[News] Key Technical Personnel Changes in Three Chinese Semiconductor Companies

Li Hong, CEO of CR Micro Stepped down

On April 3, China Resources Microelectronics Limited (“CR Micro”) announced a personnel change: the company’s director and president, Li Hong, has resigned from all his positions due to personal reasons. Following his resignation, he will no longer hold any role within the company and will also cease to be considered a core technical staff member.

It is worth noting that CR Micro has seen heads rolling recently. On March 8, the company announced that Chen Xiaojun had resigned from his position as chairman due to a job reassignment and would no longer take up any company role, and He Xiaolong was elected as the new chairman on March 28. He previously served as deputy general manager of the Strategic Management Department at China Resources (Group) Co., Ltd., and is known to have a strong technical background and extensive experience in industry management.

In 2024, CR Micro achieved revenue of CNY 10.119 billion, a year-on-year increase of 2.20%, and net profit attributable to shareholders of CNY 776 million, a 47.55% decline year-on-year. The revenue growth was mainly driven by the company’s continued expansion in the power semiconductor field, particularly in the automotive electronics and new energy sectors.

The company has reportedly revved up its R&D investment, especially in the development and industrialization of wide-band gap semiconductor technologies like SiC (silicon carbide) and GaN (gallium nitride). In 2024, the company’s sales revenue from SiC and GaN power devices increased by 135% year-on-year, though early-stage R&D and capacity building have placed pressure on overall profits.

Chip Packing Announced Key Technical Personnel Change

On April 6, Chip Packing announced that core technical staff member Yi Bingchuan had resigned due to personal reasons. His responsibilities have been successfully handed over, and the company will no longer regarded him as a core technical personnel. Meanwhile, it has newly designated Cao Zhou and Liu Xin as core technical staffs, both of whom reportedly boast extensive experience and multiple patents in the semiconductor field.

In the first half of 2024, Chip Packing completed the development of several products including TO252, TO220, TO263, TO247, and PDFN33. The company also developed a packaging platform and technology for SiC MOSFET devices based on the industrial standard TO-247 package, achieving performance indicators at an industry-advanced level.

Huaguang Advanced Materials Announces Change in Core Technical Personnel

On April 3, Huaguang Advanced Materials announced that core technical staff member Fan Zhonghua had resigned due to retirement, though he will remain with the company as an advisor.

Huaguang is working on low-temperature sintered silver paste products for wide-band gap power semiconductor applications. In the announcement, Huaguang stated that Mr. Fan had participated in projects like “High-Performance Silver Brazing Materials for Silver Savings and Efficiency Enhancement.”His departure will not impact the progress of cutting-edge technical research. Mr. Tang Weigang, Dean of the company’s research institute, and Mr. Huang Shisheng, Vice Dean, have taken over his relevant responsibilities.

In 2024, Huaguang revenue of CNY 1.918 billion and net profit attributable to shareholders of CNY 80.6174 million yuan, a 93.78% year-on-year increase. Notably, in November 2024, Huaguang invested in Suzhou Lianjie Technology Co., Ltd., a company specializing in advanced packaging materials such as TFC, DPC, AMB, and DAC, which are mainly used in optical modules, smart sensors, semiconductor lasers, thermoelectric coolers, IGBTs, and other areas. This investment marks an important strategic move by Huaguang in the semiconductor packaging materials field, aiming to expand its business footprint through collaboration with Lianjie Technology.

(Photo credit: China Resources Microelectronics Limited)