Global Chip Shortage Threatens Production of Laptops, Smartphones and More

[Phlyra]

I'll save you the trouble finding the data: https://archive.md/pNI4a




Solution is easy: No breaks! Eat your sandwich while working on a wafer!
for the ones that don't know: Chip manufacturing is done in rooms that have zero pollutants, so that dust does not affect producing the chips (many on a single wafer, before it's cut to separate the microchips). Pollutants, like dandruff, sand, hair are a no-no.

Someone also pointed out that cost cutting measures often mean that the “Hazmat” suits are regularly shared/reused without internal decontamination

 

[FBnil]

Someone also pointed out that cost cutting measures often mean that the “Hazmat” suits are regularly shared/reused without internal decontamination

Horrible if the previous user farted while in the suit! And then coming home, your wife smells you and says: You've been with somebody else! I can smell it on you!

To be fair, the Hazmat always was to protect the environment (the chips) and not the wearer.

 

[FBnil]

Tackling China's Water Shortage Crisis | Earth.Org

A project intended to mitigate a water shortage crisis in China could cause environmental, social and geopolitical challenges.

earth.org

Many factories require water for their processes... less water... less output.

It's not that there is NO water at all:

Either contaminated:


Or unusable:



For an USA centric opinion: https://thehill.com/opinion/energy-...y-chains-face-a-dire-threat-from-chinas-water

 

[TeDaDeS]

Someone also pointed out that cost cutting measures often mean that the “Hazmat” suits are regularly shared/reused without internal decontamination

The bunny suit is washable, so I guess they might not wash in between if you don't have your dedicated suit. Hairnets, face-mask and gloves are usually disposable.
You (usually) don't have full covering suit like a hazmat suit, as you need to work in those the full day, and you'd be hot in the cleanroom. And work requires you to be able to move, so work clothing is adapted to this.
Most of the work on wafers is done in isolation (shielded from outside air or vacuum) and the production itself is usually fully automated. As each particle (dust for example) can break your chip and cost a lot of money.
For latest production processes (EUV) they are really strict, these cleanrooms are magnitudes more expensive to operate. Having make-up or perfume could already not be allowed.
--
additional note: cleanrooms should be kept at a constant temperature, and you'd wear you bunny suit only in there. Also there aren't any toilets there.

 

[FBnil]

Since this thread is becoming a tech-news sort of thread, here's one to laugh at:

MSN

www.msn.com

For example: Some people who did not know they house access password, only knew how to get in with their phone had to wait outside until AWS was back. Or a fridge that hangs while updating because there is no server to connect to... (I assume the cooling still worked?)

 

[netcat]

Remember that Facebook/WhatsApp outage that they blamed on DNS (as usual)? it was actually sabotage by a group employed by various governments in an attempt to blackmail them into paying tax. my friend works for the company that brought them down.

 

[levi]

I'm not sure how this squares with this report: https://krebsonsecurity.com/2021/11/the-internet-is-held-together-with-spit-baling-wire/

Apparently the outage was triggered when an erroneous BGP update was submitted by facebook. Perhaps it was someone pretending to be facebook but wasn't, but without them getting in contact first and telling facebook why they were doing it, it doesn't count as blackmail. Perhaps facebook are keeping that secret though, and the perpetrators presumably aren't willing to come out publicly and say it.

 

[netcat]

sorry I thought it was DNS. key point being it was deliberate.

 

[levi]

Yes, it was reported as a DNS error in the early days of that outage as I recall, but it turned out to be even more essential than that in the end.

 

[Linux-SWAT]

Intel To Spend $7 Billion on Big Malaysia Chipmaking Expansion - Slashdot

Intel is spending $7 billion to build a new chip packaging facility in Malaysia, a major Asian investment intended to address endemic global semiconductor shortages at a time Washington is advocating domestic production. From a report: The U.S. chipmaker intends to invest 30 billion ringgit on...

slashdot.org

 

[netcat]

I predict North Korea will one day be a manufacturing hub due to it's cheap labor. Flight to the bottom innit.

 

[Phlyra]

I predict North Korea will one day be a manufacturing hub due to it's cheap labor. Flight to the bottom innit.

Or England (vis Royal Dutch Shell moving its HQ to the UK in anticipation of the regulations bonfire Brexshit bonus)

 

[Phlyra]

Toyota halts more production in Japan as parts run out

Toyota Motor Co on Friday expanded production stoppages at some factoriesin Japan because of a shortage of components shipped from parts plants in Southeast Asia.

www.reuters.com

 

[Phlyra]

India to set up 20 foundries/fabs over the next six years...!

 

[TeDaDeS]

India to set up 20 foundries/fabs over the next six years...!

"Over 20 semiconductor manufacturing and designing companies in high-end, displayand specialty fabrication have submitted expressions of interest (EOIs) to set up manufacturing plants in India. Of this, two-three are ‘very serious’ projects, according to the India Electronics and Semiconductor Association (IESA)."
Source: https://www.thehindubusinessline.co...-pli-scheme/article34869112.ece?homepage=true

 

[Phlyra]

"Over 20 semiconductor manufacturing and designing companies in high-end, displayand specialty fabrication have submitted expressions of interest (EOIs) to set up manufacturing plants in India. Of this, two-three are ‘very serious’ projects, according to the India Electronics and Semiconductor Association (IESA)."
Source: https://www.thehindubusinessline.co...-pli-scheme/article34869112.ece?homepage=true

My source was fossbytes which stated the content of my post in an article about government funding being approved for such endeavours, in addition to encouraging more digital payments (yay ) but interesting that it lacked the detail specified in your source that it’s more EOIs than, say, MOIs. Still, presumably those EOIs are coming in because the government has passed such a funding program?

 

[TeDaDeS]

btw. if I remember correctly India use to be somewhat active already in the semiconductor industry.

My source was fossbytes which stated the content of my post in an article about government funding being approved for such endeavours, in addition to encouraging more digital payments (yay ) but interesting that it lacked the detail specified in your source that it’s more EOIs than, say, MOIs. Still, presumably those EOIs are coming in because the government has passed such a funding program?

They have a fund worth 10 billion dollars to lure manufacturing of certain sectors to India by investing in semiconductor production subsidize 50% of the cost of the relocation.
The companies that currently are interested are rumored to be:

Tower Semiconductor (Isreal): https://towersemi.com/manufacturing/manufacturing-overview/
The latest node the have is 45nm, operated in Uozo (Japan), and part of their production is related to automotive (analog) chips.

Hon Hai Group (Foxxcon, Taiwan): https://www.foxconn.com/en-us/
An (/The world largest) electronics manufacturer has in recent years showed some ambition to enter the semiconductor market.
It purchased Sharp, which also gave them a semiconductor fab (Fukuyama, 0.13um). And they partnered with ARM for chip design and has a packaging and testing facility in Qingdao.
Possibly the invite from India is lucrative for expanding their plans.

An undisclosed consortium from Shanghai, which could be GLOBALFOUNDRIES which are also active in the automotive sector: https://gf.com/markets/automotive

 

[Linux-SWAT]

Micron Explains Reason For DDR5 Shortage - Slashdot

An anonymous reader quotes a report from HotHardware: During a recent earnings call to discuss its quarterly earnings, Micron explained that the reason DDR5 demand is "significantly exceeding supply" is because suppliers are having a rough time sourcing non-memory components. The insinuation is...

hardware.slashdot.org

 

[comradekingu]

Material for silicone oxide substrates coming out of China has dropped a lot over the last 3 months.
In turn the prices have gone up by 270% or thereabouts.

 

[Linux-SWAT]

Fire At ASML Could Worsen Global Computer Chip Shortage - Slashdot

ASML Holding has reported a fire at its factory in Berlin, Germany. No one was hurt and the fire was put out on Sunday night, but the incident could exacerbate the current global computer chip shortage. Here's what ASML said about the incident: The fire was extinguished during the night and...

hardware.slashdot.org