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5G is expected to enter commercial operation in 2020, while vehicles become more intelligent, networked and electric, driving the development of SiC and GaN, the third-generation semiconductor materials. TrendForce estimates that the revenue for SiC substrates and GaN substrates will be US$180 million and US$3 million respectively in 2018.
According to the latest data of DRAMeXchange, a division of TrendForce, the top three Server DRAM suppliers are progressing towards the specification of 32GB RDIMM, and the 1Q18 quotes offered by Server DRAM suppliers will grow by only 4% compared with 4Q17 in order to ensure sales by favorable prices. In 2Q18, as domestic server demand from China rises, the server DRAM prices will continue to rise, says DRAMeXchange.
In 1Q18, the traditional off-season, SSD market has seen obviously less stock up orders from PC OEMs compared with 4Q17, according to DRAMeXchange, a division of TrendForce. SSD suppliers have cut prices to enhance PC OEMs’ willingness to adopt their new 64/72-layer 3D-SSD products. For 1Q18, the average contract prices of mainstream Client SSD for PC OEMs are estimated drop by 3-5% in SATA-SSD sector and 4-6% in PCIe-SSD sector compared with the previous quarter. This will indicate the stop of continuous price rise over the past year.
Apple’s launch of iPhone X has led to a wave of 3D sensing technology, bringing its key component—vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL)—into the spotlight. However, the number of VCSEL suppliers with mass production capacity is very limited due to technical barriers, leading to short supply of VCSELs and thus delaying Android camp’s plan to follow suit. TrendForce estimates the penetration rate of 3D sensing in smartphones will grow from 2.1% in 2017 to 13.1% in 2018, while Apple remains the major adopter.
Micron and Intel announced on January 8, 2018 that they will discontinue their partnership on NAND Flash development after completing the development of the third generation of 3D-NAND Flash. Micron and Intel are currently developing the second generation (64-layer), and the third generation is expected to reach 96-layer. This means that, for development of products greater than 96-layer, the two will part ways formally. This decision will not bring significant impact in near term on their businesses in terms of manufacturing process technology improvements and product planning. They will also have more opportunities to seek new partners after parting ways. According to DRAMeXchange, a division of TrendForce, Intel and Tsinghua Unigroup are now discussing over further collaboration in product offerings and sales.
