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[SMIC obtains US license: 14nm chips resume supply] Last year, SMIC was blocked, and the purchase of US semiconductor equipment and technology was restricted. Recently, SMIC has received a US license, and 14nm and 28nnm related processes and product lines have resumed supply. Yesterday there was news that SMIC has made a major breakthrough in communication with the United States, and has obtained supply permits from US equipment manufacturers, and the ban on 14nm and above has been successfully lifted.

Foreign media: TSMC will start mass production of 3nm chips next year, and start risk production in the second half of this year

On March 2nd, according to foreign media reports, as Apple’s main supplier, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd. will begin mass production of 3nm chips in 2022.

Previously, TSMC stated that it would start risky production of 3nm chips in the second half of 2021. The company claims that compared with the recent 5nm process, its 3nm process will increase chip performance by 10%-15%. In addition, some people say that 3nm chips will reduce energy consumption by 20% to 25%.

Previously, TSMC estimated in its fourth quarter 2020 financial report that its capital expenditure in 2021 would be between US$25 billion and US$28 billion.

According to industry chain sources, TSMC’s estimated capital expenditure of 25 to 28 billion US dollars, more than 15 billion US dollars is expected to be invested in 3nm process.

Last December, industry sources said that Apple had booked TSMC’s 3nm capacity. There are reports that the company will use TSMC’s 3nm process technology to produce M-series chips for Mac and iPad and A-series chips for iPhone.

Thanks to Apple’s order commitments, TSMC plans to expand the monthly production capacity of the 3nm process to 55,000 pieces in 2022, and will further expand its production to 105,000 pieces in 2023.

At the same time, TSMC also plans to expand its 5nm process capacity to meet the needs of its major customers. (Techweb)

Research institutes expect global 5G smartphone shipments to exceed 600 million units this year, doubling year-on-year

On March 2, according to foreign media reports, with the expansion of 5G commercial network coverage and the introduction of more 5G models by smartphone manufacturers, 5G smartphones have had considerable sales volume last year, which is a significant increase from 2019. .

Apple launched the iPhone 12 series that supports 5G network connections in October last year, which not only greatly increased the overall sales of Apple’s iPhone, but also boosted the sales of global 5G smartphones. In addition, the iPhone 13 series to be launched at the end of the year will contribute to global 5G smartphone sales The rise will be more obvious.

Some research institutions predict that global 5G smartphone shipments will exceed 600 million units this year, a significant increase from 280 million units in 2020, and will double year-on-year.

With 5G smartphone shipments expected to exceed 600 million units, global smartphone shipments this year are also expected to increase significantly year-on-year. Research institutions are expected to exceed 1.4 billion units, a year-on-year increase of 10%-13 %. (Techweb)

Apple's foldable iPhone is expected to be launched in two years, with a 7.5-8 inch screen

On March 2, according to foreign media reports, after Samsung and Huawei launched a number of foldable phones, Apple is also planning to launch a foldable iPhone. In November last year, it was reported that Apple had sent samples to Foxconn for relevant Test.

A few months after the news that Apple was planning to launch a foldable iPhone, famous Apple product analyst Ming-Chi Kuo also gave his estimate of this potential product.

Guo Mingchi predicts that Apple will be able to solve the technical problems in the production of the foldable iPhone this year, and is expected to launch a foldable iPhone with a screen of 7.5 inches to 8 inches in two years' time.

Guo Mingchi's expected launch in two years means that in his opinion, Apple's foldable iPhone is expected to be launched in 2023 at the earliest.

The news that Apple was planning to launch a foldable iPhone appeared at the end of November last year. At that time, foreign media quoted industry chain news reports that Apple had sent samples of the foldable iPhone to Foxconn for testing, mainly for key screen components and folding. Durability testing of components. Foreign media said in a report at the time that Apple required Foxconn to conduct more than 100,000 folding tests.

In January, foreign media reported that the foldable iPhone samples Apple sent to Foxconn for testing last year had passed the first test, which is the assembly quality control inspection, after more than a month of testing.

China Semiconductor Industry Express: HOREXS will expand the production capacity of storage IC substrates from 2021 to increase the demand for IC package companies in the world, especially South Korea and Taiwan;

According to media reports, HOREXS, as one of the well-known IC substrate manufacturers in China, has been on the rise due to the strong support of the Chinese government and the shortage of international chip substrates. The industry predicts that HOREXS will expand the IC substrate within 2-3 years. The production capacity reaches 60,000 square meters per month.