KLA Corp plans to build a new R&D and manufacturing facility for its SPTS division in Newport, Wales. The expansion targets production capabilities for etch, PVD, and CVD solutions used in MEMS, advanced packaging, and power devices. Neutral: This long-term capacity addition supports future supply but has no immediate impact on current trading dynamics.
BluGlass reports its Silicon Valley fab has several operational GaN laser diode manufacturing processes and is contributing to technical roadmaps. The company uses proprietary low-temperature RPCVD technology for devices targeting industrial, defense, and display markets. Neutral: This is a long-term R&D milestone with no immediate impact on component supply, pricing, or trader inventory decisions.
Clas-SiC has qualified Oxford Instruments' contactless plasma polishing solution for SiC substrates, validating it for 1200V MOSFET production. This dry process aims to replace traditional CMP with a higher-yield, lower-cost alternative. Neutral: This is a long-term process improvement with no immediate impact on component supply, pricing, or trader inventory decisions.
Researchers from NC State, Adroit Materials, and the Polish Academy of Sciences have developed a selective-area p-doping technique using Mg implantation and UHP annealing for vertical GaN junction barrier Schottky diodes, targeting kV-class and low ON-resistance performance. This is an academic/industry R&D milestone focused on improving the efficiency of high-power GaN devices. Neutral: This is a long-term technology development with no immediate impact on trading, supply, or pricing for existing electronic components.
Toshiba Electronic Devices & Storage Corp has launched its third-generation TWxxNxxxC series of SiC MOSFETs, featuring improved on-resistance and switching loss characteristics. This is a routine product refresh in the competitive power semiconductor market. Neutral: This launch does not indicate a change in supply, demand, or pricing for existing components and is unlikely to impact near-term trading decisions.
BluGlass Ltd has appointed Rob Ambrogio as its new CFO on a part-time basis. The company specializes in RPCVD technology for manufacturing laser diodes and LEDs. Neutral: This internal corporate appointment has no direct impact on component supply, demand, or pricing.
onsemi has expanded its silicon carbide (SiC) production facility in Hudson, New Hampshire, increasing its capacity for SiC wafers and devices. This move is part of the company's strategy to meet growing demand for SiC solutions in electric vehicles and industrial applications. Bearish: The expansion increases future SiC supply, potentially easing long-term pricing pressure and alleviating supply constraints in the power semiconductor market.
VisIC Technologies' D3GaN chip technology has been adopted by hofer powertrain for a new 3Level traction inverter, demonstrating superior efficiency and power density over silicon. This represents a design win and validation milestone for GaN technology in the automotive power electronics market. Neutral: This is a long-term technology validation with no immediate, quantifiable impact on GaN component supply, demand, or pricing for traders.
The University of Catania and STMicroelectronics have launched an advanced master's program in Power Electronics Devices and Technologies to expand the skilled workforce in this field. The initiative targets key industrial sectors like automotive and renewable energy, which are major drivers of demand for power semiconductors. Neutral: This is a long-term educational effort with no immediate impact on component supply, pricing, or trader decisions.
MICLEDI announced the first micro-LED devices with integrated micro-lenses for pixel-level beam shaping, fabricated using its proprietary 300mm manufacturing flow. This is a technical R&D milestone aimed at improving optical efficiency for AR glasses applications. Neutral: This is a long-term technology development with no immediate impact on component supply, pricing, or trading dynamics.
Navitas Semiconductor's GaN power ICs have been selected for the 160W in-box charger of the new OnePlus 10R/ACE 5G smartphones. This represents a significant design win in the fast-growing GaN charger market for mobile devices. Neutral: This is a specific product launch and design win, unlikely to cause immediate, broad-based supply/demand shifts for GaN components relevant to traders.
Aixtron reported H1 2022 revenue of €191.1M, a 63% year-on-year increase, driven by strong demand for its deposition equipment from the SiC and GaN power electronics markets. This indicates robust capital expenditure (capex) by chipmakers in the wide-bandgap semiconductor sector. Bullish: This signals sustained high demand for power electronics manufacturing equipment, potentially tightening supply for downstream components like SiC/GaN wafers and devices.
NeoPhotonics reported Q2 2022 revenue of $95 million, a 46% year-on-year increase, marking its second consecutive quarter of >45% growth. The strong performance occurred despite an estimated $10 million revenue constraint due to ongoing shortages of analog and power semiconductor chips. Bullish: The sustained high growth rate and explicit mention of revenue being capped by component shortages signal robust underlying demand exceeding constrained supply.
EPC Space has appointed Micross Components as an authorized distributor for its line of radiation-hardened GaN-on-Si transistors and ICs for space and high-reliability applications. This partnership expands the sales channel for these specialized, low-volume, high-margin components. Neutral: This is a channel expansion for niche, long-lead-time components with no immediate impact on broad market supply or pricing.
Delta Electronics has adopted Infineon's CoolSiC power semiconductor devices for its new bi-directional inverter system, which integrates solar, energy storage, and EV charging. This design win highlights the growing demand for SiC components in the energy transition and EV infrastructure markets. Neutral: This is a specific product adoption that may incrementally support long-term SiC demand but does not indicate an immediate supply constraint or price impact for traders.
Epiwafer and substrate supplier IQE has filed a lawsuit against foundry Tower Semiconductor over alleged misuse of its porous silicon technology. The dispute centers on intellectual property rights for a specialized semiconductor manufacturing process. Neutral: This is a bilateral legal matter with no immediate, broad impact on component supply, pricing, or production capacity for traders.
Soitec has selected KLA's Surfscan SP A2 unpatterned wafer inspection system to improve the manufacturing yield of its SmartSiC engineered substrates for automotive silicon carbide devices. This partnership aims to enhance process control in the production of a key material for the EV and power electronics markets. Neutral: This is a long-term process improvement with no immediate, quantifiable impact on wafer supply, pricing, or trader inventory decisions.
Luminus Devices announced the immediate availability of its MP-3030-110F flip-chip mid-power LED, targeting high-efficacy and rugged lighting applications. This is a standard product launch within the illumination market with no reported impact on supply, demand, or pricing for the broader LED component market. Neutral: This announcement does not signal any immediate change in market conditions for traders.
Transphorm has launched a new 650V, 50mΩ SuperGaN FET in a TO-263 surface-mount package, extending its SMD portfolio to higher-power applications. This is a standard product line extension, adding a seventh SMD option to their existing range of PQFN devices. Neutral: This is a routine product announcement with no immediate impact on supply, demand, or pricing for the broader GaN or power semiconductor market.
Thin-film metrology equipment manufacturer k-Space Associates celebrated its 30th anniversary. The company produces instrumentation used in semiconductor, solar, and optoelectronic device manufacturing. Neutral: This is a corporate milestone with no direct impact on component supply, demand, or pricing.
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 |