The global semiconductor manufacturing industry in the second quarter of 2024 continued to show signs of improvement with significant growth of IC sales, stabilizing capital expenditure, and an increase in installed wafer fab capacity, according to a recent report published by SEMI in collaboration with TechInsights. While the slower recovery in some end markets impacted the pace of growth in the first half of this year, the surge in demand for AI chips and high bandwidth memory (HBM) created strong tailwinds driving industry expansion.

The international patent war over compound semiconductors, specifically Gallium Nitride (GaN), continues to intensify. In July, Efficient Power Conversion (EPC) from the US won a ruling from the US International Trade Commission (ITC) that found China’s GaN leader Innoscience guilty of infringing one of its patents, making it difficult for the latter to enter the US market.

Taiwan’s Shinkong Synthetic Fibers Corporation (SSFC), keen on product diversification to mitigate market risks, is expanding into the semiconductor and automotive sectors while maintaining 100% capacity utilization across all product lines, according to General Manager Chin-da Ou.