George Gurun

If you try to be objective. AMD started with Su and Papermaster. They promised ryzen to be on par with lower tier intel. They kept promising and delivering. It is not rocket science, ppl are accustomed to announcements then delays and then barely matching the amd cpu that is at least 9 months old. To the outside the problem is very clear.

6

2 Comments

In my two decades of recruiting, I've rarely seen the investment in hardware startups like that surrounding AI. Its rapid rise has brought many newcomers vying to make compute more efficient. But, this makes it tough for customers to separate the "signal from the noise". The harsh reality is that some offer little more than concepts—essentially, vaporware. This undermines years of work by patent-holding researchers but it’s the operating reality for startups like Ayar Labs, whose collective time invested in R&D can be measured in centuries rather than decades. What started in 2015 as the brainchild of Professor Milos Popovic, Alex Wright-Gladstein, and five eminent researchers soon evolved into a company that showed immense promise for integrating photonics and processors to accelerate computing. They took a deliberate path, ignoring hungry VCs and choosing strategic investors like GlobalFoundries, Intel, and Applied Materials, allowing them to focus on advancing their technology and mission. Under their first commercial CEO Charlie Wuischpard, he led them to a key design win in 2022 that fueled investor confidence and resulted in an additional $130M in funding. But if you ask any photonics engineer or architect, they’ll tell you using this technology to accelerate computing is BRUTAL. Combining photons and electrons requires a Herculean level of precision and deep insight into physics and engineering. Recognizing this, Ayar’s Board looked within and tapped co-founder and Chief Scientist Mark Wade to be their new CEO in 2023. This was a stroke of brilliance. Not only has Mark helped shepherd the company through their most painstaking technical developments, but he’s also been an evangelist for optical interconnectivity, attending what seems like every top conference to share its potential. Under Mark, Ayar has progressed to have not one, but two revenue-generating products and they’re shipping tens of thousands. BUT (and excuse me for framing it that way) in our industry, you’ve got to be in the “hundred million club” to make it; frankly, the clock is ticking and competitors are circling. Ayar turns ten next year and the game has changed. That AI gold rush I mentioned has made it harder to get in front of customers with a salient value proposition, and the same goes for attracting talented engineers and leaders. Those we recruit are leery of startups making big claims. My advice to Mark and the rest of the team is to go BIG or go HOME. Secure the next round of funding and expand the team swiftly and holistically. Do an entire team lift-out! You’ll save time and accelerate faster through a group with proven synergy rather than hiring piecemeal. I’ve said it before: 2025 is primed to be the year photonics revolutionizes the data center so make your moves now because you don’t want to be left on the sidelines when all the key players have already been picked. #semiconductorindustry #photonics #artificialintelligence

71

3 Comments

Arm Is Rebuffed by #Intel After Inquiring About Buying Product Unit - Intel’s rapid decline has spurred takeover speculation - Arm is interested in product group, not factory operations Arm Holdings Plc approached Intel Corporation about potentially buying the ailing chipmaker’s product division, only to be told that the business isn’t for sale, according to a person with direct knowledge of the matter. In the high-level inquiry, Arm didn’t express interest in Intel’s #manufacturing operations, said the person, who asked not to be identified because the discussions were private. Intel has two main units: a product group that sells #chips for #personalcomputers, #servers and #networking equipment, and another that operates its factories. Combining with Intel would help Arm’s reach and kick-start a move toward selling more of its own products. The company currently licenses #technology and designs to customers, who then turn them into complete components. Its client list includes the biggest names in #technology, such as Amazon.com Inc., Qualcomm Inc. and Samsung Electronics Co. Thanks again to Ian King and Bloomberg News for the full article with more background and insights via the link below 🙏💡👇 https://lnkd.in/eCDvrC_h #semiconductorindustry #semiconductors #semiconductor #tech #it #chip #chips #innovation #technology #semiconductormanufacturing

130

6 Comments

Ampere announces 256-core 3nm #CPU, unveils partnership with Qualcomm 💡 Also looking at #chiplets, integration of third-party #IP Ampere Computing introduced its roadmap for the coming years, including new #CPUs and collaborations with third parties. In particular, the company said it would launch its all-new 256-core AmpereOne #processor next year, made on TSMC's N3 process #technology. Also, Ampere is teaming up with Qualcomm to build #AI inference #servers with the company's accelerators. Apparently, Huawei is also looking at integrating third-party UCIe-compatible #chiplets into its own platforms. Ampere has begun shipping 192-core AmpereOne processors with an eight-channel DDR5 memory subsystem it introduced a year ago. Later this year, the company plans to introduce 192-core AmpereOne CPUs with a 12-channel DDR5 memory subsystem, requiring a brand-new platform. Thanks again to Anton Shilov and Tom's Hardware for the full article with more background and insights via the link below 💡🙏👇 https://lnkd.in/e6kMBR2Q #semiconductorindustry #semiconductors #semiconductor #tech #cpu #it #ic #semiconductormanufacturing #technology #chip #foundry #ai

214

3 Comments

Qualcomm's new forecasts after Investor Day met with a lack of the enthusiasm from the market https://lnkd.in/gztNti_y Qualcomm owned the smartphone market and that showed in the valuations however as per this report "Qualcomm plans to significantly move beyond the smartphone segment and aims for 50% of its business exposure to be in segments other than smartphones by 2030" which may sound exciting to some, but given how dominant Qualcomm had been in smartphone market, the above move changed it from "a sure thing" to "selling into lots of uncertainty"

10

1 Comment

In the fiercely competitive semiconductor industry, companies are in a constant battle to retain top talent because in the heart of every good engineer is a passionate problem solver, looking for their next challenge. For them, innovation is the currency of success. Yet companies like Qualcomm, Intel, and Broadcom attract tens of thousands every year by dangling lucrative compensation packages to lure them from competitors. Startup leaders don’t have those resources, so they have to work harder to attract the best talent and then fight like hell to retain them. But some of the most successful startup leaders I know take a different approach. Rather than viewing attraction and retention as a fight, they leverage the inherent qualities of their companies as their advantage. They use their nimbleness, bias toward innovation, and their collaborative cultures like superpowers to attract the right people and those usually end up being the reasons why people stay. Take Richard Fung, CEO of The Six Semiconductor, for example. I had a conversation with Richard and asked him to share his approach to motivating his team. His response was like a mini-masterclass on the topic of talent attraction and retention. Richard emphasized that a culture that encourages engineers to dive deep into the intricacies of their craft, understand the systems they’re building, and connect with the end customer is a successful culture. Richard has been using this approach and it's been paying dividends for The Six Semiconductor so in his honor, here are his six key concepts for creating this type of organization: 1. Foster a Learning Culture: Support ongoing learning and skill development beyond employees' core responsibilities. 2. Prioritize Customer Focus: Embed a customer-centric mindset, and encourage employees to enhance user experiences through their work. 3. Champion Problem-Solving: Empower employees to creatively solve challenges with a focus on customer needs. 4. Promote System-Level Understanding: Encourage employees to grasp the bigger picture of the company's offerings and their role within it. 5. Break Down Silos: Promote collaboration to ensure a comprehensive understanding of projects across teams. 6. Offer Meaningful Challenges: Provide intellectually stimulating projects that make a tangible impact on the company's success. What Richard highlighted is that success goes much deeper than getting great people to join. It's about unleashing the full potential of every individual on your team to drive innovation and help shape the company, and ensuring your team heads in the right direction together. I’m thrilled I got to learn Richard’s perspective and believe other leaders can benefit from hearing it, so I shared the video below. My "challenge question" to other startup leaders is this: what are you doing to foster this type of culture in your organization? Either share below or, feel free to DM me. #semiconductorindustry #startup #leadership

67

2 Comments

Read this report about CEO Pat & Intel. Does not pay a gloomy picture. I hope Intel does make it but they will probably have a further harder time in 2025 and they need to get their shit together in all markets they play in. They need to start to realize that they are _NOT_ number #1 and start to become a bit humble and realize they are in a fight for their life and there will be futher cuts needed both in personel and pay. Look how long time it took AMD to finally come back after their miss with the bulldozer architecure, hint: it took years to get to zen architecture right and many painfull cuts. On the other hand OpenAI has now decided to build their own chips, does this mean that AiX will do the same?

8

Tackling Data Retention in SSDs (by Anil Burra from Intelligent Memory) 🤩 "SSDs have conquered the market due to their speed, durability, energy efficiency, and small form factor. However, write endurance and data retention are concerns in #embedded and #industrial applications, especially as the technology moves to ever smaller nodes." (Anil Burra) With the scaling of #NAND #flash #technology to higher densities (e.g., Triple-Level-Cell or Quad Level-Cell) and smaller process nodes, data retention becomes more challenging due to increased cell-to-cell interference and reduced margins for charge storage. Therefore, newer #technologies may have shorter specified data retention periods compared to older, more robust #SLC (Single-Level-Cell) or #MLC (Mul ti-Level-Cell) #NAND products. Two key factors affect data retention, the period over which #flashmemory can store #data without loss or corruption, in #NANDflash cells: program/erase (P/E) cycling and operating temperature. A very big thank you to Anil Burra from Intelligent Memory for this insightful article via Electronic Specifier Ltd with more background and insights via the link below 💡🙏👇 - A very good read to an important TOPIC 🤩 https://lnkd.in/eqdH7-N2 #semiconductorindustry #semiconductormanufacturing #innovation #it #ai #ssd #datastorage #automotiveindustry #embeddedsystems #ic #computer #computing #iot #memory #chip #chips #technology #tech

50

1 Comment

Chip groups Arm and Qualcomm square off in high-stakes US trial https://lnkd.in/gByXgPD7 Arm and Qualcomm end up in court over the architecture license Arm granted to NUVIA Inc which was acquired by #qualcomm in 2021 while Qualcomm also has architecture license from ARM, and is claiming that given that it also has an architecture license, it didn't need ARM's explicit permission to acquire Nuvia's work, the devil is very likely in the details. It is almost certain that the type of "architecture license" #ARM gBe Nuvia isn't the same as the one given to Qualcomm. ARM would have retained certain IP rights to any changes made by Nuvia to the architecture/design, in Nuvia's license. Qualcomm etc. get a license where they keep what they do. the relief ARM is seeking - destruction of all that has been created is probably an unreasonable relief under a civil lawsuit, in civil suits court usually try to make reasonable amends for the aggrieved party with minimizing the disruptions to the other party and the society in general. As a result usually the standard enforcement is penal damages. Injunctions are called for in rare cases, for example if party A and party B are both selling some products that compete with each other, what B has no right to sell it without A's permission, and if B stops selling it, nobody in the world would be bothered too much. Even in such cases courts will encourage licensing settlements first. that's the nature of civil suits. But let's see how this case progresses. Trial is next week.

9

1 Comment

Intel Corporation CEO Pat Gelsinger Steps Down Amid Challenges and Restructuring Efforts Intel has announced the immediate retirement of CEO Pat Gelsinger, who also steps down from the board of directors. CFO David Zinsner and Michelle Johnston Holthaus have been named interim co-CEOs as the company searches for a new leader. Gelsinger, a 40-year Intel veteran who returned in 2021, led the company through a tumultuous period marked by a 61% stock price decline, the largest layoff in Intel’s history (up to 17,475 employees), and efforts to regain process leadership via its IDM 2.0 strategy. Despite some progress, challenges persisted, including delays in product launches, declining competitiveness against AMD and Arm, and a limited presence in the booming AI market. While Gelsinger’s tenure stabilized manufacturing with a roadmap for five nodes in four years, Intel’s fortunes now hinge on the success of its upcoming 18A node, which shows promising early signs. The leadership transition signals continued restructuring, with a focus on product leadership and process innovation. The industry will watch closely as Intel navigates this pivotal moment in its 56-year history. Thanks again to Tom's Hardware for the full article with more background and insights click the source link in the comments below. #Semiconductors #Intel #LeadershipTransition #TechIndustry

512

37 Comments

Intel Corporation will now be spinning off it's Intel Foundry division into a wholly owned subsidiary and also consolidating all it's design operations into CCG (client computing group, or lpatop/PC division) and DCAI (datacenters and AI, the server group). Networking group NEX will remain for now, but it is too small now and I'm guessing it will be sold off. Qualcomm is already looking to acquire some of Intel's operations as per The Wall Street Journal; Qualcomm is most likely interested in the CCG piece. (https://lnkd.in/gYkgwxGq) Intel will likely break itself into three major pieces - Manufacturing/Foundry, CCG and DCAI will become separate companies. But let's talk about Intel Foundry : Intel consolidated all it's manufacturing and research into Intel Foundry which started reporting it's own P&L from Q1 of this year. But it wasn't a different legal entity which now Pat Gelsinger has announced will happen. But even then, without a much more massive US govt assistance, Intel can't pay to become competitive again. US govt is the only entity that can pay for, the R&D needed to catch to TSMC and match Samsung Semiconductor, pay for new fabs etc. However Intel's failure to get a customer (Broadcom most recently, and Qualcomm and NVIDIA long ago, dropped the 18A offering) created multiple problems - the US Commerce Department's conditons for funding were not being met. And since AMD never showed any interest, - any help to Intel Foundry, which has been a part of Intel (unlike help to TSMC and even Samsung Semiconductors - both of which have well established fab business and serve multiple customers), would be construe a help to wider Intel business which then competes with AMD, Qualcomm, Nvidia. The latest move to separate out the Foundry as a legal entity opens to path to solve multiple problems at month. In my speculation the following will happen before Q3'2025: (1) Intel Foundry will not only become a separate company (legal entity) as Pat Gelsinger has already announced, it will in fact drop the name "Intel" altogether and be names something like "American National Fab corporation" - National Semiconductor would have been a good name but it is already taken. (2) Intel (or whatever survives without Foundry) will have less than majority stake in the new entity. A consortium made of AMD, Qualcomm, NVIDIA, Texas Instruments, Analog Devices ... all the marquee names of US Semiconductor industry will also be "encouraged" by US Commerce department to aquire, between themselves, a majority stake. Even the likes of TSMC may be persuaded. (3) US Govt will subsequently open the floodgates of money to the foundry to make it a success. (4) The new owners will bring about management and technical ladder changes acutely needed. I hope this happens for the sake of the talented employees, the US and the world public.

8

As modern chip designs heavily rely on SRAM, its density plays a critical role in the scaling of advanced nodes. According to the ISSCC 2025 Advance Program, the SRAM density of Intel Corporation's 18A (1.8nm-class) process aligns more closely with TSMC’s N3 than its N2 (2nm-class) process. ◾ Key Metrics: ▪️ Intel 18A: SRAM bit cell size of 0.021 µm², achieving ~31.8 Mb/mm². ▪️ TSMC N2: SRAM bit cell size of 0.0175 µm², achieving ~38 Mb/mm². ▪️ Comparison: Intel’s 18A SRAM density marks a notable improvement over Intel 4 (0.024 µm²) but doesn’t match TSMC’s aggressive N2 scaling. ◾ Notable Features: ▪️ Both nodes incorporate gate-all-around (GAA) transistors, yet TSMC has aggressively reduced SRAM sizes compared to its FinFET-based predecessors. ▪️ Intel 18A introduces a backside power delivery network (BSPDN), enhancing power efficiency and logic density potential. ◾ Bigger Picture: While SRAM density is vital, logic density often has a greater impact on overall scaling and performance. However, comparative logic density data for Intel 18A and TSMC N2 remain undisclosed. As SRAM scaling becomes increasingly challenging due to design complexities and variability at smaller nodes, the focus shifts toward balancing SRAM density, power consumption, and logic performance. What’s your take on the SRAM vs. logic density debate in advanced process technologies? Thanks again to Tom's Hardware for the full article with more background and insights click the source link in the comments below. #Semiconductors #Intel18A #TSMCN2 #SRAMDensity #ProcessTechnology #AdvancedNodes #ChipDesign #TechInnovation

181

3 Comments

Qualcomm has approached Intel Corporation for a potential acquisition, which could lead to one of the largest M&A deals in history, though it is still uncertain if an agreement will be reached due to possible antitrust scrutiny. Intel's shares rose following the report of Qualcomm's interest, despite the company facing significant challenges, including a 37% decline in stock value over the past year and ongoing restructuring efforts led by CEO Pat Gelsinger. Qualcomm is engaging with U.S. regulators in hopes that an all-American merger could alleviate regulatory concerns, while Intel is also exploring various options and has received a boost from recent announcements, including a deal with Amazon Web Services (AWS). #semiconductor #technology #Intel #Qualcomm #Amazon #chipmaker

11

1 Comment

TechRadar's John Loeffler says Intel's Battlemage graphics cards "might just be the 1440p budget champions we've been waiting for." Read on for details. #IAmIntel https://bit.ly/3OGLXOA

17

#Memory Industry Revenue Expected to Reach Record High in 2025 Due to Increasing Average Prices and the Rise of #HBM and QLC, Says TrendForce Corporation 💡 TrendForce 集邦科技’s latest report on the memory industry reveals that #DRAM and #NAND #Flash revenues are expected to see significant increases of 75% and 77%, respectively, in 2024, driven by increased bit demand, an improved supply-demand structure, and the rise of high-value products like #HBM. Furthermore, industry revenues are projected to continue growing in 2025, with DRAM expected to increase by 51% and #NANDFlash by 29%, reaching record highs. This growth is anticipated to revive capital expenditures and boost demand for upstream raw materials, although it will also increase cost pressure for memory buyers. Thanks again to TrendForce Corporation for the full article with more background and insights via the link below 💡🙏👇 https://lnkd.in/eQufNZQg #semiconductorindustry #semiconductors #semiconductor #technology #tech #chip #chips #ai #aiot #consumerelectronics #datacenter #it #ic #chips #artificialintelligence #samsung #micron #skhynix #kioxia #nanya #westerndigital #winbond #japan #usa #southkorea #taiwan #china #it

129

Numemory reinvents Optane storage-class #memory 💡 Chinese fabless #semiconductor startup Numemory is developing storage-class memory (SCM) #chips using Optane-like phase change memory and crossbar #technology. Numemory, a business unit of Xincun Technology (#Wuhan), has launched the NM101, a storage-class memory #chip with 10x faster read and write speeds and 5x longer endurance than #NAND #chips. Xincun Technology was established in July 2022 and has developed a 3D selector-only memory (SOM) #technology using phase-change memory and a crossbar structure, which is remarkably similar to Intel Corporation and Micron Technology’s failed Optane #memory technology. Numemory’s website states: “The new memory is a type of SCM (storage-class memory) that can increase #storage capacity, reduce costs, and thus greatly improve the overall performance of the storage system. The new memory is considered to be a next-generation non-volatile storage technology that is very promising for large-scale mass production, and has become a hot topic of international concern in recent years.” Thanks again to Chris Mellor and Blocks and Files for the full article with more background and insights via the link below 💡🙏👇 https://lnkd.in/emUECvnU #semiconductorindustry #semiconductormanufacturing #technology #ai #tech #innovation #dram #nand #nandflash #flashmemory #server #computer #datacenter #foundry #it #computing #computer #ic

47

2 Comments

TSMC: Performance and Yields of 2nm on Track, Mass Production To Start In 2025 💡 In addition to revealing its roadmap and plans concerning its current leading-edge process technologies, #TSMC also shared progress of its N2 node as part of its Symposiums 2024. The company's first 2nm-class fabrication node, and predominantly featuring gate-all-around transistors, according to TSMC #N2 has almost achieved its target performance and yield goals, which places it on track to enter high-volume manufacturing in the second half of 2025. TSMC states that 'N2 development is well on track and #N2P is next.' In particular, gate-all-around nanosheet devices currently achieve over 90% of their expected performance, whereas yields of 256 Mb #SRAM (32 MB) devices already exceeds 80%, depending on the batch. All of this for a node that is over a year away from mass production. Meanwhile, average yield of a 256 Mb SRAM was around 70% as of March, 2024, up from around 35% in April, 2023. Device performance has also been improving with higher frequencies being achieved while keeping power consumption in check. Thanks again to Anton Shilov and AnandTech for the full article with more background and insights via the link below 💡🙏👇 https://lnkd.in/eHgpfX4k #semiconductormanufacturing #semiconductors #semiconductor #tech #technology #innovation #chip #chips #integratedcircuits #ic #foundry #taiwan #geopolitics #asml #thenetherlands #europe #euv #computer

125

My article on SuperComputing Architecture Shift in EFY's Aug Magazine. "The silicon chipset, which is procured from Intel as of today, is the most crucial component in the high-performance compute server. Everything involved in making a supercomputer like the motherboard, the rack, cooling systems, and the software stack, depends on the architecture and features of the silicon chipset. " Electronics For You #Aum #Supercomputing #HPC

151

4 Comments