With the changes in the global scientific and technological landscape and the diversification of market demands, China's semiconductor industry has ushered in the development opportunities of unique processes. This article deeply explores the current status and development of digital technology and specialty process wafer foundry industries, analyzes the market potential of specialty processes, and highlights China's new role in the global semiconductor industry.
The current state of digital technology foundries
In the modern wafer foundry industry, it is divided into two camps: one is the foundry that focuses on digital technology, the core of which lies in highly advanced process technology to meet the needs of storage, CPU and logic chips. These manufacturers pursue extreme node miniaturization and computing performance to meet the market's demand for efficient and high-speed computing chips. However, this pursuit has brought about a short product life cycle and ever-increasing technical thresholds.
The sudden rise of specialty craft foundries
The other type is specialty process foundries, which meet specific market needs through differentiation and technological diversity. Not only are these processes less stressful, extending product life cycles, but they are also less capital intensive. Utilizing new semiconductor materials such as silicon carbide (SiC) and gallium nitride (GaN), they push the limits of traditional silicon-based technology. Compared with advanced processes that pursue technological limits, specialty processes pay more attention to stability and cost-effectiveness, and have gradually become a new force in the market.
Shifts in the Semiconductor Market
The global semiconductor market is undergoing profound changes. The IDM model is gradually losing favor, and the wafer foundry model characterized by efficiency and flexibility is becoming increasingly important. As the technology war between China and the United States heats up and the global epidemic is affected, the industry begins to shift from a single advanced process to a more diversified technology path, among which specialty processes are the focus of much attention. With the increase in investment in various aspects, the status and role of specialty craft foundries have become increasingly prominent.
Comparison of the pros and cons of advanced processes and special processes
Advanced process technology has undoubtedly pushed the limits of processor performance, but its development faces bottlenecks, such as limited improvements in transistor density, high cost, and design complexity. On the contrary, although the specialty process may not be as good as the most advanced nodes in performance, it has obvious advantages in cost, reliability and adaptability to specific applications, making it the first choice in many fields.
Market and application prospects of special craftsmanship
Featured processes are suitable for a wide range of markets, from analog and digital hybrid chips to specialized power devices and sensors. They have broad application prospects in automotive electronics, Internet of Things, smart sensing and other fields. As technology matures and is recognized by the market, the application scope and depth of specialty processes continue to expand.
China’s development in the field of characteristic crafts
In the field of specialty processes, China's wafer foundries are showing strong competitiveness. Driven by policy encouragement and market demand, many foundries are actively developing mature process technologies of 28nm and above. From China Resources Micro to Hua Hong Semiconductor to SMIC, China's wafer fabs are occupying a place in the global specialty process field through continuous technological innovation and capacity expansion.
In conclusion
The development of semiconductor specialty processes shows vigorous vitality and huge potential. Under the dual influence of global market structure and technological trends, specialty processes are not only a key path for the transformation and upgrading of China's semiconductor industry, but also an important force in promoting innovation and diversity in the global electronics industry. With the continuous advancement of technology and the in-depth development of the market, specialty process foundry will play an increasingly important role in the global semiconductor industry.