A record number of exhibitors are to participate in Semicon Taiwan, an annual international trade fair for the semiconductor technology sector, when it opens today in Taipei, the organizers said on Sunday.
The event, which was postponed from September due to a local COVID-19 outbreak, is to feature 2,150 booths from 650 exhibitors, the highest number since the trade fair was first held in 1996, said a statement by SEMI, an organization that connects about 2,400 member companies and 1.3 million professionals worldwide to advance the business and technology of electronics design and manufacturing.
The record number of exhibitors this year is evidence of Taiwan’s central position in the global semiconductor industry, said Terry Tsao (曹世綸), chief marketing officer at SEMI and president of SEMI Taiwan.
Photo courtesy of SEMI via CNA
Participation in the show should not be affected significantly by COVID-19 travel restrictions, Tsao said, adding that most of the buyers are based in Taiwan, while the international clients have local representatives.
An expected highlight at the event is to be a special Compound Semiconductor Innovation Zone, he said, adding that compound semiconductors are likely the future of the industry, as silicon chips are reaching their limit.
Semiconductor shares in China surged yesterday after Reuters reported the US had ordered chipmaking giant Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) to halt shipments of advanced chips to Chinese customers, which investors believe could accelerate Beijing’s self-reliance efforts. TSMC yesterday started to suspend shipments of certain sophisticated chips to some Chinese clients after receiving a letter from the US Department of Commerce imposing export restrictions on those products, Reuters reported on Sunday, citing an unnamed source. The US imposed export restrictions on TSMC’s 7-nanometer or more advanced designs, Reuters reported. Investors figured that would encourage authorities to support China’s industry and bought shares
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