Navigating the Semiconductor Slowdown: Insights on the Industry in 2023

Get the inside scoop on the slowdown in the semiconductor industry and what to expect in 2023 with our distinguished guest, Malcolm Penn, CEO of Future Horizons, and one of the most experienced experts in the semiconductor industry.

In this episode of Advantest Talks Semi, we dive into the forecasted contraction of the semiconductor industry, the impact of Covid-19 and the shift toward electric vehicles. We talk about the forecast for the memory market and the investments being made in the name of national security. 

We will answer the question of why the memory market will give an indication of the overall market’s recovery—a market whose decline is expected to be double-digit. Questions about Europe and China will be answered as you listen in. 

Tune in to our latest episode of Advantest Talks Semi to stay ahead of the game in the ever-evolving world of semiconductors.

https://advantesttalkssemi.buzzsprout.com/1607350/12131178-navigating-the-semiconductor-slowdown-insights-on-the-industry-in-2023

More than Moore or More Moore?

What’s Next in the Future of High-Performance Computing? In this episode, experts will discuss the plans for the coming era of computing and will reveal how the semiconductor industry is continuously evolving to address the looming high performance compute challenges — moving us beyond Moore’s Law. Listen in as John Shalf, Department Head for Computer Science at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, and former deputy director of Hardware Technology for the Department of Energy Exascale Computing Project, helps us uncover how the semiconductor industry will revolutionize HPC over the next decade.  

https://advantesttalkssemi.buzzsprout.com/1607350/11331203-more-than-moore-or-more-moore-here-is-what-s-next

Advantest Joins European GaN4AP Consortium to Promote Pervasive Use of Gallium Nitride in Power Conversion Systems

Advantest Europe GmbH recently joined the European Union (EU)-sponsored consortium Gallium Nitride for Advanced Power Applications (GaN4AP). Launched in December 2021, the three-year project is focused on making GaN technology one of the main components in a broad spectrum of power converter systems. GaN-based electronics have the potential to enable drastic reductions in energy loss for electronics systems while ensuring high-frequency and higher-power-density operation. Developing new power supply devices and circuits using GaN-based electronics is viewed as crucial for the global competitiveness of EU industries.

GaN4AP comprises a diverse group of private companies, universities, and public research institutes working in the field of GaN materials, devices, and related applications. Advantest joined the consortium through engagement with key customers seeking to test GaN-based electronics in mass production. Participating expands our access to GaN technology, as well as our competitiveness in testing power semiconductors.

As the GaN4AP project’s lead ATE provider, Advantest will work to further address the testing demands of various markets leveraging power semiconductors that stand to realize significantly improved performance from the pervasive use of GaN, without sacrificing system size and cost. Examples include power transmission and distribution, consumer electronics, renewable energy, automotive, and other industrial applications.

“Advantest has been testing advanced compound semiconductors, including GaN devices, for some time,” said Michael Stichlmair, managing director, Advantest Europe. “Joining this exciting project is a logical next step in our efforts to continuously drive test innovation, allowing us to access new markets while contributing to broader use of GaN technology.”

To learn more about the GaN4AP project, click here.

Advantest’s Hadatomo™ Z Photoacoustic Microscope Wins Laser Industry Encouragement Award

Advantest’s Hadatomo™ Z photoacoustic microscope received a Laser Industry Encouragement Award at the 13th Industry Awards sponsored by the Laser Society of Japan.

The Laser Society of Japan Industry Awards recognize “excellent achievements contributing to the development of the domestic laser-related industry in the practical application, and the dissemination of laser-related products and technologies,” according to the Society. Among several award categories, Encouragement Awards are given to products with notable potential for future market development.

Advantest’s Hadatomo™ Z simultaneously images the oxygen saturation of blood vessels with dual-wavelength photoacoustic technology, and dermal structure including skin texture, pores, and sebaceous glands with ultrasound. Accurately imaging vascular mechanisms up to a depth of 3 mm in the dermis makes it possible to observe vasodilation and blood circulation stimulation in near-real time. An optional dual-wavelength laser that can distinguish between melanin and blood vessels is also available. Currently, the product’s main applications are cosmetology and dermatological research, but its selection for the Encouragement Award underlines its future potential as a medical device. At the present time, the product is a scientific instrument, not an approved medical device.

This award reinforces Advantest’s commitment to developing the company’s photoacoustic technology further, so that the Hadatomo™ Z can contribute to the treatment and prevention of skin diseases.

The 13th Industry Awards of The Laser Society of Japan for fiscal year 2021

https://www.lsj.or.jp/en/the-13th-industry-award-on-the-laser-society-of-japan-in-fy-2021/

Advantest Again Named THE BEST Supplier of Chip Making Equipment in VLSIresearch Customer Satisfaction Survey

Advantest Corporation has again topped the ratings chart of the 2021 VLSIresearch Customer Satisfaction Survey, capturing the No. 1 spot on this annual survey of global semiconductor companies for the second consecutive year. Advantest has now been named to VLSIresearch’s 10 BEST list for the 33rd consecutive year. The survey ratings are based on direct customer feedback representing 89 percent of the world’s chip producers — Integrated Device Manufacturers (IDMs), Foundry, Fabless, and Outsourced Semiconductor Assembly and Test (OSAT) companies. 

According to VLSIresearch, the world’s leading semiconductor market-research firm, Advantest ranked as THE BEST supplier of test equipment in 2020 and 2021 and topped the 10 BEST list of large suppliers of chip making equipment once again this year. Worldwide participants rated equipment suppliers among 14 categories based on three key factors:  supplier performance, customer service, and product performance. The categories span a set of criteria, from cost of ownership to quality of results, field engineering support, trust, and partnership.  

In the 2021 survey, Advantest achieved customer ratings 9.5/10 and above in categories including Recommended Supplier, Trust in Supplier, Technical Leadership, Partnering, and Field Engineering Support. According to VLSIresearch, Advantest continually ranks high among THE BEST Suppliers of Test Equipment and in 2021 was the only automatic test equipment supplier to receive a 5 VLSI Star designation. 

“Advantest’s ability to continually innovate and adapt to changing market dynamics while sustaining successful customer relationships is a testament to its strength as an ATE business partner,” commented G. Dan Hutcheson, CEO of VLSIresearch. “Throughout the industry, Advantest is recognized for its stability, product excellence, and customer service. Even during this tumultuous time, Advantest maintained its customer-first attitude and continued to enable customers to move forward with their latest chip designs and products. With its comprehensive product portfolio, broad slate of dedicated customers, and steadfast commitment to innovation, Advantest has deservedly earned the highest ratings from the world’s global manufacturers,” Hutcheson continued.

“We are honored to be recognized once again by our global customers as the industry’s top-ranked supplier of test equipment, and pleased that even in these challenging times we are able to maintain our commitment to supporting them,” said Yoshiaki Yoshida, president and CEO of Advantest Corporation. “We remain dedicated to expanding our test and measurement solutions throughout the value chain and hope to continue to earn the trust of the world’s leading chipmakers.” 

Since 1988 the VLSIresearch annual Customer Satisfaction Survey is the only publicly available survey tool for customers to provide feedback for suppliers of semiconductor equipment and subsystems.

Advantest, a global provider of test solutions for SoC, logic and memory semiconductors, has long been the industry’s only ATE provider to design and manufacture its own fully integrated suite of test-cell solutions – comprised of testers, handlers, device interfaces, and software – assuring the industry’s highest levels of integrity and compatibility.