Manufacturing giant Hon Hai Precision Industry Co (鴻海精密) is planning to launch commercial production of microcontrollers (MCUs) and power management chips used for auto production in 2024.
At an investors’ conference on Thursday at the Taiwan Stock Exchange in Taipei, Hon Hai spokesman James Wu (巫俊毅) said that the mass production of MCUs and power management chips is part of the company’s efforts to develop key IC components for electric vehicle (EV) use.
In addition, Hon Hai aims to start mass production of silicon carbide (SiC) semiconductors for EV charging use next year, Wu said.
In 2024, the company aims to start commercial production of optical phased array in light detection and ranging for self-driving, as well as SiC power modules for inverters in vehicles, he said.
To avoid a supply shortage of smaller ICs, which have played an important role in automotive electronics, Wu said that Hon Hai plans to mass produce 6-inch and 8-inch wafers next year, while commercial production of 6-inch SiC wafers are also scheduled to begin next year.
Hon Hai has promoted a “3 plus 3” initiative in the past few years to expand from contract manufacturing into hardware and software integration.
The development of EVs is central to the initiative, as it is building an EV supply chain.
The “3 plus 3” initiative refers to three emerging industries — EVs, robots and digital healthcare — that are being developed through the application of artificial intelligence, semiconductors and communications technologies.
Hon Hai has an 8-inch wafer fab, while it acquired a 6-inch wafer fab from Macronix International Co (旺宏電子) in August last year.
In addition, the company has since last year been working with Yageo Corp (國巨), the world’s third-largest multilayer ceramic capacitor supplier, to set up a joint venture in Hsinchu to manufacture smaller semiconductors such as analog ICs, which cost less than US$2 per unit.
In May, Malaysia-based investment holding firm Dagang NeXchange Bhd (DNeX) announced that it had signed a memorandum of understanding with Hon Hai to build a wafer fab in the Southeast Asian country.
Meanwhile, Wu said that Hon Hai has faith that it would report better-than-expected results for the second quarter of this year after its consolidated sales for the April-to-June period rose 11 percent from a year earlier to NT$1.51 trillion (US$50.47 billion), exceeding its forecast that second-quarter revenue would not change much from a year earlier.
SEMICONDUCTORS: The firm has already completed one fab, which is to begin mass producing 2-nanomater chips next year, while two others are under construction Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電), the world’s largest contract chipmaker, plans to begin construction of its fourth and fifth wafer fabs in Kaohsiung next year, targeting the development of high-end processes. The two facilities — P4 and P5 — are part of TSMC’s production expansion program, which aims to build five fabs in Kaohsiung. TSMC facility division vice president Arthur Chuang (莊子壽) on Thursday said that the five facilities are expected to create 8,000 jobs. To respond to the fast-changing global semiconductor industry and escalating international competition, TSMC said it has to keep growing by expanding its production footprints. The P4 and P5
DOWNFALL: The Singapore-based oil magnate Lim Oon Kuin was accused of hiding US$800 million in losses and leaving 20 banks with substantial liabilities Former tycoon Lim Oon Kuin (林恩強) has been declared bankrupt in Singapore, following the collapse of his oil trading empire. The name of the founder of Hin Leong Trading Pte Ltd (興隆貿易) and his children Lim Huey Ching (林慧清) and Lim Chee Meng (林志朋) were listed as having been issued a bankruptcy order on Dec. 19, the government gazette showed. The younger Lims were directors at the company. Leow Quek Shiong and Seah Roh Lin of BDO Advisory Pte Ltd are the trustees, according to the gazette. At its peak, Hin Leong traded a range of oil products, made lubricants and operated loading
The growing popularity of Chinese sport utility vehicles and pickup trucks has shaken up Mexico’s luxury car market, hitting sales of traditionally dominant brands such as Mercedes-Benz and BMW. Mexicans are increasingly switching from traditionally dominant sedans to Chinese vehicles due to a combination of comfort, technology and price, industry experts say. It is no small feat in a country home to factories of foreign brands such as Audi and BMW, and where until a few years ago imported Chinese cars were stigmatized, as in other parts of the world. The high-end segment of the market registered a sales drop
Citigroup Inc and Bank of America Corp said they are leaving a global climate-banking group, becoming the latest Wall Street lenders to exit the coalition in the past month. In a statement, Citigroup said while it remains committed to achieving net zero emissions, it is exiting the Net-Zero Banking Alliance (NZBA). Bank of America said separately on Tuesday that it is also leaving NZBA, adding that it would continue to work with clients on reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The banks’ departure from NZBA follows Goldman Sachs Group Inc and Wells Fargo & Co. The largest US financial institutions are under increasing pressure
RSS