Labor shortage has become a new normal at manufacturing industries worldwide in the post-pandemic era, and this is driving device assemblers including notebook ODMs and network device makers to further incorporate smart automated production solutions, according to supply chain sources.

Samsung Electronics, Intel and TSMC are the top three companies in the global semiconductor industry that have announced their entry into the 7nm advanced process. While the leading companies are inevitably enaged in intense competition against one another, Intel has outsouced its advanced process products to TSMC.

IC distributor Weikeng Industrial expects its sales to rebound in the second half of 2022 thanks to an easing of COVID-induced lockdowns and related restrictive measures in China, according to company sources.

IC design houses are negotiating with upstream foundries about their wafer starts between the end of 2022 and early 2023, but are finding it difficult to plan, according to industry sources.