i卡會員

In 2023, consumer demand remained sluggish due to global economic and political uncertainties, compounded by ongoing interest rate hikes by central banks aimed at curbing inflation. Electronic product inventories, including smartphones and PCs, experienced an adjustment phase, contributing to a decline in the output value of Taiwan's IC testing and packaging industry. IEK Consulting estimates that the output value of Taiwan's IC testing and packaging industry reached NT$583 billion in 2023, marking a 14.9% decrease from 2022.

Nevertheless, the emergence of generative AI presents new opportunities for the IC testing and packaging industry. For instance, the AI chatbot ChatGPT is capable of engaging in online conversations using natural language. It is not limited to general knowledge questions covering a wide range of topics, from astronomy to geography, but also extends to specialized technical queries. Furthermore, ChatGPT's ability to provide creative ideas and suggestions has positioned it as a forefront technology in 2023. The expansive development and application of generative AI have not only revolutionized assistance in daily life but have also brought significant shifts in the supply chain of the IC industry.

Moreover, the expanding use of generative AI applications has also accelerated the semiconductor industry's move toward net-zero. Firstly, the high-speed computational requirements of ChatGPT have tightened the supply of advanced packaging, such as Chip-on-Wafer-on-Substrate (CoWoS). This not only urges outsourced semiconductor assembly and testing (OSAT) companies to innovate in heterogeneous integration and high-performance packaging, but also drives advanced process manufacturers to expand their capacity in advanced packaging technologies. The advancement in 2.5D/3D IC stacking integration techniques allows for a more efficient and compact integration of different logic chips. Given the implementation of heterogeneous integration technology and the strong demand for AI use cases, the output value of Taiwan's IC testing and packaging industry is expected to reach NT$636.8 billion in 2024, representing a growth of 9.2% from 2023.

Meanwhile, the global consensus towards achieving net-zero emissions has led technology companies to set ambitious goals for their supply chains. Semiconductor manufacturers, being at the core of most technological products, are now under increased pressure to reduce carbon emissions. Many industry players have committed to addressing greenhouse gas emissions and adopting renewable energy. Testing and packaging facilities are also striving to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions in Scope 1 and Scope 2 categories during the production process. In addition, the deployment of technologies like artificial intelligence in optimizing processes is paving the way for automated smart factories. These factories aim to enhance process yields while reducing unnecessary energy consumption.

As Moore's Law gradually approaches its physical limits, advanced packaging is becoming the battlefield for improving chip performance , offering significant growth potential for Taiwan's IC testing and packaging industry. The industry is committed to technological upgrades, the development of higher performance packaging techniques, and the expansion of testing/packaging capacity to meet market demands. Concurrently, the rise in environmental sustainability awareness is prompting industry participants to actively engage in carbon reduction initiatives. Achieving the goal of net-zero emissions will necessitate the deployment of renewable energy sources and a concerted effort to reduce process-related carbon emissions.

Additionally, the use cases of energy efficiency and next-generation communications are flourishing, resulting in the increasing influence of compound semiconductors. The year 2023 also saw sustained growth for compound semiconductors, with expanding influence in both technological advancements and market developments. The primary development driver comes from new applications related to the demand for energy efficiency and next-generation communications.

In the development of energy-efficient applications, the electric vehicle (EV) market has become a focal point of attention. The driving force behind this lies in the regulatory standards on carbon emissions of different countries. The market expansion encompasses not only passenger cars for general consumer use, but also commercial vehicles required by the logistics industry. This not only propels the development of the automotive market, but also an increase in charging-related devices. Therefore, 2023 has seen relevant semiconductor companies continue their R&D and capacity expansion of silicon carbide (SiC) power components, which enhance the energy conversion efficiency of electric vehicles to increase range and expedite charging speeds.

The development of next-generation communications systems is focused on preparing for the Beyond 5G (B5G) infrastructure. In addition to terrestrial communications, satellite communications will play a key role, with an emphasis on low-earth orbit (LEO) satellites. Gallium nitride (GaN) compound semiconductors are now predominantly used for high-frequency RF (GaN RF) components, such as Wi-Fi, GPS positioning, satellite communications, and even military radar. Among them, GaN-on-SiC is expected to continue to dominate the RF GaN component market in the future. In addition to military applications, its influence is gradually expanding in the field of communications infrastructure and equipment. It is anticipated that these new use cases will further drive market demand as the variety of communication devices increases.

As communication technology progresses towards the Sub-THz frequency of 6G, emerging compound semiconductor materials gain importance, notably indium phosphide (InP) which has the highest electron mobility and saturation velocity, enabling the realization of extremely high frequencies.

Development in this field has garnered significant attention. Manufacturers will be focusing their R&D on reducing production costs through new production processes.

The compound semiconductor market still has room for growth compared to silicon-based semiconductors, and its importance is gradually gaining attention, especially in the context of energy efficiency and next-generation communications. Beyond 2023, manufacturers worldwide will be striving to achieve highly reliable and low-cost production processes and expand local production capacities due to national security concerns. Against this backdrop, Taiwanese semiconductor manufacturers are also attempting to build proprietary technologies to strengthen their competitiveness. Going forward, the global competitive landscape for compound semiconductors will gradually become more intensified fueling a diversity of new ideas and technologies and attracting increasing public attention.