Latest news with #chipmaking
South China Morning Post
a day ago
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Taiwan's Lai does not have the cards with Washington or Beijing
Everyone knows Donald Trump is a taker, not a giver, except perhaps William Lai Ching-te. By fully aligning with Washington and effectively declaring Beijing as the enemy, the Taiwanese leader has boxed himself into a corner. He gets nothing but outdated and overpriced weapons from the United States, while giving away the island's tech jewel by transferring more of its most advanced chipmaking capacities to the US. So much for the so-called silicon shield, the idea that mainland China will not dare invade and destroy the world's most important supply chains for advanced computer chips, and that the US will be forced to protect the island to shield its essential tech industry that supplies such chips to the world. But this month, the US president had a slip of the tongue. 'I think it's going to be great for unification and peace,' he said. Trump was apparently pleased with the outcome of trade talks with Beijing that led to a 90-day pause on mutual tariffs. By now, everyone expects that sort of thing from his 'Make America Great Again' agenda.
Reuters
4 days ago
- Business
- Reuters
TSMC still evaluating ASML's 'High-NA' as Intel eyes future use
AMSTERDAM, May 27 (Reuters) - Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co ( the world's largest contract chipmaker, is still assessing when it will use ASML's cutting-edge high numerical aperture (NA) machines for its future process nodes, an executive said on Tuesday. Chipmakers are weighing when the speed and accuracy benefits of these nearly $400 million machines will outweigh the almost doubled price tag of what is already the most expensive piece of equipment in a chip fabrication plant. Asked if TSMC plans to use the machine for its upcoming A14, and enhanced versions of the future node, Kevin Zhang said the company hasn't yet found a compelling reason. "A14, the enhancement I talk about, is very substantial without using High-NA. So our technology team continues to find a way to extend the life of current (Low-NA EUV machines) by harvesting the scaling benefit," he said at a press briefing. "As long as they continue to find a way, obviously we don't have to use it," Zhang said. Rival Intel (INTC.O), opens new tab has planned to use the High-NA EUV machine in its future manufacturing process, known as 14A, in an attempt to revive its contract chip business and better compete with TSMC. However, Intel also says that customers will still have the option of using older and more proven technologies. During ASML's last earnings report, CEO Christophe Fouquet said he expects customers to test High-NA for high-volume manufacturing readiness through 2026-2027, before they evaluate the tool on their most advanced nodes in a latter phase. Last year, Zhang had told reporters TSMC will not use High-NA for its A16 node, adding he did not like the sticker price. So far, ASML has shipped five of the 180 ton, double-decker sized machine across the world to three customers, counting Intel, TSMC and Samsung ( opens new tab.
CNA
4 days ago
- Business
- CNA
TSMC still evaluating ASML's 'High-NA' as Intel eyes future use
AMSTERDAM :Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co ( the world's largest contract chipmaker, is still assessing when it will use ASML's cutting-edge high numerical aperture (NA) machines for its future process nodes, an executive said on Tuesday. Chipmakers are weighing when the speed and accuracy benefits of these nearly $400 million machines will outweigh the almost doubled price tag of what is already the most expensive piece of equipment in a chip fabrication plant. Asked if TSMC plans to use the machine for its upcoming A14, and enhanced versions of the future node, Kevin Zhang said the company hasn't yet found a compelling reason. "A14, the enhancement I talk about, is very substantial without using High-NA. So our technology team continues to find a way to extend the life of current (Low-NA EUV machines) by harvesting the scaling benefit," he said at a press briefing. "As long as they continue to find a way, obviously we don't have to use it," Zhang said. Rival Intel has planned to use the High-NA EUV machine in its future manufacturing process, known as 14A, in an attempt to revive its contract chip business and better compete with TSMC. However, Intel also says that customers will still have the option of using older and more proven technologies. During ASML's last earnings report, CEO Christophe Fouquet said he expects customers to test High-NA for high-volume manufacturing readiness through 2026-2027, before they evaluate the tool on their most advanced nodes in a latter phase. Last year, Zhang had told reporters TSMC will not use High-NA for its A16 node, adding he did not like the sticker price. So far, ASML has shipped five of the 180 ton, double-decker sized machine across the world to three customers, counting Intel, TSMC and Samsung.
Emirates 24/7
6 days ago
- Science
- Emirates 24/7
Organic Molecule Breakthrough Could Replace Silicon in Next-Gen Chips
A team of scientists at the University of Miami, working in collaboration with professors from the Georgia Institute of Technology and the University of Rochester, has developed a groundbreaking organic molecule that could revolutionize the semiconductor and chip-making industries. The newly engineered compound has the potential to replace silicon—traditionally sourced from sand—and metals, which currently form the backbone of modern computer chip manufacturing. According to a statement released by the university, the researchers have unveiled what they believe to be "the most electrically conductive organic molecule ever discovered." The findings open the door to building smaller, more powerful computing devices using naturally abundant elements such as carbon, sulfur, and nitrogen. For the past five decades, the number of transistors on a single chip has roughly doubled every two years, in line with Moore's Law. However, as silicon-based electronics approach their physical limits, further miniaturization using conventional methods has become increasingly difficult. That challenge spurred the research led by physicist Kun Wang and his team at the University of Miami, who focused on utilizing ultra-small molecular structures to conduct electricity efficiently. 'To date, no molecular material has allowed electrons to pass through it without a significant loss in conductivity,' Wang said. 'Our work is the first to demonstrate that organic molecules can support electron transport across several tens of nanometers with virtually no energy loss.' Wang added that the molecules developed by the team are stable under ambient conditions and exhibit the highest known electrical conductance over molecular lengths previously deemed impractical. This breakthrough could lead to the creation of classical computing devices that are not only smaller and more energy-efficient but also cheaper to produce. Unlike conventional molecules, whose conductivity typically decreases with size, these new 'molecular wires' defy that trend. They serve as crucial pathways for transferring, processing, and storing information in the next generation of electronic devices. 'What makes our molecular system unique is that electrons travel across it like a bullet—without any energy loss—making it theoretically the most efficient form of electron transport known in any material,' Wang explained. 'Beyond shrinking device size, this structure also allows for functionalities that were not possible with silicon-based components.' **Chemically Robust and Air-Stable** Mehrdad Shiri, a graduate researcher and member of the team, described the development as a major leap toward real-world application. 'This molecule is chemically robust and air-stable, which means it can be integrated with existing nanoelectronic components on a chip, functioning as electronic wires or interconnects between circuits,' he said. Another major advantage is cost: the molecule can be synthesized in a laboratory using inexpensive materials, making it a highly scalable and affordable solution. Its unique properties could enable a new class of computing devices that are more powerful and energy-efficient without raising manufacturing costs. Wang concluded that the molecule's ultra-high conductivity stems from a unique interaction between electron spins at both ends of the molecule. He added, 'In the future, this molecular system could even be used as a qubit—the fundamental unit of quantum computing.' Follow Emirates 24|7 on Google News.
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
What Analysts Think of Nvidia Stock Ahead of Earnings
Nvidia is scheduled to report fiscal first-quarter results after the closing bell Wednesday. Analysts expect another big jump in revenue from the chipmaking giant. Analysts may ask CEO Jensen Huang about sales in China after the Trump administration imposed tighter export (NVDA) is slated to report fiscal first-quarter results after the market closes Wednesday, with Wall Street expecting a record quarter from the world's second-most valuable company. Analysts on average expect Nvidia to report quarterly revenue of $43.38 billion, 66% higher year-over-year, and adjusted net income of $21.29 billion, or 87 cents per share, up from $15.24 billion, or 61 cents per share, a year earlier. Wedbush analysts said the chipmaking titan will continue to be a beneficiary of huge investments in AI infrastructure from hyperscalers like Meta (META), Google parent Alphabet (GOOGL), Apple (AAPL), Amazon (AMZN), and Microsoft (MSFT). Spending on AI 'in particular ends up flowing to [Nvidia] which supplies a disproportionate amount of the AI server value,' the analysts said. Analysts may ask CEO Jensen Huang about sales to China after the Trump administration earlier this year imposed tighter export controls. Nvidia has warned of a $5.5 billion charge due to restrictions on its H20 chip, and Huang reportedly called the export curbs a policy 'failure' that is driving China to accelerate development of its own AI chips. Oppenheimer analysts expect the impact of the restrictions to be relatively modest. 'We see upside … despite the loss of H20 sales to China,' the analysts said, noting that the country now makes up just 5% of Nvidia's total sales. Both Wedbush and Oppenheimer have 'outperform' ratings for Nvidia stock, along with price targets of $175. Of the 18 analysts tracked by Visible Alpha, 16 have a 'buy' rating for Nvidia stock, alongside two 'hold' ratings. Their consensus price target near $164 would suggest about 25% upside from Friday's closing price. Shares of Nvidia have fallen slightly this year though are still up about 25% over the past 12 months. Read the original article on Investopedia Sign in to access your portfolio
