Chinese semiconductor industry
- Thread starter Hendrik_2000
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Hmm, I don't know if Huawei is willing to give up that much. Giving up cellphone business is a lot different than giving up cloud, data center and ai. All of which requires a lot of CPU and GPU. I just see a great future for companies that can produce chips for them and aren't concerned about being put on entity list. I think both Moore threads and loongson would do great here. The former already has a good product that smic can produce and is looking to build up. The latter controls all of its own ips so aren't afraid of being sanctioned.
This is what you do in America if you want to cut headcount but don't want to do expensive layoffs. Plenty of people will leave Intel from this.
Startup Funding: January 2023
EDA
Z-chip Technology raised tens of millions of yuan (CNY 10.0M is ~$1.5M) in Series A funding from Addor Capital. The company provides design services and custom IP development. It also offers a parasitic extraction tool and analog layout tool. Founded in 2002, it is based in Qingdao, China.Faraday Dynamics received Series A+ financing from investors including Xingcheng Capital. Faraday Dynamics develops EDA software for RF and microwave design. It offers a 3D full-wave electromagnetic engine and system-level design platform for electromagnetic simulation, modeling, and optimization for designs of RF/microwave/millimeter wave chips, packages, and PCBs. Its tools also support chip-package-board co-design and co-simulation. Additionally, the startup provides design services for integrated passive devices. Founded in 2017, it is based in Hangzhou, China.
Manufacturing & equipment
LaSiC Semiconductor Technology drew tens of millions of yuan (CNY 10.0M is ~$1.5M) in pre-Series A funding from China Fortune-Tech Capital, SeptWolves, the Beyond Moore Fund, and others. The startup makes laser equipment for processing and slicing silicon carbide ingots and wafers. It plans to expand to gallium nitride, gallium oxide, diamond, and ceramic composite substrates. Funds will be used for R&D and optimizing slicing technology. Founded in 2021, it is based in Xi’an, China.
Core Intelligence received millions of yuan (CNY 1.0M is ~$0.2M) in funding from Huoyan Capital. The startup is developing a semiconductor supply chain information platform. Founded in 2022, it is based in Shanghai, China.
Heyan Technology drew Series B+ financing from the National Integrated Circuit Industry Investment Fund. Heyan Technology produces semiconductor precision dicing equipment. It offers 6-inch, 8-inch, and 12-inch automatic precision dicing machines as well as an automatic cutting and sorting machine. Founded in 2011, it is based in Shenyang, China.
Ideal Deposition received new financing from Longding Investment. The company makes atomic layer deposition (ALD) and plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) equipment for photovoltaics, semiconductors, and displays. It also makes packaging and inspection equipment. Funds will be used for R&D and production expansion. Founded in 2013, it is based in Shanghai, China.
MeetFuture raised pre-IPO financing. The company offers automated material handling systems (AMHS) for semiconductor fabs. Its products include transfer equipment, wafer cassettes, mask package storage equipment, purification equipment, and material control systems. It plans to list on China’s Science and Technology Innovation Board, also called STAR Market. Based in Shanghai, China, it was founded in 2014.
Test, measurement & inspection
China iSTI Testing Service received CNY 380.0M (~$54.5M) in new funding from investors including Sun Rock Capital and Addor Capital. The company provides testing services. Its services include chip failure analysis, reliability verification, wafer material analysis, board-level reliability testing, and environmental testing for a range of product types, including automotive. Founded in 2002, it is based in Shanghai, China.Weipin Technology raised CNY 40.0M (~$5.9M) in Series A+ financing from Sichuan Development Equity Investment, Future Innovation Fund, and others. The company makes wireless test equipment for microwave, millimeter wave, and 5G devices. Its products include signal sources, spectrum analyzers, and network analyzers. Founded in 2014, it is based in Chengdu, China.
WoodMan AI raised tens of millions of yuan (CNY 10.0M is ~$1.5M) in Series A funding from Zoo Capital. The startup makes AI-powered defect inspection software for semiconductor, PCBs, consumer electronics, flat-panel displays, and other industries such as steel and automotive. Funds will be used for R&D, product iteration, and market expansion. Founded in 2020, it is based in Shanghai, China.
Xianlong Technology received CNY 5.0M (~$0.7M) in angel financing from ShiChuang Cuihu Fund. The startup makes 3D visual inspection systems for consumer electronics, semiconductor, and automotive parts. Funds will be used for hiring, marketing, and R&D. Founded in 2020, it is based in Beijing, China.
AK Optics raised Series D financing led by China Merchants Zhiyuan Capital, joined by Chang Development, Haiwang Capital, Fengyuan Capital, Inovance Group, and others. AK Optics offers optical inspection and metrology equipment. Its products include systems for real-time monitoring of wafer temperature, reflectivity, and warpage during the metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) process. It also provides equipment for defect detection in SiC, GaN, and GaAs substrates and epitaxial wafers used in power semiconductor and LED manufacturing. Funds will be used to accelerate development and production of IC defect detection equipment. Founded in 2017, it is based in Beijing, China.
Materials
Yuze Semiconductor raised CNY 1,200.0M (~$177.6M) in Series B funding led by National Green Development Fund, joined by Goldstone Investment, SDIC Venture Capital, and Shang Qi Capital. Yuze Semiconductor makes N-type monocrystalline silicon rods and wafers for photovoltaics. Based in Yunnan, China, it was founded in 2019.Wujo Hi-Tech raised hundreds of millions of yuan (CNY 100.0M is ~$14.7M) in new funding. The company provides photosensitive dry films for PCB manufacturing. Founded in 2003, it is based in Loudi, China.
Hechen New Materials raised CNY 100.0M (~$14.7M) in Series B funding from Shenzhen High-Tech Investment, Oriental Fortune Capital, and others. Hechen New Materials makes photomask substrates, CMP polishing materials, and adsorption pads for semiconductor and display panel manufacturing. Funds will be used to increase production capacity. Founded in 2016, it is based in Ma’anshan, China.
Hypersics Semiconductor raised CNY 100.0M (~$14.7M) in Series B financing led by Ince Capital. Hypersics manufactures 6-inch silicon carbide wafers using a high-temperature chemical vapor deposition (HTCVD) process. It also offers SiC testing and inspection services. The company eventually plans to expand to 8-inch wafers. Founded in 2019, it is based in Nanjing, China.
IV-Semitec raised CNY 100.0M (~$14.7M) in pre-Series A funding from Oriza Holdings, Goldport Capital, and others. IV-Semitec manufactures silicon carbide wafers and substrates. It offers both 4- and 6-inch conductive and semi-insulating products. Funds will be used for R&D and mass production. Founded in 2020, it is based in Hangzhou, China.
Ledstar Technology drew nearly CNY 100.0M (~$14.7M) in Series B financing led by Aplus Capital and joined by CITIC Capital. The company makes direct plated copper (DPC) ceramic substrates for applications including power electronics, LEDs, thermoelectric coolers, and photovoltaics. Founded in 2012, it is based in Wuhan, China.
Jiuling Guangyu drew tens of millions of yuan (CNY 10.0M is ~$1.5M) in pre-Series A funding from Oriza Holdings and Bay Capital. The startup offers ceramic metallization and active metal brazed (AMB) copper-clad ceramic packaging substrates. It is also developing optical materials, including narrow-band filters. Funds will be used for procurement of production line equipment and product development. Founded in 2020, it is based in Suzhou, China.
Zhenjing Semiconductor received tens of millions of yuan (CNY 10.0M is ~$1.5M) in financing from Turbo Capital, NCEPower, and others. The company makes 6- and 8-inch silicon carbide (SiC) wafers and substrates. Its manufacturing process covers from liquid phase crystal growth and processing through wafer processing, cleaning, and testing. Funds will be used for R&D and mass production. Founded in 2020, it is based in Changzhou, China.
Jinray Electronic Technology received new investment from Gudao Capital. Jinray manufactures 8-inch and 12-inch silicon, silicon-based gallium nitride (GaN), and silicon carbide (SiC) epitaxial wafers. It has a planned capacity of 300,00 8-inch wafers per month and 100,000 12-inch wpm. Based in Lishui, China, it was founded in 2020.
Loongson's newer processors use 28nm and under nodes and Moore Threads use 12nm.
Those processors are made using American, Japanese and Dutch equipment. Therefore they cannot supply Huawei and are vulnerable to sanction.
Huawei cannot work with Longsoon or Moore Threads. Huawei cannot work with any well known domestic architecture. Huawei also cannot work with SMIC because that company's production lines use Dutch and Japanese equipment. What you need is the following: All Chinese equipment including lithography machines (Currently such production lines do not exist for mass production, as far as I know). All Chinese CPU architecture and IP (Must be manufactured on 90nm and lower). All Chinese software ecosystem to support it (Still in infancy, not sure if Chinese OS can take off). And you need it to be competitive in terms of performance. This day has been known and coming since 2020. The mountain is extremely high to climb. It can be climbed, but it will take a long time and the question is whether the will exists. It might be easier for China to pursue leapfrog technologies instead.
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nonsense. SMIC already is entity list & sanction, but has the tools it need. They also already produce chips in SN1 for companies on entity list. Stop talking about things that you have no idea what you are talking about.
Moore threads with another major order from Unispc in their bid to supply desktops to large banking order procurement. That computer is over 85% domestic. Look at the industries that this pc is designed for.
They also recently signed strategic partnerships with China mobile cloud and China telecom research institute.
His logic was nicely summed up in a comment:
"Chopsticks need automated woodcutters, sorters, packagers, etc. China's share of that in 1950 was 0%. You cannot eat Chinese food without chopsticks. Thus everyone has starved to death."
He said a lot of things in that article. I'm curious how he can claim what he claims. For instance he said the yield for SMIC's deAmericanized line is only 25%. Really?
The US will add Xiaomi, Tencent, Lenovo, etc to the entity list eventually. There is no avoiding fate for the traditional big tech in China. They'll all get Huaweied.
What's required now is leapfrogging and pivoting across the barrier that is the US export controls. Subsidizing the domestic semiconductor industry beyond just able to provide mature tech is a waste of money.
China need a new batch of 50billion USD revenue companies that are mostly immune against Western sanctions. i.e BYD seems like one of the candidates.
What's required now is leapfrogging and pivoting across the barrier that is the US export controls. Subsidizing the domestic semiconductor industry beyond just able to provide mature tech is a waste of money.
China need a new batch of 50billion USD revenue companies that are mostly immune against Western sanctions. i.e BYD seems like one of the candidates.
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