SEOUL, July 28 (Yonhap) -- Samsung Electronics Co. emerged as the world's No. 1 chipmaker in terms of sales and operating profits in the second quarter, beating behemoth Intel Corp. market data showed Friday.
The rise of Samsung is significant as Intel has been standing as the leading computer chip producer for some 24 years.
Industry watchers said the rise is the result of the South Korean tech giant's successful developed next-generation technologies for dynamic random-access memory (DRAM) chips and NAND flash memory and quickly responded to changing market needs.
 
On Thursday, Samsung Electronics said its chip business posted an operating profit of 8.03 trillion won (US$7.1 billion) in the second quarter, soaring from 2.64 trillion won posted a year earlier, on the back of the rising demand for server DRAMs and SSD products. Overall sales were estimated at 17 trillion won.
It marked the first time for the chip business to post an operating profit exceeding the 8 trillion-won mark.
Intel, on the other hand, said it posted sales of $14.8 billion and operating profit of $3.8 billion for the April-June period.
The U.S. company's operating profit marked a whopping 190 percent on-year growth, although this still lagged far behind those of Samsung.
Samsung posted an operating profit ratio to sales of 45.7 percent, easily outpacing the 25.7 percent posted by Intel.
The boom of the mobile industry, which led to the rising demand for DRAM chips and solid state drives (SSDs) helped Samsung post the sharp growth, industry watchers added. An SSD is a data storage device made with a NAND flash memory chip that does not need power to store data and is more durable and faster than a hard disk drive.
Intel, on the other hand, focuses on the production of central processing units.
The South Korean tech company is anticipated to beat Intel also in terms of annual performance as the global chip industry's outlook remains rosy over the second half, industry watchers here said.
The boom of the cloud computing, virtual reality and self-driving automobile industries is also expected to lend support to Samsung's strong position going forward, they added.

Shanghai forms CNY50 billion IC industry investment fund

The city government of Shanghai, China recently introduced a CNY50 billion (US$7.4 billion) IC industry investment fund aimed at cultivating and supporting the local leading enterprises, according to a recent Chinese-language Commercial Times report.

The fund will provide CNY30 billion to support the development of the local manufacturing sector, CNY10 billion to help local fabless firms expand via acquisitions, and another CNY10 billion to foster the development of the local equipment and materials sector, the report cited China media as saying.

Named the Shanghai Integrated Circuit Investment Fund (SICIF), it completed the first round of fund-raising totaling CNY28.5 billion in 2016, according to previous reports. Contribution from the national China Integrated Circuit Industry Investment Fund accounted for 10% of SICIF's initial fund-raising. Other major investors include Shanghai Science and Technology Venture Investment (Group) and SAIC Motor.

http://www.digitimes.com/news/a20170725VL210.html

Toshiba board to meet Wednesday, weigh offers for chip unit: source

TOKYO (Reuters) - Toshiba Corp's (6502.T) board will meet on Wednesday to consider offers for its chip unit from Western Digital (WDC.O) and Taiwan's Foxconn in addition to a bid from a consortium that was previously favorite, a source familiar with the matter said. Toshiba is scrambling to sell its flash memory unit to cover losses from its bankrupt U.S. nuclear business Westinghouse.

But it has struggled to close a 2 trillion yen ($18 billion) deal with the group it previously chose as preferred bidder - a consortium including Japanese-government backed funds, Bain Capital and South Korean chip maker SK Hynix (000660.KS).

Western Digital, which jointly operates Toshiba's main chip plant, also wants to buy the business. It sought an injunction to block the sale to the consortium, arguing that any transaction required its consent.

The legal battle has unnerved the state-backed funds and they want the deal to be conditional on the conflict with Western Digital being resolved.

Another key point of contention has been a proposal by SK Hynix to help fund the deal with convertible bonds - a step that could eventually give it an equity interest in the world's second-largest maker of NAND flash memory chips.

Japanese government officials are eager to keep Toshiba's semiconductor technology in domestic hands, according to sources.

In attempt to revive the stalled talks, Toshiba earlier this month began reconsidering offers from Western Digital and Foxconn, formally known as Hon Hai Precision Industry (2317.TW), sources have said.

Western Digital is also offering about 2 trillion yen and would form an alliance with U.S. private equity firm join KKR & Co (KKR.N) as well as the two Japanese government funds that are part of the preferred bidder group, the source said on Tuesday.

The U.S. company has significantly compromised on its earlier demands for voting rights, said the source, who requested anonymity because the talks were confidential. 

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-scripps-net-int-viacom-m-a-idUSKBN1AA2XW

Op amp keeps power levels low

A zero-drift, 20 kHz operational amplifier, the LTC2063 from Linear Technology draws just 1.3 µA typical (2 µA maximum) on a 1.8 V supply.

Self-calibration circuitry results in maximum input offset of 5 µV at 25°C and maximum drift of 0.06 µV/°C from -40°C to +125°C. In addition, maximum input bias current is 15 pA at 25°C and 100 pA from -40°C to +125°C.

These precision input characteristics allow the use of high-value resistors in the feedback network, keeping power consumption low without compromising accuracy, event at elevated temperatures. The LTC2063’s rail-to-rail inputs and outputs simplify single supply use and enhance dynamic range.

An integrated EMI filter provides 114 dB rejection at 1.8 GHz. With low 1/f noise inherent to its zero-drift architecture, the LTC2063 is well-suited for amplifying and conditioning low-frequency sensor signals in high-temperature industrial and automotive systems, as well as portable and wireless sensor networks.

Offered in 6-lead SC70 and 5-lead TSOT-23 packages, the LTC2063 operates from supply voltages of 1.7 V to 5.25 V and is fully specified from -40°C to +125°C. Prices start at $1.50 each in lots of 1000 units.

http://www.edn.com/electronics-products/other/4458658/Op-amp-keeps-power-levels-low

Chip demand for data centers to boom in China

With China's local governments looking to set up data centers, chip demand for data centers locally is set to surge, according to industry sources.

Meanwhile, as data center installations are set to surge in China, the demand outlook for new applications, such as Big Data, cloud infrastructure and artificial intelligence (AI), appears promising locally, the sources indicated.

International chip firms and mobile electronics vendors are seeking cooperation with China's local governments to be part of the government-led data center projects. Apple and Qualcomm have both disclosed their participation.

Apple recently signed an agreement with the government of Guizhou Province to invest US$1 billion to build a data center to promote its iCloud service in China. Apple will provide technical know-how for the data center, which will be operated by the provincial government-backed Guizhou-Cloud Big Data Industry Development.

Qualcomm in 2016 reached a deal also with the government of Guizhou Province, and unveiled a joint venture - the Guizhou Huaxintong Semiconductor Technology. The JV, which will be 55% owned by the Guizhou provincial government's investment arm and 45% owned by Qualcomm, will focus on the design, development and sale of advanced server chipset technology in China.

Many chip vendors are also gearing up to break into the supply chain of data centers set up in China, as they anticipate China will play a driver of the server and other related chip market growth in the next several years, according to industry sources. Those include Avago, Intel, AMD, ARM, Marvell and Socionext, and Taiwan-based MediaTek, Aspeed, Nuvoton, Parade and Phison.

http://www.digitimes.com/news/a20170719PD207.html

New Microcontroller Series Extends Flash Memory

Mouser Electronics is now stocking the ATtiny1617 microcontroller series from Microchip Technology. The ATtiny1617 is part of Microchip’s low-power 8-bit AVR® microcontroller portfolio and offers pin and code compatibility with the ATtiny817 series devices and extending the flash memory. The 8-bit series run at up to 20 MHz and provides customized configuration and simplified process for capacitive touch systems and Core Independent Peripherals (CIPs) that help increase system throughput while lowering power consumption.

The Microchip ATtiny1617 8-bit AVR microcontrollers features 16 kBytes of in-system self-programmable flash memory, 256 Bytes of EEPROM and 2kBytes of SRAM. These devices are similar to other Microchip tinyAVR® microcontrollers. They used the 8-bit AVR processor with hardware multiplier and provide an Event System Controller that allows peripherals to communicate without using the central processing unit (CPU). This functionality allows designers to customize the configuration of the microcontrollers to specific applications. Included on the chip is an integrated QTouch® Peripheral Touch Controller (PTC) that helps to simplify the development of capacitive touch systems offering touch interfaced with proximity sensing and a driven shield.
Other features of the microcontroller includes a 20MHz internal oscillator; high-speed serial communication interfaced that include USART, SPI and I²C; configurable custom logic blocks; a 10-bit analog-to-digital converter (ADC) with internal voltage reference; operating voltages ranging from 1.8 V to 5.5 V; and picoPower® technology for sleep currents as low at 100nA.
Microchip’s ATtiny1617 Series microcontrollers combine processing power, analog performance, and system level integration. They are available in a compact 24-pin QFN package. They are also suitable for a variety of power applications, including LED lighting, motor control, H bridges and power converters. For development, the devices are fully supported by the Atmel Studio 7 IDE, the STK600 platform and Atmel’s START online configuration tool.

http://electronics360.globalspec.com/article/9329/new-microcontroller-series-extends-flash-memory

SK Hynix drops demand for voting stake in Toshiba chip unit

South Korea’s SK Hynix Inc., a member of the international consortium favored to purchase Toshiba Corp.’s flash memory subsidiary, has dropped its demand for voting rights in the unit, sources said.
The major semiconductor maker has informed related parties of its intention to provide lending to the acquisition framework of the consortium, which is led by the government-backed Innovation Network Corp. of Japan, the sources said.

The decision removes the biggest obstacle to uniting the members of the consortium, which was picked on June 21 as the preferential bidder for Toshiba Memory Corp.
Following a petition filed by U.S. hard disk drive maker Western Digital Corp. for an injunction to block the sale of Toshiba Memory, a California superior court held off making a decision on Friday, a step that could make it possible for Toshiba to conclude a deal to sell the unit.
If the conflict within the Japanese-U.S.-South Korean consortium is resolved, Toshiba will be in a better position when it holds talks with Western Digital, its joint partner in the flash memory business. The struggling electronics and machinery giant needs to sell the prized flash memory unit to erase its negative net worth by March 2018 so it can remain listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange. The situation was caused by huge losses at Westinghouse, its U.S. nuclear energy business.
After becoming the preferred bidder, the consortium was thrown into disarray by SK Hynix’s demand for a voting stake in its rival. SK Hynix was originally added to provide funding to U.S. investment fund Bain Capital, another member of the group.
If SK Hynix sticks to its demand for the stake, the consortium’s bid to acquire the flash memory firm could face a protracted antitrust screening, clouding the prospects for reaching an agreement by March 2018.
The negotiations have been delayed substantially by the demand and by the strong opposition put up by Toshiba’s partner Western Digital.
Some in the consortium have called for bringing Western Digital into the consortium to help sort out the legal difficulties between it and Toshiba.
Following SK Hynix’s decision, Toshiba aims to conclude the deal by the end of July, the sources said.
Partners Toshiba and Western Digital are fighting over issue because Toshiba’s goal is to raise as much money as possible from the sale and Western Digital’s goal is to acquire the highly competitive unit for itself.
In addition to the petition for the California court injunction, Western Digital has taken its case to the International Court of Arbitration of the Paris-based International Chamber of Commerce. Toshiba has meanwhile asked the Tokyo District Court to seek an injunction ordering Western Digital to stop interfering with the sale.
The two companies cannot part ways to continue production at their flash memory joint venture, a source said.
In the exchange of lawsuits, each is believed to be aiming for a favorable out-of-court settlement. Toshiba and Western Digital are likely to seek a compromise during the ICA proceedings in August and beyond, industry watchers said.

http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2017/07/16/business/corporate-business/sk-hynix-drops-demand-voting-stake-toshiba-chip-unit/