Chip industry hot information

  Overheating of DrMOS devices affects the mass production of Nvidia's next-generation AI systems
According to the latest investment research report by analyst Guo Mingchi, Nvidia is developing and testing DrMOS technology for its next-generation AI servers GB300 and B300, but encountered component overheating issues during the process. Specifically, the 5x5 DrMOS chip provided by AOS company has serious overheating issues, which may affect the production progress of the system and change market expectations for AOS orders.
Guo Mingchi pointed out that Nvidia prioritizes testing AOS's 5x5 DrMOS, aiming to enhance bargaining power over MPS companies and reduce costs, as well as because AOS has rich experience in 5x5 DrMOS design and production. According to supply chain information, the overheating issue of AOS's 5x5 DrMOS is not only due to the chip itself, but also involves design deficiencies in other aspects such as system chip management.
If AOS is unable to resolve this issue within the specified time frame, Nvidia may consider introducing new 5x5 DrMOS suppliers or switching to using 5x6 DrMOS. The latter has higher costs but better heat dissipation efficiency, which is beneficial for MPS company. The serious situation is that this issue may lead to a delay in the mass production of GB300/B300 systems.
  Nvidia GB200 cabinets are expected to increase in volume as early as the second quarter of next year
According to the Science and Technology Innovation Board Daily, TrendForce Consulting has recently conducted a survey and pointed out that the market is paying attention to the supply progress of Nvidia's GB200 rack solution. Due to the significantly higher design specifications of GB200 rack in high-speed interconnection interface and thermal design power consumption (TDP) compared to the mainstream market, supply chain operators need more time to continuously adjust and optimize. It is expected that there will be an opportunity to increase production as early as the second quarter of 2025.
  UMC wins a large order for Qualcomm chip packaging, breaking TSMC's monopoly
According to relevant reports cited by Fast Technology, UMC has won the advanced packaging order for Qualcomm's high-performance computing products, which are expected to be applied in the AI PC, automotive, and AI server markets, and even include the integration of HBM. At the same time, this also breaks the monopoly of a few manufacturers such as TSMC, Intel, and Samsung in the advanced packaging outsourcing market.
At present, UMC mainly supplies intermediate layers in the field of advanced packaging, applied in RFSOI processes, with limited revenue contribution. However, Qualcomm's order has opened up new business opportunities for UMC. According to informed sources, Qualcomm plans to commission TSMC for mass production of a customized Oryon architecture core and UMC for advanced packaging. It is expected to use UMC's WoW Hybrid bonding process.
Analysis suggests that Qualcomm will adopt UMC's advanced packaging technology, which will combine PoP packaging to replace the traditional solder ball packaging mode, shorten the signal transmission distance between chips, and improve chip computing efficiency. UMC has the equipment and TSV process technology to produce intermediate layers, which meets the prerequisite for mass production of advanced packaging processes. This is also the main reason why Qualcomm chose UMC.

  NXP acquires automotive network technology supplier Aviva Links
NXP announced the acquisition of Aviva Links, a provider of automotive SerDes Alliance (ASA) compliant in car connectivity solutions, in a $242.5 million all cash transaction. Aviva Links offers the industry's most advanced ASA compliant product portfolio, supporting SerDes point-to-point (ASA-ML) and Ethernet based connectivity (ASA-MLE), with data rates up to 16 Gbps. The company has achieved design victories in two major automotive OEMs and is providing its samples to various OEMs and first tier suppliers.
The Automotive SerDes Alliance (ASA) was established in 2019, with NXP as a founding member, helping participating automakers migrate to open source, interoperable network solutions to best meet their growing demand for software defined automotive products. ASA provides an open standard that can scale data rates from 2 Gbps to 16 Gbps and includes link layer security. In addition to establishing SerDes point-to-point communication, this standard also solves the seamless migration problem to efficient Ethernet sensor connections.
Ansenmei and Denso strengthen cooperation in the field of autonomous driving
  Onsemi recently announced that it has strengthened its partnership with T1 automotive supplier Denso in the areas of autonomous driving and advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) technology. For over 10 years, Ansenmei has been providing Denso with the latest intelligent automotive sensors to enhance ADAS and autonomous driving performance. These semiconductors are becoming increasingly important in enhancing vehicle intelligence, including connectivity, which will help reduce traffic injuries and accidents.
As a sign of cooperation between the two parties, Denso plans to acquire shares of Ansenmei in the open market to further strengthen the long-term partnership.