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Commentary / Analysis

• Intel Memo on Layoffs Reported (Thursday Jun. 11, 2015)
  Intel may cut an untold number of research an administration positions, according to an internal memo obtained by The Oregonian/OregonLive.
  
  
• Avago/Broadcom Create Patent Powerhouse (Monday Jun. 08, 2015)
  With their proposed $37 billion merger, Broadcom Corp. will strengthen Avago Technologies' patent position significantly in sectors such as mobile, the data center and the Internet of Things.
  
  
• ARM Is in Talks to Buy Israeli Mobile Security Company Sansa (Monday Jun. 08, 2015)
  Chip designer ARM Holdings PLC is in talks to buy an Israeli security company that specializes in mobile and computer-chip security, according to two people familiar with the matter
  
  
• How will Intel's purchase of Altera affect embedded space? (Wednesday Jun. 03, 2015)
  Do you feel a ripple in the force? As you are doubtless aware, the hot news this week is that microprocessor behemoth Intel is purchasing programmable logic giant Altera. This has sparked all sorts of discussions and questions. One that interests me in particular is: "How will this acquisition affect embedded space?"
  
  
• Global Semiconductor Sales Increase in April; Steady Growth Projected for Next Three Years (Wednesday Jun. 03, 2015)
  SIA today announced worldwide sales of semiconductors reached $27.6 billion for the month of April 2015, 4.8 percent higher than the April 2014 total of $26.3 billion and 0.4 percent lower than last month’s total of $27.7 billion.
  
  
• On China's List: Memory, Market Share, M&A (Wednesday Jun. 03, 2015)
  In the eyes of Western investors, the semiconductor sector is a lousy business. In contrast, China sees chip vendors, especially Chinese chip vendors, as worthy of big investment. Why a huge gap?
  
  
• Intel, Altera: Math in Question (Tuesday Jun. 02, 2015)
  The math on Intel’s $16.7 billion bid to buy Altera doesn’t add up although the merged companies could see gains, analysts said. The deal raises more questions than others in a string of recent mega-mergers for a semiconductor industry that is consolidating as it matures.
  
  
• MediaTek to Stay with TSMC for Finer-Node Chips (Monday Jun. 01, 2015)
  MediaTek Inc. said it will continue to use Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) as its foundry for leading edge chips, laying to rest rumors that the world’s third-largest chip designer might shift orders to TSMC rival Samsung.
  
  
• Intel/Qualcomm: The Last Big Move (Monday Jun. 01, 2015)
  The glorious, storied semiconductor industry has many more moves to play. But for the foreseeable future yesterday’s news about the new Broadcom reminds us that everyone is playing one big game of consolidation.
  
  
• Apple Buys into Augmented Reality -- for Cars? (Monday Jun. 01, 2015)
  Munich-based augmented reality software vendor Metaio GmbH has been acquired by Apple. The move fuels anew speculations around Apple’s plans to enter the automotive market.
  
  
• Avago-Broadcom Deal: What's in It for You? (Friday May. 29, 2015)
  Where is the affinity - or any apparent good vibe - connecting Avago to Broadcom? One of the fascinating features of capitalism is that money talks.
  
  
• A New Broadcom: The First Cuts (Friday May. 29, 2015)
  Avago Technologies bid $17 billion in cash and $20 billion in stock for Broadcom, creating the world’s sixth largest chip vendor in what’s being hailed as the semiconductor industry’s biggest proposed merger to date.
  
  
• Intel nears $15B deal to purchase Altera (Friday May. 29, 2015)
  Chip giant Intel is close to a deal to buy fellow chip maker Altera Corp. for about $15 billion, The Post has learned. The price could be for as much as $54 a share, or a 15 percent premium over Altera’s Thursday closing price of $46.97, a source close to the situation said.
  
  
• Avago, Broadcom Combo Praised (Thursday May. 28, 2015)
  If Avago bids to buy Broadcom as reported it would be the largest of an escalating set of deals for the company and the consolidating semiconductor industry. The combination would have little product overlap, a few areas of synergy and would no doubt squeeze out plenty of savings in layoffs and spin-outs.
  
  
• Spreadtrum Guns for Intel's 14nm FinFET in 2016 (Wednesday May. 27, 2015)
  Qualcomm and MediaTek, you better watch out. Here comes Spreadtrum, riding piggyback on Intel’s foundry business and gunning for 14nm FinFET, with sights set on 10nm.
  
  
• Intel, Altera, Moore...and Drinks (Monday May. 25, 2015)
  The on-again, off-again Intel/Altera acquisition was the talk of a cocktail hour sponsored by Imagination Tech where tech execs talked of Moore's Law and VR.
  
  
• Samsung Ramps 10nm in 2016 (Friday May. 22, 2015)
  Samsung announced its next-generation process technology, a 10nm FinFET node, at a company event here. The announcement comes a month after Samsung detailed its 14nm process.
  
  
• North American Semiconductor Equipment Industry Posts April 2015 Book-to-Bill Ratio of 1.04 (Friday May. 22, 2015)
  North America-based manufacturers of semiconductor equipment posted $1.57 billion in orders worldwide in April 2015 (three-month average basis) and a book-to-bill ratio of 1.04, according to the April EMDS Book-to-Bill Report published today by SEMI.
  
  
• Six Top 20 1Q15 Semiconductor Suppliers Show >20% Growth (Thursday May. 21, 2015)
  SK Hynix moves into top 5, MediaTek climbs into top 10, and Sharp and UMC move into the top 20 ranking.
  
  
• 2014 Was a Banner Year for the Global Industrial Semiconductor Market, IHS Says (Wednesday May. 20, 2015)
  Worldwide industrial semiconductor revenues grew by 18 percent year over year in 2014, according to IHS Inc. Global industrial semiconductor revenue in 2014 totaled $40.4 billion, up from $34.3 billion in 2013. The year-over-year increase follows solid growth of 13 percent in 2013, a decline of 3 percent in 2012 and 12 percent growth in 2011. The strong performance achieved in 2014 represents the highest annual growth rate, since the 36 percent boom in 2010.
  
  
• Intel, Altera Resume Acquisition Talks (Wednesday May. 20, 2015)
  Microprocessor giant Intel Corp. is apparently back at the negotiating table in a bid to acquire programmable logic vendor Altera Corp.
  
  
• First Quarter 2015 Silicon Wafer Shipments Reach Record Levels (Tuesday May. 19, 2015)
  Worldwide silicon wafer area shipments increased during the first quarter 2015 when compared to fourth quarter 2014 area shipments according to the SEMI Silicon Manufacturers Group (SMG) in its quarterly analysis of the silicon wafer industry.
  
  
• Xiaomi Picks Leadcore to Go Vertical (Monday May. 18, 2015)
  Perhaps, it’s about time, maybe it’s inevitable. When Apple, Huawei and Samsung, three out of the five largest smartphone vendors in China are already designing handsets using their own processors, Xiaomi figures it’s time to go vertical.
  
  
• Overall GPU shipments dropped 13% in Q1’2015 from last quarter (Friday May. 15, 2015)
  Graphics processors, stand-alone discrete devices, and embedded processor-based GPUs are ubiquitous and essential components in all computer systems and devices today from handheld mobile devices, PCs, and workstations, to TVs, servers, vehicle systems, signage, game consoles, medical equipment, and wearables.
  
  
• TI Strengthens Analog Marketshare; Skyworks Gains from Apple's Favor (Wednesday May. 13, 2015)
  Texas Instruments was again the leading supplier of analog devices in 2014 with $8.1 billion in sales, and increased its analog marketshare to 18%, according to rankings of top suppliers of major IC product categories found in IC Insights’ April Update to The McClean Report 2015.
  
  
• Tracing Samsung's Road to 14nm (Tuesday May. 12, 2015)
  Samsung has lagged behind Intel in release of process nodes. Remarkably, Samsung has now shrunk the lag for its 14nm to about 6 months.
  
  
• SMIC Mum on 28nm Revenue Prospect in 2015 (Monday May. 11, 2015)
  Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp. (SMIC), China’s largest foundry, declined to say whether it will make money from 28nm products this year as the company ramps up its most advanced process technology.
  
  
• Why chip design gets relevant for carmakers (Thursday May. 07, 2015)
  Chip design is something for IDMs, fabless chipmakers and the like, right? But times are changing. In times of connected and autonomous cars, it is a becomes a good idea for carmakers to get acquainted with chips. At the recent Cadence user meeting CDN Live in Munich, Robert Schweiger explained why.
  
  
• Why Intel and Qualcomm Can't Agree on IoT Framework (Thursday May. 07, 2015)
  How do you tell ISC License from Apache 2.0? Why is a Patent Non-Assertion Pledge necessary? Since when are “Reasonable And Non-Discriminatory” (RAND) terms no longer sufficient?
  
  
• Nvidia Exits LTE Modems (Thursday May. 07, 2015)
  While having an integrated modem is still a critical differentiator in some applications, not having one will not preclude Nvidia from succeeding in other applications.