The hottest Semiconductors Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
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Silicon Carbide: A Power Electronics Revolution

The Asianometry Newsletter • 3 HN points • 29 Mar 23
🕹 Technology Electronics Semiconductors Manufacturing Innovation Applications
  1. Silicon carbide is a powerful semiconductor with unique properties like wide bandgap and high temperature tolerance.
  2. Silicon carbide-based power electronics are revolutionizing the industry by enabling higher voltages and frequencies with lower power loss.
  3. Challenges in producing silicon carbide wafers have limited its adoption, but recent advancements are making it more commercially viable.

Intel & AMD: The First 30 Years

The Asianometry Newsletter • 2 HN points • 31 May 23
🕹 Technology Semiconductors Lawsuits Reverse Engineering
  1. Intel's founding purpose was to exploit the semiconductor memory market, leading to the creation of the first commercial microprocessor, the Intel 4004, in 1971.
  2. AMD started as a reliable second-source provider for chips, using reverse-engineering to produce the Am9080 and becoming a major seller in the market.
  3. The rivalry between Intel and AMD escalated over time, involving complex legal battles over microcode and patent infringements until a settlement was reached in 1995.

UMC: Taiwan’s Other Semiconductor Giant

The Asianometry Newsletter • 2 HN points • 10 May 23
🕹 Technology Semiconductors Manufacturing Competition Innovation Market Expansion
  1. UMC was Taiwan's first semiconductor company founded by the government to pivot the economy towards integrated circuits.
  2. UMC faced steep competition from TSMC, leading to innovative strategies like OEM foundry and joint ventures.
  3. UMC struggled to keep up with TSMC technically, especially with significant decisions like the 28nm gate technology and faced challenges in global expansions, including incidents in China.

MAD, China, and the Semiconductor Showdown (Part 2)

East Wind • 2 HN points • 19 Apr 23
🕹 Technology Semiconductors AI Geopolitics Innovation Ecosystem
  1. Owning the semiconductor stack is crucial for AI innovation, and geopolitical tensions can disrupt the supply chain.
  2. Access to leading-edge semiconductors impacts the affordability and availability of AI advancements.
  3. Investment in onshore semiconductor production is essential to maintain technological dominance and address geopolitical uncertainties.
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ASML: A Monopoly on Magic

The Generalist • 1 HN point • 30 Jul 23
🕹 Technology Innovation Semiconductors Manufacturing Global relations Research & Development
  1. ASML is the sole provider of EUV lithography machines for semiconductor chips, making it a monopoly in a valuable market.
  2. ASML's EUV machines are incredibly complex and rely on a vast supply chain, with the company coordinating components sourced from multiple manufacturers.
  3. ASML's technology is crucial for industry advancements, particularly in AI, and the company faces challenges from US-China tensions and the need to maintain Moore's Law.

🔮E10: Pushing Moore's Law to the Limit with High-NA EUV (aka Nanoscale Chip Printing)

Let Us Face the Future • 1 HN point • 27 Jul 23
🕹 Technology Manufacturing Semiconductors Innovation Supply Chain Startups
  1. High-NA EUV lithography enables more precise and densely packed chip patterns below 10nm, crucial for continuing Moore's Law.
  2. The first High-NA EUV systems are expected to be available commercially around 2025-2026, with known engineering hurdles to overcome.
  3. High-NA EUV may produce chips worth $200 billion annually, impacting advanced logic, analog, photonic, and quantum semiconductors.

India’s AI Hardware Dream Takes Off

Sector 6 | The Newsletter of AIM • 0 implied HN points • 27 Jun 24
🕹 Technology AI Semiconductors Innovation Manufacturing Global Markets
  1. Chips are becoming as important as oil was in the past. Having strong chip manufacturing will be key for countries in the 21st century.
  2. SiMa.ai believes India can be a global leader in AI products, with many innovations coming from there.
  3. India is focusing more on semiconductor manufacturing, which could help the country grow in the tech industry.

AGI Factories Coming Soon 🤖🏭🔜

Sector 6 | The Newsletter of AIM • 0 implied HN points • 02 Apr 24
🕹 Technology Artificial Intelligence Data Centers Cloud Computing Semiconductors IT Infrastructure
  1. Microsoft and OpenAI are launching a massive $115 billion supercomputer project called Stargate by 2028. This shows a huge investment in AI technology.
  2. AWS plans to spend $150 billion on new data centers over the next 15 years to meet the rising demand for AI tools. This indicates that many companies are getting ready for a future filled with AI.
  3. NVIDIA is making advancements in AI with its 'AI factories' and next-gen chips. They are pushing boundaries in technology and aim to help develop artificial general intelligence.

Huang’s Law 🔥 🔥🔥

Sector 6 | The Newsletter of AIM • 0 implied HN points • 19 Mar 24
🕹 Technology Computing AI Hardware Semiconductors Innovation
  1. NVIDIA's new AI superchip, Blackwell, has massively increased computing power with 208 billion transistors, showcasing a shift from Moore's Law to Huang's Law.
  2. Huang stated that in the last eight years, computational capacity has grown a thousandfold, which is much faster than what was seen previously.
  3. Despite the rapid growth, Huang noted that this progress still might not be enough to meet the industry's increasing demands for computing power.

Intel’s New Love

Sector 6 | The Newsletter of AIM • 0 implied HN points • 30 Oct 23
🕹 Technology Semiconductors Market Analysis Business Growth Tech industry
  1. Intel's revenue increased recently, going from $12.9 billion to $14.2 billion, mainly due to better conditions in the server chip and PC markets.
  2. Despite the recent growth, Intel's overall revenue is down 8% compared to the same quarter last year.
  3. The company's semiconductor plant has done really well, growing by 299% and earning $311 million in revenue this year.

Intel to Sail the Meteor Lake

Sector 6 | The Newsletter of AIM • 0 implied HN points • 31 May 23
🕹 Technology Semiconductors AI Innovation Market Trends
  1. Intel has lost a lot of its market share in the semiconductor industry over the last few years. They used to hold nearly 100% in the data center market but have seen this drop significantly.
  2. The company is hoping their new product, Meteor Lake, will help them regain their competitive edge. This product includes advanced technology like a built-in neural engine for AI.
  3. Meteor Lake will use a new chip design that allows for better performance and innovative features. This could position Intel better in the market against its rivals.

The Lord of Small Things

Sector 6 | The Newsletter of AIM • 0 implied HN points • 28 Dec 22
🕹 Technology Semiconductors AI Chip Design Consumer Electronics Performance
  1. Apple is moving to smaller 3nm chips for better efficiency in its devices. This will help iPhones and Macs perform better while saving power.
  2. The new 3nm chips promise to boost performance compared to the previous 4nm versions. This means faster and more capable devices for users.
  3. However, there's a challenge with chip production as TSMC, the manufacturer, is struggling to keep up with the high demand for these new chips.

The Chronicles of GND, Part 3

filterwizard • 0 implied HN points • 25 Sep 24
🕹 Technology Electronics Engineering Semiconductors Signal Processing
  1. Opamps have three important terminals: positive supply, negative supply, and output, and the total current flowing into them should always equal zero.
  2. The output stage of an opamp affects how it behaves, especially whether it's in class A, B, or AB, which changes the current it draws from the power supply.
  3. Designing a circuit properly means understanding how to connect power supplies without causing distortion in the output, especially if you're working on high-quality audio projects.

EU approves funding for Infineon’s €1 billion Smart Power Fab in Dresden

philsiarri • 0 implied HN points • 20 Feb 25
🕹 Technology Semiconductors Manufacturing Energy Innovation Research
  1. The EU is giving money to help build Infineon's new semiconductor factory in Dresden, which will cost around €1 billion. This support is part of a wider effort to boost Europe's tech industry.
  2. Construction of the factory started in March 2023 and it is expected to open in 2026, creating up to 1,000 new jobs. This will help the local economy and provide new employment opportunities.
  3. The new facility will focus on making energy-efficient technology, especially for artificial intelligence. It will also encourage collaboration with universities to foster innovation in Europe.

Hitachi Router Line Card

Everyday Thing • 0 implied HN points • 10 Feb 25
🕹 Technology Networking Hardware Semiconductors Computing Electronics
  1. Content Addressable Memory (CAM) chips are used in routers to make quick searches based on data content instead of addresses. This helps manage MAC address tables efficiently.
  2. The post includes photos of a Hitachi Router line card and its components after being treated in acid. This process reveals more details about the chips used inside.
  3. Understanding how these chips work is crucial for networking, and they enhance the speed of data processing in devices like routers.

Metacritic digest #2 - Upgrading OpenAI to neutral

Metacritic Capital • 0 implied HN points • 16 Apr 23
🕹 Technology AI Software Semiconductors Social media Banking
  1. Foundational AI companies like OpenAI focus on creating and selling general models, akin to the semiconductor industry's approach.
  2. Understanding the importance of hurdle rates in financial investment can impact long-term stock performance.
  3. Managers need to set the example and show commitment to their teams for effective leadership, especially during times of crisis.

AI Partnerships Advance Industrial Automation

Exponential Industry • 0 implied HN points • 28 Jan 24
🕹 Technology AI/ML Manufacturing Robotics Semiconductors Energy Storage
  1. AI partnerships are advancing industrial automation by improving quality, throughput, and worker safety.
  2. Businesses are investing in new technologies like sensors, robotics, 3D printing, and AI to enhance manufacturing processes.
  3. Government initiatives like Made Smarter are driving tech investments in SMEs for industry growth and sustainability.

Large models are pushing tech companies to rethink chip design; OpenAI unveils Sora generative video model; the world's first AI-powered Valentine's Day; ex-Salesforce CEO launches new startup

Computerspeak by Alexandru Voica • 0 implied HN points • 16 Feb 24
🕹 Technology AI Semiconductors Tech Companies AI Chips
  1. Large models like OpenAI's GPT series are reshaping the AI landscape by requiring vast computational resources and driving a buying frenzy among tech companies for AI chips.
  2. Designing AI chips involves significant costs spanning from R&D to testing, and challenges exist in producing low-volume chips due to economies of scale, NRE costs, and supply chain constraints.
  3. Advancements in semiconductor technology, including innovations like chiplets and AI-assisted design, offer potential ways to reduce costs and scale AI hardware production to meet the growing demand.

6/17 TBC Insider Digest

Tech Buzz China Insider • 0 implied HN points • 18 Jun 21
🕹 Technology E-commerce Semiconductors Social media Tech investment
  1. The post discusses various topics like Didi's IPO, China's Semiconductor Big Fund, updates on content platforms, cross border e-commerce trends, and differences between US and Chinese unicorns.
  2. The content highlights the importance of understanding semiconductors, the competition between Kuaishou and Douyin in content platforms, and emerging opportunities in cross border e-commerce.
  3. The post also includes insights on the number of unicorns in the US and China, and welcomes new members to the platform from various backgrounds.

[Q4 CY23] Intel, Lattice, AMD, Qualcomm

Irrational Analysis • 0 implied HN points • 02 Nov 23
🕹 Technology Semiconductors Tech Companies Market Analysis
  1. Intel had a stellar quarter with a significant prepayment from a major customer, and signed deals with additional customers for their latest technology. They divested a portion of their business and have strong momentum.
  2. Lattice faced significant challenges, potentially due to exposure to the Chinese market. They did not directly mention China in their communication, but it was evident through questions from an analyst.
  3. AMD showed mixed results with impressive products but flat revenue. They received great interest in a new AI chip from Microsoft with substantial revenue expectations, which caused significant stock movement.

Interesting things in robotics this week - Issue #16

Robots & Startups • 0 implied HN points • 24 Jun 21
🕹 Technology Robotics Innovation Supply Chain Semiconductors Batteries
  1. It's important for the public to have a say in the creation of autonomous robots for the agricultural sector.
  2. Reports directed by President Biden highlight vulnerabilities in supply chains for semiconductors, batteries, critical minerals, and pharmaceuticals.
  3. Consider subscribing to Robots & Startups for more insights and a 7-day free trial.

Intel, IBM, OSATs tip the latest in packaging

Semiecosystem • 0 implied HN points • 03 May 24
🕹 Technology Semiconductors AI Datacenters Packaging
  1. IC-packaging is a crucial element in the semiconductor industry where chips are protected in enclosures for specific applications.
  2. Advanced packaging is crucial for complex chips like server chips or AI processing units to save space and reduce latency between components.
  3. Generative AI, datacenters, and edge computing benefit from advanced packaging to handle large amounts of data efficiently, despite challenges such as high power consumption.

Silicon wafer market: upturn, higher prices

Semiecosystem • 0 implied HN points • 24 Apr 24
🕹 Technology Semiconductors Manufacturing Market Analysis China
  1. Silicon wafer suppliers are seeing signs of recovery and expect a gradual improvement in the second half of 2024.
  2. Prices for select silicon wafer products are anticipated to increase this year due to factors like demand and supply agreements.
  3. The 300mm silicon wafer market is expected to rebound in 2024, while the 200mm market faces challenges.