The Optical Internetworking Forum (OIF) is hosting multi-vendor interoperability demonstrations at ECOC 2023, featuring 39 companies across four technology sectors. The event showcases progress on industry standards for high-speed optical and co-packaged solutions. Neutral: This is a technical demonstration event with no immediate impact on component supply, demand, or pricing.
AXT's Chinese subsidiary, Beijing Tongmei, has received initial export permits from China's Ministry of Commerce to resume shipping GaAs and Ge substrates to certain customers. This follows China's imposition of export controls on gallium and germanium products in July 2023, which had restricted shipments. Bullish: This partial supply resumption alleviates a key bottleneck for compound semiconductor production, likely stabilizing prices for these constrained materials.
Camtek Ltd. has agreed to acquire FormFactor's FRT Metrology business for $100 million, consolidating its position in the semiconductor inspection and metrology equipment market. This acquisition allows Camtek to integrate advanced surface metrology technology into its portfolio. Watch: This M&A could alter the competitive landscape for metrology tools, potentially affecting equipment pricing and lead times in the medium term.
IQE plc and VisIC Technologies announced a collaboration to develop 200mm D-Mode GaN power epiwafers for EV inverters. This is a long-term R&D effort focused on improving device reliability for the automotive market. Neutral: This is a forward-looking technology development with no immediate impact on supply, demand, or pricing for existing GaN components.
Automotive chip platform provider indie Semiconductor has acquired Swiss optical component maker EXALOS AG, a specialist in superluminescent LEDs (SLEDs) and tunable lasers. The acquisition aims to vertically integrate light source technology for automotive LiDAR and sensing applications. Watch: This M&A signals strategic positioning in the ADAS sensor supply chain but has no immediate direct impact on component pricing or availability.
BluGlass Ltd has received a custom GaN laser project order from a repeat customer, a leading U.S.-based research laboratory. The order is for a development project utilizing BluGlass's proprietary RPCVD technology. Neutral: This is a small-scale, project-based R&D order with no immediate impact on broad market supply, demand, or pricing for commercial GaN components.
South Korea's KERI has transferred SiC power semiconductor ion implantation and evaluation technology to Hungarian metrology firm SEMILAB. This is a non-commercial R&D collaboration aimed at advancing measurement techniques for SiC wafer production. Neutral: This is a long-term R&D milestone with no immediate impact on component supply, pricing, or trading dynamics.
ams OSRAM will supply sub-assembled RGB laser diodes to TriLite for its Trixel 3 laser beam scanner modules. This is a technology collaboration supporting a specific micro-optics display application. Neutral: This is a targeted partnership for a niche, emerging product with no immediate, broad impact on laser diode supply, demand, or pricing.
Navitas Semiconductor launched its GaNSafe power platform, a fourth-generation GaN technology optimized for high-power applications in data centers, solar/energy storage, and EVs. The launch represents a technology advancement aimed at improving efficiency and power density in demanding markets. Neutral: This is a product announcement with no immediate, direct impact on supply, demand, or pricing for existing electronic components.
AlixLabs has raised SEK 40 million in funding to industrialize its Atomic Layer Etching Pitch Splitting (APS) nanofabrication technique. The funding round was led by venture capital firms including Navigare Ventures and Industrifonden. Neutral: This is a long-term R&D milestone for advanced lithography patterning, with no immediate impact on component supply, demand, or pricing.
Volvo Cars Tech Fund has invested in Chinese SiC power module maker Leadrive Technology. This strategic investment aims to secure advanced power electronics for Volvo's future electric vehicles. Neutral: This is a long-term strategic partnership with no immediate impact on SiC component supply, pricing, or availability for the broader market.
Ugreen has launched a 300W 5-port desktop charger using Navitas Semiconductor's GaNFast power ICs. This represents a high-power consumer application for GaN technology, potentially increasing design wins for Navitas. Neutral: This is a specific end-product launch with minimal direct impact on component trading volumes or spot prices in the near term.
Shin-Etsu Chemical has commercially launched its QST (Qromis Substrate Technology) substrates for gallium nitride (GaN) power device growth. This is a composite material substrate licensed exclusively from Qromis Inc in 2019. Neutral: This is a new enabling material technology with no immediate, quantifiable impact on supply, demand, or pricing of existing electronic components.
PhotonVentures has launched a €60 million venture capital fund focused on early-stage European photonic chip start-ups, with PhotonDelta as the lead investor. The fund plans to raise a total of €100-150 million, with a final close targeted for early 2024, aiming to bolster the European photonics ecosystem. Neutral: This is a long-term capital injection into an emerging, specialized technology sector with no immediate impact on trading dynamics for mainstream electronic components.
Transphorm is showcasing its high-voltage SuperGaN power conversion solutions for electric vehicles at the electronica India 2023 trade show. The event focuses on promoting its JEDEC- and AEC-Q101-qualified GaN FET technology for next-generation EV power systems. Neutral: This is a promotional product demonstration with no immediate, quantifiable impact on supply, demand, or pricing for traders.
ROHM has launched its BM3G0xxMUV-LB series of power-stage ICs integrating 650V GaN HEMTs and gate drivers, targeting industrial and consumer AC-DC power supplies. This is a product announcement showcasing ROHM's ongoing development in GaN technology. Neutral: This launch does not indicate a supply disruption or immediate demand shift for existing components, thus having no direct trading impact.
Toshiba has begun shipping its third-generation TWxxxZxxxC series of ten SiC MOSFETs, which feature reduced switching losses. The new parts are targeted at industrial applications including server power supplies, EV chargers, and PV inverters. Neutral: This is a standard product refresh with no immediate impact on supply, demand, or pricing for the broader SiC component market.
POET Technologies is demonstrating 800G, 400G, and 200G optical transceiver solutions using its integrated optical engines at the CIOE 2023 expo. This is a product showcase of their Optical Interposer and PIC technology for data center and AI markets. Neutral: This is a standard trade show product demonstration with no immediate impact on supply, demand, or pricing of electronic components.
SweGaN AB, a Swedish developer of custom GaN-on-SiC epitaxial wafers, has appointed former Ericsson CEO Sven-Christer Nilsson as a senior advisor. This move is aimed at leveraging his experience and network to support the company's growth in telecom, defense, and power electronics markets. Neutral: This is a minor corporate development with no immediate, quantifiable impact on wafer supply, pricing, or trader decisions.
Navitas Semiconductor announced a new high-performance wide-bandgap power platform at SEMICON Taiwan 2023. The platform integrates GaN and SiC technologies for power conversion applications. Neutral: This is a technology showcase with no immediate, quantifiable impact on supply, demand, or pricing for traders.
Whose chips are really inside the hottest new products? We open them up and show you, one part at a time.
| Analog | $0.68 | −5.9% |
|---|---|---|
| Connector | $0.75 | +0.2% |
| CPU | $386.74 | −21.3% |
| DDR4 | $88.40 | −0.2% |
| DDR52026-W13 | $14.89 | −11.2% |
| GPU | $478.20 | +8.2% |
| MCU | $0.68 | −61.7%Unusual |
| MLCC | $0.01 | +54.0%Unusual |
| MOSFET | $0.12 | −82.8%Unusual |
| PMIC2026-W13 | $0.44 | −12.5% |
| SSD/HDD | $288.43 | n/a |