? Is Taiwan’s silicon shield a liability?

Has U.S. already lost Chip war to China? Is Taiwan’s silicon shield a liability?
by Robert Maire on 09-20-2023 at 6:00 am

SMIC 7nm
  • Huawei’s 7NM chip? This wasn’t supposed to happen
  • Are Chips a weapon for U.S. or China? Role reversal?
  • Will Taiwan turn from protected asset to unwanted liability?
  • Are sanctions so porous that US has already lost to China?
While EUV is critical to advanced chips there are workarounds

Many people either thought or assumed… Read More


Applied Materials Announces “EPIC” Development Center

Applied Materials Announces “EPIC” Development Center
by Scotten Jones on 06-07-2023 at 8:00 am

Applied Materials EPIC briefing under embargo Page 10

On May 22nd Applied Materials announced a new development center, Equipment and Process Innovation and Commercialization Center (EPIC).

Applied Materials already operates the Maydan Technology Center (MTC), a billion-dollar development facility with over 120 advanced process tools and 80 metrology and inspection tools… Read More


Micron Mandarin Memory Machinations- CHIPS Act semiconductor equipment hypocrisy

Micron Mandarin Memory Machinations- CHIPS Act semiconductor equipment hypocrisy
by Robert Maire on 05-26-2023 at 6:00 am

Xi Biden China CHIPs ACT

-We think China issue is overblown- Zero sum game theory
-US should respond Tit-for-Tat and then some- Chop Chinese Chips
-Chip equip makers duplicitous behavior- smacks of hypocrisy
-Exporting chip equip biz/jobs to Asia while asking for CHIPS Act$

Memory Market remains a zero sum game market much like petroleum

China’s… Read More


AMAT- Trailing Edge & China Almost Offset Floundering Foundry & Missing Memory

AMAT- Trailing Edge & China Almost Offset Floundering Foundry & Missing Memory
by Robert Maire on 05-22-2023 at 8:00 am

Amat China

-AMAT reported inline resulted helped by trailing edge & China
-Memory remains at very low levels- Foundry remains uninspiring
-China seems to be buying anything they are allowed to buy
-The recovery is too far out & unknown to handicap

Quarter was OK and Guidance also OK

Revenue was $6.63B and EPS of $1.86 versus reduced… Read More


SPIE Advanced Lithography Conference 2023 – AMAT Sculpta® Announcement

SPIE Advanced Lithography Conference 2023 – AMAT Sculpta® Announcement
by Scotten Jones on 03-13-2023 at 8:00 am

Applied Materials Sculpta Presentation for Media Page 06

The SPIE Advanced Lithography Conference is the semiconductor industries premier conference on lithography. The 2023 conference was held the week of February 27th and at the conference Applied Materials announced their Sculpta® pattern shaping tool. Last week I had an opportunity to interview Steven Sherman the Managing … Read More


Report from SPIE- EUV’s next 15 years- AMAT “Sculpta” braggadocio rollout

Report from SPIE- EUV’s next 15 years- AMAT “Sculpta” braggadocio rollout
by Robert Maire on 03-06-2023 at 10:00 am

EUV DUV Lithography

-We attended the SPIE lithography Conference in San Jose
-No significant news or announcements on EUV
-Focus on 500WPM target and High & Hyper NA rollout
-AMAT overblown Sculpta-Not exactly what its cracked up to be

SPIE Lithography 2023

We have been attending SPIE for many years now and are happy to see a return to pre Covid levels… Read More


AMAT- Flat is better than down-Trailing tool strength offsets memory- backlog up

AMAT- Flat is better than down-Trailing tool strength offsets memory- backlog up
by Robert Maire on 02-20-2023 at 10:00 am

AMAT CVD 3

-Strength in trailing tools offsets weak memory resulting in flat
-Order book very volatile but backlog surprisingly still grew
-Trailing edge VS Leading edge = 50/50 – Foundry/logic over 2/3
-Not nearly as bad as Lam but not as good as ASML

AMAT posts good quarter & guide – Flat for three quarters

Applied Materials… Read More