Samsung 14 nm Chip Orders from China Surge

[AleksandarK]

Chinese IC designers have been left without reliable silicon manufacturers for some time now, as the US administration has imposed a ban on all Chinese manufacturers. That resulted in them having to gain the approval of the US administration to use any US-made technology for the production of Chinese goods. In light of that situation, Chinese clients have begun searching for a new place to manufacture their silicon. According to the report from DigiTimes, their sources indicate that Chinese clients are supposedly having an increased interest in Samsung's silicon manufacturing. The company has seen a surge in chip orders for its 14 nm node, with a report saying that Chinese customers are looking at even larger nodes as well.

This is quite an interesting situation and we have to wait and see how much of Samsung's total silicon manufacturing revenue will the Chinese clients contribute. That specific information should come in any of the next earnings calls if the company chooses to disclose it.


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[Vya Domus]

I don't really get it, where did Chinese companies get silicon wafers from before this ? The US isn't exactly known for their cutting edge IC manufacturing capability.

 

[Italia1]

Us start to break balls.

 

[Aquinus]

I don't really get it, where did Chinese companies get silicon wafers from before this ? The US isn't exactly known for their cutting edge IC manufacturing capability.

You underestimate how much clout that the US government has. It's far more likely that the bans the US imposed caused several companies to fall in line in order to not piss off the US. This is what happens when you deal with a country with the largest economy in the world.

 

[Vya Domus]

You underestimate how much clout that the US government has. It's far more likely that the bans the US imposed caused several companies to fall in line in order to not piss off the US. This is what happens when you deal with a country with the largest economy in the world.

Clout, sure. Still no explanation as to from which US companies was China getting wafers, seriously, what am I missing ?

 

[agent_x007]

Problem I think isn't with where, but with who owns it.
If China company uses technology that is patented in US, it must apparently ask US if it can use it beforehand.

Same goes for non-China companies, that want to provide materials/know-how/technology for China based/owned companies.
There is only so many ways you can make a thing, if all the ways are patented to hell and back - you are stuck to paying licence fee(s), and buckling when gov. body of contry bans exporting such tech to certain places.

 

[RandallFlagg]

I don't really get it, where did Chinese companies get silicon wafers from before this ? The US isn't exactly known for their cutting edge IC manufacturing capability.

What the US is "known for" and what actually exists are two different things.

There are a ton of foundries in the US. There's one right up the highway from me in fact, a TI foundry. Most chips are not made on 7nm, 14nm, or even 32nm for that matter. It's mostly much larger nodes.

I think China's real problem though is that they don't have many sub 32nm fabs.

For curiosity I counted the number of known fabs operating in the USA.

93 fabs.

Counted 76 in China.

This is what's happening :

"Separately, Texas Instruments halted shipments Sept. 14 to Huawei Technologies Co. to remain in compliance with U.S. restrictions on supplying the Chinese company. Huawei accounted for about 2% of Texas Instruments revenue in the third quarter and the U.S. company is assuming that will go to zero in the current period. "

Texas Instruments' forecast suggests chip demand on the rebound for cars, electronics

Dallas-based Texas Instruments Inc. projected revenue for the current quarter that topped analysts' estimates, indicating demand for chips used in cars and...

www.dallasnews.com

 

[Aquinus]

There are a ton of foundries in the US. There's one right up the highway from me in fact, a TI foundry.

BAE has a foundry in Nashua, NH about 40 minutes away from me. TI has offices in Manchester 15 minutes away. ON Semiconductor and TI have foundries in South Portland, Maine which is about an hour an half away. Within 2 hours of me there are another 3 or 4 in Massachusetts going towards Boston. Plenty of semiconductor fabs up here in the northeast.

 

[yotano211]

You underestimate how much clout that the US government has. It's far more likely that the bans the US imposed caused several companies to fall in line in order to not piss off the US. This is what happens when you deal with a country with the largest economy in the world.

Largest economy and biggest corrupt country in the world

 

[TheEndIsNear]

Largest economy and biggest corrupt country in the world

I don't know about the whole world but yeah corruption is destroying this country. One of the many things that are. China isn't much better though as far as stealing technology, camps to reeducate people ect... China will be the worlds biggest threat this century and it's time everyone woke up to this. Our country is done anyways. A collapse will come. We destroyed ourselves.

 

[yotano211]

I don't know about the whole world but yeah corruption is destroying this country. One of the many things that are. China isn't much better though as far as stealing technology, camps to reeducate people ect... China will be the worlds biggest threat this century and it's time everyone woke up to this. Our country is done anyways. A collapse will come. We destroyed ourselves.

Just like the Roman empire, from within.

 

[Voluman]

I don't really get it, where did Chinese companies get silicon wafers from before this ? The US isn't exactly known for their cutting edge IC manufacturing capability.

Its not about wafers.
It is about patents, design tools, design libraries and similiar essential stuff related to this area. And probably bunch of political-economical-kindalikestuff.