2023.02.01News
Korean media: TSMC, Apple, Sony work closely South Korea's role in the semiconductor value chain is unknown
South Korean media BusinessKorea reported on Tuesday (31st) that there are recent signs that the increasingly close cooperation between TSMC, Apple and Sony is putting South Korea’s Samsung in a pinned position. The role played by the semiconductor supply chain is increasingly blurred.
Apple CEO Tim Cook posted on Twitter on the 13th of last month that he had visited an elementary school in Kumamoto in Japan, with the following words: "Sony is Apple's partner, producing the world's best camera sensor (iPhone CMOS image sensor) The main supplier of sensors is Sony).” In fact, Kumamoto is not only an important semiconductor center in Japan, TSMC is also cooperating with Sony to build a fab there.
When TSMC held a machine transfer ceremony in Arizona, USA on the 6th of this month, Cook was the guest of honor. American company Huida (Nvidia) CEO Huang Renxun, AMD CEO Su Zifeng, and US President Biden A number of American dignitaries also joined hands to demonstrate the Taiwan-US technology alliance.
Apple CEO Tim Cook posted on Twitter on the 13th of last month that he had visited an elementary school in Kumamoto in Japan, with the following words: "Sony is Apple's partner, producing the world's best camera sensor (iPhone CMOS image sensor) The main supplier of sensors is Sony).” In fact, Kumamoto is not only an important semiconductor center in Japan, TSMC is also cooperating with Sony to build a fab there.
When TSMC held a machine transfer ceremony in Arizona, USA on the 6th of this month, Cook was the guest of honor. American company Huida (Nvidia) CEO Huang Renxun, AMD CEO Su Zifeng, and US President Biden A number of American dignitaries also joined hands to demonstrate the Taiwan-US technology alliance.
A senior executive in the semiconductor industry in South Korea said that former Speaker of the US House of Representatives Nancu Pelosi (Nancu Pelosi) visited Taiwan last summer and met with TSMC Chairman Liu Deyin.
Judging from the closer cooperation between the United States, Japan and Taiwan semiconductors, South Korean analysts are worried that South Korea's position in the global semiconductor industry is being lost. In particular, Taiwan announced last year that it would cooperate with the United States and Japan in the field of semiconductors, and the United States and Japan also established a semiconductor technology alliance last year. There is no more positive action.
The report quoted experts as saying that South Korea's role in the semiconductor value chain established by the United States, Japan and Taiwan is unclear. The United States is strengthening its semiconductor design capabilities, Japan is good at equipment, Taiwan has the advantage of high-end wafer services, but South Korea has no outstanding projects.
The report pointed out that TSMC is doing everything possible to strengthen the alliance system with the United States and Japan, which means that TSMC will be able to increase its global market share and expand its influence through alliances with the United States and Japan, which are opposed to China in terms of national security.
TSMC also plans to cooperate with industry giants such as Apple, Google, Huida, and Japanese material manufacturers in order to widen the gap ahead of South Korean rivals.
On the other hand, since Samsung and SK Hynix have established major memory chip production bases in China and enjoy strong sales in China, it is difficult for Korean companies to join any organization that aims to counter China. For example, 30-40% of Samsung's NAND is produced in Xi'an, and about half of Hynix's DRAM is produced in Wuxi.
TSMC's Japanese factory under construction is mainly targeting the automotive semiconductor market, and it also has the effect of restraining Samsung Electronics.
Japan has big buyers of automotive chips such as Toyota and Nissan. Except for Renesas, TSMC has almost no major competitors in the Japanese automotive chip market. In addition, Denso, a world-renowned Japanese auto parts manufacturer, is itself TSMC. One of the investors of the Kumamoto Plant, owning more than 10% of the shares. Therefore, TSMC will be able to strengthen its cooperative relationship with world-class Japanese material and equipment manufacturers.
The Japanese government also plays an important role in attracting TSMC to set up factories in Japan. It not only provides subsidies for the joint venture between TSMC and Sony, but also injects TSMC's semiconductor research and development base in Ibaraki Prefecture. Korean media believe that compared with chip manufacturers in other countries, Samsung Electronics is at a disadvantage when obtaining licenses and subsidies.
As for the U.S. plant, TSMC's investment has increased to US$40 billion, and TSMC's major customers such as Apple, Huida, and Super Micro are happy to see the results. This amount is more than double the $17 billion investment in Samsung's Texas plant, which some observers predict will widen the market share gap between TSMC and Samsung.
The report quoted experts who pointed out that TSMC has turned the geopolitical crisis between the United States and China into an advantage. By setting up factories in the United States and Japan, it can secure more customers, reduce and spread the risk of being attacked by China, and the demand for semiconductors is still growing. Without any reduction, Taiwan's production equipment and manpower alone cannot meet all future needs, so we choose to arrange for future factories and manpower needs under the condition that the US and Japanese government resources are poured in.
The report quoted experts as saying that South Korea's role in the semiconductor value chain established by the United States, Japan and Taiwan is unclear. The United States is strengthening its semiconductor design capabilities, Japan is good at equipment, Taiwan has the advantage of high-end wafer services, but South Korea has no outstanding projects.
The report pointed out that TSMC is doing everything possible to strengthen the alliance system with the United States and Japan, which means that TSMC will be able to increase its global market share and expand its influence through alliances with the United States and Japan, which are opposed to China in terms of national security.
TSMC also plans to cooperate with industry giants such as Apple, Google, Huida, and Japanese material manufacturers in order to widen the gap ahead of South Korean rivals.
On the other hand, since Samsung and SK Hynix have established major memory chip production bases in China and enjoy strong sales in China, it is difficult for Korean companies to join any organization that aims to counter China. For example, 30-40% of Samsung's NAND is produced in Xi'an, and about half of Hynix's DRAM is produced in Wuxi.
TSMC's Japanese factory under construction is mainly targeting the automotive semiconductor market, and it also has the effect of restraining Samsung Electronics.
Japan has big buyers of automotive chips such as Toyota and Nissan. Except for Renesas, TSMC has almost no major competitors in the Japanese automotive chip market. In addition, Denso, a world-renowned Japanese auto parts manufacturer, is itself TSMC. One of the investors of the Kumamoto Plant, owning more than 10% of the shares. Therefore, TSMC will be able to strengthen its cooperative relationship with world-class Japanese material and equipment manufacturers.
The Japanese government also plays an important role in attracting TSMC to set up factories in Japan. It not only provides subsidies for the joint venture between TSMC and Sony, but also injects TSMC's semiconductor research and development base in Ibaraki Prefecture. Korean media believe that compared with chip manufacturers in other countries, Samsung Electronics is at a disadvantage when obtaining licenses and subsidies.
As for the U.S. plant, TSMC's investment has increased to US$40 billion, and TSMC's major customers such as Apple, Huida, and Super Micro are happy to see the results. This amount is more than double the $17 billion investment in Samsung's Texas plant, which some observers predict will widen the market share gap between TSMC and Samsung.
The report quoted experts who pointed out that TSMC has turned the geopolitical crisis between the United States and China into an advantage. By setting up factories in the United States and Japan, it can secure more customers, reduce and spread the risk of being attacked by China, and the demand for semiconductors is still growing. Without any reduction, Taiwan's production equipment and manpower alone cannot meet all future needs, so we choose to arrange for future factories and manpower needs under the condition that the US and Japanese government resources are poured in.
Top