Wafer foundry war is imminent?

Apple's (Apple) expansion of its release to Samsung, causing semiconductor manufacturers to compete among the members of the supply chain, the last step of the foundry partners of the processor although the food by TSMC, but Intel seized single video frequently appear, Samsung is even faster Into the 20-nanometer manufacturing process, to ensure Apple's attitude is positive, the next 20 nanometers below the advanced process layout is the key to semiconductor manufacturers investment overweight. The foundry industry experienced a period of consolidation, such as the GlobalFoundries merger and franchise, the mainland power fade out, etc. The competition situation has entered another stage in the past few years. The competitors faced by the leading company TSMC are all international companies with strong backgrounds such as Samsung. Electronics (Samsung Electronics), Intel (Intel), etc., in the battle for Apple's orders, TSMC, Samsung, Intel's foundry layout became the focus of everyone.

Apple processor transfer orders, TSMC benefited from the largest Samsung to replace Apple as the world's leading smart phone, and both sides caused patent infringement lawsuits to make a sudden, accelerate Apple's de-sanxing strategy in 2012. After key components such as NAND Flash, DRAM, and panels have been transferred to Toshiba, Hynix, and Micron, the final step for Samsung’s decentralization is to place orders for the processors. TSMC OEM.

TSMC's Apple A7 processor was manufactured on a 20-nanometer process. It entered a tape-out in March 2013 and is expected to enter volume production in early 2014. Reviewing the cooperation between Apple and TSMC, Apple actually started trying to hand over to TSMC 2 years ago when the A5 processor was used. However, the technical cooperation between the two parties did not take off until 2013.

According to industry analysis, Samsung is still the largest supplier of orders for the Apple A7 processor. In the short term, Apple and Samsung cannot cut clean. In addition, rumors about Intel’s ordering of food orders have not stopped, and even Samsung and TSMC have been reported. The proportion of Intel's orders will be 50%, 40%, and 10%.

According to market analysis, the total capacity of Samsung's system-on-chip (LSI) unit for Apple's mobile processor was 700,000 units in 2012. If the unit price per unit is as low as US$3,000 in the market, the potential total amount of business opportunities will be as high as US$2.1 billion.

In the past few years, the foundry industry competition has entered another stage. TSMC and UMC, which together referred to as the dual-championship, have become worse and worse. The results of TSMC’s continuous sprint and overweight investment have already dominated the global foundry industry. Occupy more than 40%.

GlobalFoundries layout in Asia, UMC has been suppressed in the past few years by the outside world as a dark horse SMIC, progress in the advanced process is relatively slow, no threat to TSMC, but Qi Tszun in the middle of 2011 at the helm of SMIC, the company operating Recently stable, 2012 revenue growth of 29% over 2011, and the best financial performance over the past 7 years, although the 28-nanometer process, 20-nanometer advanced process slower, but the current 40-nanometer process continues to expand market share, is expected The 4th quarter of 2013 PolySION and HKMG process will be completed at 28nm.

In addition, GlobalFoundries bought Chartered Semiconductor for US$3.9 billion in 2009. It shocked the semiconductor industry and was a representative stage integration in the foundry industry. It was then considered as the formation of “Taiwan Semiconductor” forces.

GlobalFoundries has not caused any impact on Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd., but UMC has been repeatedly suppressed. In particular, GlobalFoundries has invested heavily in expanding production during the past few years, and has invested heavily in advanced manufacturing processes. It has just met the low tide of UMC operations, even if UMC reshaves higher-level personnel. , frequently appeared to indicate that 28-nanometer process yield has improved, but still can not hide the fact that GlobalFoundries is the first to take the top priority.

In 2012, GlobalFoundries had replaced UMC as the second largest wafer foundry in the world. Although UMC is also actively deploying advanced processes, capital expenditures in 2013 were still reduced to US$1.5 billion from 2012’s 2 billion U.S. dollars.

In addition, starting from the fourth quarter of 2012, the market focused on the progress of the 28-nanometer manufacturing process for the whole year. GlobalFoundries has finally successfully secured the UMC with the increase in yield, and has won two very representative customer orders from Qualcomm and MediaTek. Become the second supplier outside TSMC, once again let GlobalFoundries out of the front.

The market believes that GlobalFoundries has a higher yield rate than expected on a 28-nanometer process, adopting 14nm-XM 3D fin field-effect transistor (FinFET) process technology on 14nm process, and is expected to mass-produce in the second half of 2014. 16-nanometer process to fight. In addition, GlobalFoundries' 14nm-XM adopts a modular technology architecture that combines 14nm FinFET components and 20nm 20nm-LPM process technology to accelerate customers' transition to 14nm process technology.

In addition, GlobalFoundries spotted the potential of Asian IC design companies. In addition to the acquisition of Singapore franchise, it also took action in Taiwan in 2012 to purchase Taiwan's successively faded memory plants, including Powerchip and Promax's 12-inch wafer fabs.

GlobalFoundries has already confirmed that it has bought equipment for the Maude Zhongke 12-inch wafer fab. It originally participated in the sale of the Powerchip 12-inch wafer fab, but eventually chose to abandon the bid.

Samsung and Intel have stepped into wafer foundry and the war has been triggered. In addition to the initiative of GlobalFoundries and the revitalization of SMIC, Samsung Electronics and Intel’s involvement in wafer foundry has actually made TSMC more threatened. Both are focused on 28/ With the 20-nanometer onslaught, coupled with Apple's processor orders, will it form a third world war for the foundry industry? TSMC next can not prevent.

Samsung's development in the semiconductor field has been dominated by memory, but as Samsung has become a leader in all areas, the market has already faced a certain degree of saturation, and in 2012 it experienced Micron's purchase of Elpiada to complete the DRAM industry. After the largest integration in the past 10 years, the short-term Samsung, Micron and Hynix are expected to continue in the top three, and Samsung’s leadership in the NAND Flash market will allow Samsung to start offensive on wafer foundry.

In addition, the success of Samsung's own-brand mobile phone Galaxy, despite defeating Apple in the market share of the brand, took the world's top smartphone, but also attracted Apple's strategy to Samsung, TSMC has become the biggest winner.