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China president: we don't need ASML, 'no force can stop the pace of China' tech development

Anthony Garreffa | Mar 27, 2024 11:00 PM CDT

ASML is the only company in the world with advanced High-NA EUV lithography machines, with Intel as its latest $380 million customer. Now, Chinese President Xi Jinping has told visiting Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte-ASML, who is in the Netherlands, that attempts to restrict China's success to technology will not stop his country's advancement.

China president: we don't need ASML, 'no force can stop the pace of China' tech development

The Netherlands slapped down export licensing requirements in 2023, stopping the sale of high-end machinery that is capable of making the world's most advanced processors. The US started by blocking access to advanced chips and the equipment required to make them, citing security concerns with China, seeing the Netherlands impose similar restrictions.

Chinese President Xi Jinping said: "The Chinese people also have the right to legitimate development, and no force can stop the pace of China's scientific and technological development and progress."

Continue reading: China president: we don't need ASML, 'no force can stop the pace of China' tech development (full post)

Cocoa bean price hits record high: $10,000 per metric ton, biggest shortfall in over 60 years

Anthony Garreffa | Mar 27, 2024 7:52 PM CDT

If you thought the insatiable AI GPU demand was (and is, and will continue) nuts, well... the cocoa beans market is in trouble, with the price of cocoa beans skyrocketing. The price of cocoa beans has smashed through $10,000 a ton for the first time in the futures market.

Cocoa bean price hits record high: $10,000 per metric ton, biggest shortfall in over 60 years

The last major cocoa tree planting spree happened throughout the early 2000s in West Africa, which, if you didn't think was important to the global cocoa business, you're wrong: West Africa counts for around 75% of the global supply of cocoa beans. After already bad weather amplified by the ongoing El Nino phase of the Pacific Ocean, cocoa trees throughout Ghana and the Ivory Coast have been decimated.

Fast-forward to today, and the world is heading to an annual supply deficit of between 300,000 and 500,000 tons of cocoa beans, the largest shortfall in over 60 years. Right now, the price of cocoa is more expensive than copper on the commodities market, and we're sprinting directly into Easter, which is when chocolate makers have now increased pricing for consumers after multiple years of subpar cocoa harvests in West Africa with another on the way.

Continue reading: Cocoa bean price hits record high: $10,000 per metric ton, biggest shortfall in over 60 years (full post)

LG invests $74 billion in South Korea until 2028: AI, biotech, batteries, clean tech, displays

Anthony Garreffa | Mar 27, 2024 5:36 PM CDT

LG is promising a whopping 100 trillion won (around $74.3 billion USD) in investments in South Korea through 2028. Half of the $74.3 billion will go towards future growth drivers, including AI, biotechnology, batteries, and displays.

LG invests $74 billion in South Korea until 2028: AI, biotech, batteries, clean tech, displays

According to LG, the huge $74.3 billion sum will be 65% of LG's entire global investment for the same four-year period. The gigantic new investment plan was announced on Wednesday at LG's recent 62nd shareholders meeting. It comes in hot off the heels of fellow South Korean company -- SK hynix -- which announced an even bigger $90 billion investment for the "world's largest mega fab complex" in South Korea.

LG Chairman Koo Kwang-mo, said: "The global management environment in 2024 will have more uncertainties as a number of inflection points reside related to the generalization of AI, decarbonization, and so on. While closely monitoring the industries around our core businesses, we will bolster future businesses like AI, bio and cleantech so they can grow into main pillars of our future business portfolio".

Continue reading: LG invests $74 billion in South Korea until 2028: AI, biotech, batteries, clean tech, displays (full post)

SK hynix plans $4 billion advanced chip packaging facility for Indiana, USA

Anthony Garreffa | Mar 26, 2024 11:59 PM CDT

SK hynix is putting $4 billion worth of investment into a new advanced chip packaging facility that will be built in West Lafayette, a western city in Indiana.

SK hynix plans $4 billion advanced chip packaging facility for Indiana, USA

The news is coming from The Wall Street Journal sources, which say it's not yet decided on the new advanced chip packaging investment. If SK hynix goes ahead with its $4 billion investment, we'll see the facility operational by 2028 if there are no delays between now and then.

SK hynix's new advanced chip packaging facility would add between 800 and 1000 new jobs, with this news on the heels of the South Korean giants' plans to invest $90 billion on the world's largest fab complex, which will be completed by 2046. There will be multiple facilities at SK hynix's new fab complex, with some of them operational in the next couple of years.

Continue reading: SK hynix plans $4 billion advanced chip packaging facility for Indiana, USA (full post)

Microsoft names Pavan Davuluri as its new Windows and Surface chief starting today

Anthony Garreffa | Mar 26, 2024 10:34 PM CDT

Microsoft has just announced that its new Windows and Surface chief is Pavan Davuluri, after losing Panos Panay to Amazon last year, where Microsoft split Windows and Surface teams with two different leaders.

Microsoft names Pavan Davuluri as its new Windows and Surface chief starting today

Davuluri took over as the Surface silicon and devices boss, with Mikhail Parakhin leading a new team that will work on Windows and web experiences, but now both Windows and Surface are under the responsibility of Davuluri, as Parakhin has left as he "decided to explore new roles".

Microsoft is pooling the Windows and devices team together, which is news learned by an internal memo from Microsoft's head of experiences and devices, Rajesh Jha, who outlined the new Windows organization. The Verge got their hands on the memo, where Jha explained: "This will enable us to take a holistic approach to building silicon, systems, experiences, and devices that span Windows client and cloud for this AI era".

Continue reading: Microsoft names Pavan Davuluri as its new Windows and Surface chief starting today (full post)

TSMC gets 3nm orders from Apple, Intel and AMD: for iPhone 16, Lunar Lake CPUs and Zen 5 CPUs

Anthony Garreffa | Mar 26, 2024 9:00 PM CDT

TSMC is enjoying an increasing number of orders as chip giants trip over themselves to get 3nm process node manufacturing for their upcoming designs. Customers include Apple, AMD, Intel, and more.

TSMC gets 3nm orders from Apple, Intel and AMD: for iPhone 16, Lunar Lake CPUs and Zen 5 CPUs

In a new report from Economic Daily News, we hear that TSMC's new 3nm process node orders are set to see huge growth throughout the year and to "remain robust until the end of the year." Q4 2023 saw TSMC (Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company) see 15% of its revenue derived from 3nm orders, but that's expected to pass 20% this year.

Apple will use TSMC's new 3nm process node for its upcoming A18 series processor, which will power its next-gen iPhone 16 family of smartphones later this year. Apple will also use the N3 node from TSMC for its upcoming next-gen M4 processor, which will power upcoming MacBook laptops.

Continue reading: TSMC gets 3nm orders from Apple, Intel and AMD: for iPhone 16, Lunar Lake CPUs and Zen 5 CPUs (full post)

SK hynix plans $90 billion on 'world's largest mega fab complex' fully complete in 2046

Anthony Garreffa | Mar 25, 2024 5:34 PM CDT

SK hynix has announced it has planned a mega fab complex called Yongin Semiconductor Cluster, which will begin construction in March 2025, with an estimated completion date in 2046... so we're still a while away.

SK hynix plans $90 billion on 'world's largest mega fab complex' fully complete in 2046

The South Korean giant has prepared at least $90 billion towards the project, which will see four separate fabbing facilities and would be one of -- if not the -- biggest fab complex on the planet. SK hynix will have new bleeding-edge facilities on its site, as well as room for companies like South Korean rival Samsung to build other facilities there.

SK hynix will have multiple facilities up and running before its 2046 completion date, with the first of the four fabs to be operational in 2027. This is just two years after construction starts, similar to TSMC's new bleeding-edge facility in Japan, which also took just two years to build... meanwhile, Intel and TSMC continue to struggle with US semiconductor fab construction with multi-year delays ahead for Intel's plant in Ohio.

Continue reading: SK hynix plans $90 billion on 'world's largest mega fab complex' fully complete in 2046 (full post)

Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger publicly invites Tesla CEO Elon Musk for a tour of semiconductor fab

Anthony Garreffa | Mar 24, 2024 10:10 PM CDT

Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger has publicly invited Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk for a private tour of Intel's new semiconductor fab lines.

Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger publicly invites Tesla CEO Elon Musk for a tour of semiconductor fab

In a new post on X, Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger posted: "@ElonMusk - I was thinking of you at our Chips Act ceremony this week with @POTUS and @SecRaimondo. I am looking forward to giving you a personal tour of our semiconductor fab lines! Follow me so we can migrate our conversations to X on DM".

Continue reading: Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger publicly invites Tesla CEO Elon Musk for a tour of semiconductor fab (full post)

Intel's new fab in Germany finds 6000-year-old ancient burial ground from human sacrifice

Anthony Garreffa | Mar 24, 2024 9:11 PM CDT

Intel's new semiconductor chip plant in Germany has had archaeologists working on the site discovering two prehistoric burial mounds with human, and animal remains from a prehistoric human and animal sacrifice.

Intel's new fab in Germany finds 6000-year-old ancient burial ground from human sacrifice

The State Office for Heritage Management and Archaeology Saxony-Anhalt (LDA) examined the 300-hectare industrial site ahead of site development works planned by Intel in Germany. There, they discovered two approximately 6,000-year-old monumental wooden chambers containing multiple human and animal remains.

Archaeologists traced one of the two burial mounds to the Baalberg group, an anxiety Neolithic culture that existed in central Germany between about 4100 and 3600 BC. There were two large, trapezoidal burial chambers built using wood inside the mound, with a corridor running between the two chambers that experts said would've been used as a procession route by settlers in the next millennium.

Continue reading: Intel's new fab in Germany finds 6000-year-old ancient burial ground from human sacrifice (full post)

NVIDIA's next-gen RTX and AI GPU IP will be found in MediaTek's new Dimensity SoCs

Anthony Garreffa | Mar 24, 2024 8:01 PM CDT

MediaTek announced during GTC 2024 last week that four new automotive SoCs within its Dimensity Auto Cockpit portfolio, with the new chips featuring NVIDIA GPUs ready for AI workloads.

NVIDIA's next-gen RTX and AI GPU IP will be found in MediaTek's new Dimensity SoCs

The next-gen Dimensity Auto Cockpit SoCs feature Arm-based Cortex cores under the latest Armv9 instruction set architecture, as well as NVIDIA's next-gen GPU that runs AI workloads including large language models (LLMs). The built-in NVIDIA GPU inside of the SoC will handle real-time ray tracing graphics and even DLSS 3-based AI upscaling.

NVIDIA DRIVE OS is the heart behind the system, which allows automakers to use all of NVIDIA's software and IP designed for the platform.

Continue reading: NVIDIA's next-gen RTX and AI GPU IP will be found in MediaTek's new Dimensity SoCs (full post)