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Navitas Semiconductor announced that Samsung had expanded adoption of Navitas’ GaNFast ICs from the original flagship Galaxy S22, S23 and S24 to the mainstream Galaxy A, and revolutionary Galaxy Z Fold6 and Galaxy Z Flip6 smartphones with enhanced Galaxy AI features.
GaN runs up to 20x faster than legacy silicon and enables chargers up to 3x more power and 3x faster charging in half size and weight. GaNFast power ICs enable high-frequency, high-efficiency power conversion, achieving up to a 50% shrink vs. prior designs.
The new 25W charger (EP-T2510) features new energy-saving technology to reduce standby losses by 75% to only 5 mW, which aligns with Navitas’ environmental advances, where every GaNFast IC saves 4 kg of CO2 vs. legacy silicon chips.
“Since enabling the world’s first production GaN charger in 2018, Navitas has pioneered and leads the adoption of GaN to replace legacy silicon chips,” noted David Carroll, Sr. VP Worldwide Sales for Navitas. “Our production partnership with Samsung dates back to the Galaxy S22 Ultra, and today’s announcement reflects the dramatic expansion of GaN from niche, flagship designs to adoption in high-volume, mainstream phones.”
Original – Navitas Semiconductor
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Microchip Technology Incorporated reported results for the three months ended June 30, 2024.
Net sales for the first quarter of fiscal 2025 were $1.241 billion, down 45.8% from net sales of $2.289 billion in the prior year’s first fiscal quarter.
GAAP net income for the first quarter of fiscal 2025 was $129.3 million, or $0.24 per diluted share, down from GAAP net income of $666.4 million, or $1.21 per diluted share, in the prior year’s first fiscal quarter. For the first quarters of fiscal 2025 and fiscal 2024, GAAP net income was adversely impacted by amortization of acquired intangible assets associated with our previous acquisitions.
Non-GAAP net income for the first quarter of fiscal 2025 was $289.9 million, or $0.53 per diluted share, down from nonGAAP net income of $905.3 million, or $1.64 per diluted share, in the prior year’s first fiscal quarter. For the first quarters of fiscal 2025 and fiscal 2024, our non-GAAP results exclude the effect of share-based compensation, other manufacturing adjustments, expenses related to our acquisition activities (including intangible asset amortization, severance, and other restructuring costs, and legal and other general and administrative expenses associated with acquisitions including legal fees and expenses for litigation and investigations related to our Microsemi acquisition), professional services associated with certain legal matters, and losses on the settlement of debt.
For the first quarters of fiscal 2025 and fiscal 2024, our nonGAAP income tax expense is presented based on projected cash taxes for the applicable fiscal year, excluding transition tax payments under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. A reconciliation of our non-GAAP and GAAP results is included in this press release.
Microchip announced that its Board of Directors declared a record quarterly cash dividend on its common stock of 45.4 cents per share, up 10.7% from the year ago quarter. The quarterly dividend is payable on September 5, 2024 to stockholders of record on August 22, 2024.
“We delivered June 2024 quarterly results in line with our guidance as we continued to navigate a challenging macro environment in combination with our customers focusing on reducing their inventory positions based on short lead times for our products,” said Ganesh Moorthy, President and Chief Executive Officer. “Our strategic cost management actions have helped maintain financial resilience and operational efficiency in the face of a 6.4% sequential revenue decline this quarter.”
Mr. Moorthy added, “While the ‘green shoots’ we observed last quarter have continued, they have not developed as robustly as anticipated. The macro environment particularly for industrial and automotive markets, especially in Europe and the Americas, continues to be weaker than expected, resulting in an extended period over which the inventory correction is playing out. Despite customers’ short-term focus on reducing inventory, we believe that our expanded portfolio, now spanning 8 to 64-bit processors including FPGAs as well as our analog portfolio, positions us well for sustainable, abovemarket growth across a diverse set of applications.”
Eric Bjornholt, Microchip’s Chief Financial Officer, said, “Despite market challenges, we have maintained our financial health through proactive cost and balance sheet management. While inventory levels exceeded our target range, which is reflective of broader challenging market conditions, we are confident that this inventory positions us well to service customers with short lead times. We believe that our inventory level along with our investment in capacity will allow us to cost-effectively respond when business conditions improve. Our strategy is designed to balance near-term challenges with long-term growth opportunities.”
Mr. Moorthy concluded, “Despite the green shoots we observed last quarter developing slower than expected, we do see additional positive business signals, like an uptick in our Data Center business. While in-quarter orders remain crucial for meeting guidance, as is typical in this high-turns environment, uncertain market conditions add complexity to forecasting. As a result, we anticipate September quarter net sales between $1.12 billion and $1.18 billion. We are navigating these unusual market conditions with a balance of prudence and readiness to be well-positioned to capitalize on upside opportunities. Despite near-term inventory and macro challenges, our design-in pipeline and momentum remains strong across markets, driven by our customers’ innovation focus. This design momentum, amplified by our focus on Total System Solutions and key Megatrends, is our engine for long-term growth.”
Original – Microchip Technology
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Many different trends are taking center stage in both consumer electronics and industrial applications, such as portability, electrification, and weight reduction. All of these trends require compact and efficient designs. They also go hand in hand with unconventional PCB designs with severe space constraints that limit the use of external components.
To address these challenges, Infineon Technologies AG expands its GaN portfolio with the CoolGaN™ Drive product family. It consists of the CoolGaN Drive 700 V G5 single switches, integrating one transistor plus gate driver in PQFN 5×6 and PQFN 6×8 packages, as well as the CoolGaN Drive HB 600 V G5 devices, combining two transistors with integrated high- and low-side gate drivers in a LGA 6×8 package. The new product family enables improved efficiency, reduced system size, and overall cost savings. This makes the devices suitable for longer-range e-bikes, portable power tools, and lighter-weight household appliances such as vacuums, fans, and hairdryers.
“For several years, Infineon has been focused on accelerating innovation in GaN to provide targeted solutions for real-world power challenges”, said Johannes Schoiswohl, Senior Vice President & General Manager, GaN Systems Business Line Head at Infineon. “The new CoolGaN Drive product family is another proof point of how we support our customers in developing compact designs with high power density and efficiency through GaN.”
The CoolGaN Drive family offers a wide range of single switches and half bridges with integrated drivers based on the recently announced CoolGaN Transistors 650 V G5. Depending on the product group, the components feature a bootstrap diode and are characterized by loss-free current measurement, and adjustable switch-on and switch-off dV/dt. They also provide OCP/OTP/SCP protection functions. As a result, the devices enable higher switching frequencies, leading to smaller and more efficient system solutions with high power density. At the same time, the bill of materials (BoM) is reduced. This not only results in a lower system weight, but also reduces the carbon footprint.
Samples of the half-bridge solutions are available now. Single-switch samples will be available starting Q4 2024. Further information is available at www.infineon.com/GaN-innovations.
Original – Infineon Technologies
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Navitas Semiconductor extended its new portfolio of Gen-3 ‘Fast’ (G3F) 650 V SiC MOSFETs into a thermally-enhanced, rugged, high-speed, surface-mount TOLL (Transistor Outline Leadless) package designed for demanding, high-power, high-reliability applications.
Combining high-power capability and best-in-class low on-resistance of 20 to 55 mΩ, these 650 V SiC MOSFETs have been optimized for the fastest switching speed, highest efficiency, and increased power density demanded by applications such as AI data center power supplies, EV charging and energy storage and solar solutions (ESS).
Navitas’ GeneSiC products use a proprietary ‘trench-assisted planar’ technology that provides world-leading efficiency performance over the temperature range, with G3F MOSFETs delivering high-speed, cool-running performance that ensures up to 25°C lower case temperatures and up to 3x longer life than alternative SiC products.
Navitas’ latest 4.5 kW AI power system reference design features the G3F45MT60L (650V 40 mΩ, TOLL) G3F SiC MOSFET in an interleaved CCM-TP PFC topology. Complemented by the NV6515 (650V, 35mΩ, TOLL) GaNSafe™ Power IC in the LLC stage, the 4.5 kW solution has a peak efficiency above 97% and, at 137 W/inch3, it is the world’s highest power density AI PSU. For 400 V-rated EV battery systems, G3F in TOLL is an ideal technology for on-board chargers (OBC), DC-DC converters, and traction drives ranging from 6.6 to 22 kW.
The surface-mount TOLL package offers a 9% reduction in junction-to-case thermal resistance (RTH,J-C), 30% smaller PCB footprint, 50% lower height, and 60% smaller size than the traditional D2PAK-7L, enabling highest-power-density solutions, as demonstrated in the 4.5 kW AI solution. Additionally, with a minimal package inductance of only 2 nH, excellent fast-switching performance and lowest dynamic losses are achieved.
The G3F family in TOLL package is released and available for purchase.
Original – Navitas Semiconductor
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Renesas Electronics Corporation and Altium Limited announced the successful completion of the acquisition of Altium by Renesas. The definitive agreement to acquire Altium was announced on February 15, 2024.
The combination sets the foundation for Renesas and Altium to create an innovative electronics system design and lifecycle management platform. The platform will deliver integration and standardization of various electronic design data and functions and enhanced component lifecycle management, while enabling seamless digital iteration of design processes to increase overall productivity. This brings significantly faster innovation and lowers barriers to entry for system designers by reducing development resources and inefficiencies.
“This is a historical milestone for both Renesas and Altium as we take another important step forward in bringing enhanced user experience for electronics system designers,”said Hidetoshi Shibata, CEO of Renesas. “The integrated and open electronics system design and lifecycle management platform we aim to build together will make electronics accessible to broader market, for any enterprises regardless of their size or industry. I want to reaffirm that our commitment to upholding data security and compliance of the Altium customers will continue to be our top priority. With the addition of Altium’s design software and cloud platform capabilities, we are excited to change the future of electronics system design with Aram and his industry-leading, talented software engineering team”
With the transaction now closed, Altium is now a wholly owned subsidiary of Renesas. Altium CEO Aram Mirkazemi has assumed the role of Senior Vice President and Head of Renesas’ Software & Digitalization. He concurrently serves as CEO of Altium.
“This is a pivotal moment for Altium and marks the beginning of an exciting future with Renesas,” said Aram Mirkazemi, CEO of Altium. “With Renesas’ support and expertise, we are looking forward to accelerating the cloud-enablement of all industry processes associated with electronics design and development. This will make electronics accessible to a broader market and lay the foundation for software defined products.”
Renesas’ acquisition of Altium has been effected today by way of a Scheme of Arrangement under Australian law (“Scheme”). Under the terms of the Scheme, Renesas Electronics NSW Pty Ltd, an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Renesas, acquired all of the outstanding shares of Altium for A$68.50 in cash per share, for a total equity value of approximately A$9.1 billion (approximately 887.9 billion yen at an exchange rate of 97 yen to the A$). Renesas funded the acquisition through bank loans. As part of the implementation of the Scheme, Altium ordinary shares were suspended from trading on the Australian Securities Exchange at the close of trading on July 19, 2024, and Altium will be removed from the Official List of the Australian Securities Exchange at the close of trading on August 2, 2024.
Original – Renesas Electronics
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Aehr Test Systems has completed its acquisition of Incal Technology, Inc., a Fremont, California-based, privately held manufacturer of packaged part reliability/burn-in test solutions used by a significant number of leading Artificial Intelligence (AI) semiconductor manufacturers.
Gayn Erickson, President and CEO of Aehr Test Systems, commented, “We are very pleased to have closed this acquisition so quickly and seamlessly and to have received such positive feedback on this combination from customers, vendors, shareholders and employees from both companies. We are excited to now bring the combined strengths of both companies to market as we begin engaging with Incal’s customers, which include a significant number of AI industry leaders. This unique combination strongly positions Aehr to capitalize on the significant opportunity within the AI semiconductor market, and expands our addressable market substantially.”
Incal’s high-power capabilities, combined with Aehr’s industry-leading lineup of wafer level test and reliability solutions, uniquely positions Aehr to capitalize on this rapidly growing opportunity within the AI semiconductor market as a turn-key provider of reliability and testing that span from engineering to high volume production.
The acquisition expands Aehr’s product portfolio to include Incal’s highly acclaimed test solutions, particularly its ultra-high-power capabilities for AI accelerators, GPUs, and high-performance computing (HPC) processors. AI semiconductors are among the highest power consumption devices in the entire semiconductor industry, with power levels of recent devices reaching 1,000 watts or more, well beyond any existing devices. These previously unseen power levels require new, unique test solutions that Aehr will now provide.
The rapidly growing artificial intelligence semiconductor market is still in the early stages, and we see a significant opportunity in this market for wafer level burn-in using our new high-power FOX multi-wafer production system. In addition, given the unique challenges of testing very high-power devices related to AI processors, there is a very real need for a significant amount of engineering qualification and process development as well as a significant new opportunity for production reliability screening at the packaged part level.
Original – Aehr Test Systems
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Axcelis Technologies, Inc. announced financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2024. The Company reported second quarter revenue of $256.5 million, compared to $252.4 million for the first quarter of 2024. Gross margin for the quarter was 43.8%, compared to 46.0% in the first quarter. Operating profit for the quarter was $52.8 million, compared to $56.5 million for the first quarter. Net income for the quarter was $50.9 million, or $1.55 per diluted share, compared to $51.6 million, or $1.57 per diluted share in the first quarter.
President and CEO Russell Low commented, “Axcelis delivered strong financial results in the second quarter, exceeding our expectations. This was driven by better-than-expected conversion of evaluation units into revenue as well as continued robust demand in our Power segment – particularly silicon carbide, which continues to be a key growth driver for Axcelis. We are well positioned to execute on our long-term strategy. As we look to the second half of the year, we expect revenue to be slightly better than the first half with momentum expected to build into 2025.”
Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Jamie Coogan said, “We are very pleased with our second quarter results. Revenue, operating margin and earnings per share exceeded our guidance for the period, and we delivered another quarter of healthy cash flow. Our product positioning and our disciplined cost structure provide a solid foundation on which to grow revenue and profitability as our markets recover.”
Business Outlook
For the third quarter ending September 30, 2024, Axcelis expects revenues of approximately $255 million, and earnings per diluted share of approximately $1.43.Original – Axcelis Technologies
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Infineon Technologies AG has completed the sale of its two backend manufacturing sites, one in Cavite, Philippines and one in Cheonan, South Korea, to two fully owned subsidiaries of ASE, a leading provider of independent semiconductor manufacturing services in assembly and test.
ASE will assume operations with current employees, and further develop both sites to support multiple customers. As such, ASE and Infineon have also concluded long-term supply agreements under which Infineon will continue to receive previously established services as well as services for new products to support its customers and fulfill existing commitments.
Original – Infineon Technologies
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Magnachip Semiconductor Corporation announced financial results for the second quarter 2024.
YJ Kim, Magnachip’s CEO, commented, “Our Q2 revenue was above the mid-point of guidance and gross margin was better than expected. Revenue in our Standard Products Business, which is comprised of our MSS and PAS businesses, increased sequentially by double digits in Q2. We benefited from a recovery in our Power business, increased demand for OLED drivers for China smartphones and European autos, and an upturn in Power IC demand for OLED IT panels and LED TVs.”
YJ Kim added, “Looking ahead, we currently expect Standard Product Business revenue will increase sequentially once again in Q3, driven by leaner distribution channels in Power, as well as seasonality, and an increase in OLED and Power IC businesses.”
Financial Highlights
- Q2 consolidated revenue was $53.2 million, above the mid-point of guidance range of $49-54 million.
- Q2 standard product business revenue was up 11.6% sequentially.
- Q2 consolidated gross profit margin was 21.8%, above the upper end of guidance range of 17-19%.
- Q2 standard product business gross profit margin was 23.1%, up nearly two percentage points sequentially.
- Ended Q2 with cash of $132.5 million; and also have an additional short-term financial investment of $30 million.
- Repurchased approximately 0.5 million shares for aggregate purchase price of $2.3 million during the quarter.
Operational Highlights
- Held formal opening ceremony in China for newly formed subsidiary, Magnachip Technology Company, Ltd. (MTC).
- Secured a purchase commitment for OLED driver targeted for a premium smartphone OEM; mass production and revenue currently expected to begin by year-end.
- Delivered samples of our next-generation OLED driver to a panel supplier for a leading Chinese smartphone OEM’s winter 2024 model, now in the final design validation phase.
- Taped out a new OLED driver designed with next-generation IP including sub-pixel rendering (SPR), refined color enhancement, color filter, brightness uniformity control and more than 20% reduction in power consumption than previous generation.
- Sampled our first OLED smartwatch DDIC in Q2 following a Q1 tape-out, demonstrating our expansion into new, adjacent markets.
- Power IC revenue increased sequentially, driven primarily by demand for LCD TVs and OLED IT monitors.
- Sequential revenue growth in PAS segment was driven by industrial, communication and consumer applications. Automotive rebounded with new design wins in Japan and China.
- Launched new 75A/1200V IGBT for a design opportunity in solar applications; expected to begin mass production in the second half of the year.
Original – Magnachip Semiconductor
- Q2 consolidated revenue was $53.2 million, above the mid-point of guidance range of $49-54 million.
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Amkor Technology, Inc. announced financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2024.
Second Quarter 2024 Highlights
- Net sales $1.46 billion
- Gross profit $212 million, operating income $82 million
- Net income $67 million, earnings per diluted share $0.27
- EBITDA $247 million
“Amkor delivered second quarter results in line with expectations. Revenue of $1.46 billion was up 7% sequentially, driven by Advanced packaging supporting premium tier smartphones and AI solutions utilizing 2.5D technology,” said Giel Rutten, Amkor’s president and chief executive officer. “Strength in the Communications and Computing end markets was partially offset by soft demand and ongoing inventory corrections in the Automotive & Industrial and Consumer end markets.”
At June 30, 2024, total cash and short-term investments was $1.5 billion, and total debt was $1.1 billion.
The company paid a quarterly dividend of $0.07875 per share on June 24, 2024. The declaration and payment of future dividends, as well as any record and payment dates, are subject to the approval of the Board of Directors.
Business Outlook
The following information presents Amkor’s guidance for the third quarter 2024 (unless otherwise noted):
- Net sales of $1.785 billion to $1.885 billion
- Gross margin of 14.0% to 16.0%
- Net income of $105 million to $140 million, or $0.42 to $0.56 per diluted share
- Full year 2024 capital expenditures of approximately $750 million
Original – Amkor Technology
