Most Read – Memory chips, In-cabin radar IC, Xiver MEMS

Let’s look at them in reverse order:

5. Cambridge EV startup to make fast-charging batteries for electric vehicles is set to raise more funding
Cambridge University fast-charging electric vehicle battery startup Nyobolt has averted a funding crisis by signing new contracts and is on the verge of a fresh cash injection, the Telegraph reports. The company previously warned: “In the event the group is unable to raise funds, the group will run out of funds.” The specified date falls at the end of the first quarter of 2025. “In 2024, Nyobolt began generating revenue from customers and has secured contracts valued at over $120 million,” Nyobolt said in a statement. “We will be announcing further contracts in the first quarter of 2025.”

4. Philips sells Xiver MEM plant
Philips has sold its Xiver MEMS division to Orange Mills Ventures, owned by Cees Meeuwis, Telegraaf reports. Xiver claims to be the only independent non-Chinese MEMS foundry in Europe. The company employs 100 people and is considered unprofitable. “Xiver is heading towards a very bright future with great growth,” says CEO John Van Soerland, “driven by the unique products we produce here in Eindhoven, combined with the highly skilled employees working here.”

3. Samsung modernizes HBM design
Samsung will have to redesign its HBM chips, as shown at CES. “They have to come up with a new design,” Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang said in Las Vegas yesterday, “but they can do it. They work very quickly. They are determined to do this. They will be successful – without a doubt, I am confident that Samsung will be successful with HBM.” Hynix took the lead role in HBM and made a windfall, being the market leader with about 50% of HBM’s revenue. The HBM market was expected to be worth about $14 billion last year, according to Yole Development.

2. IBM and GloFo have settled the dispute
IBM’s deal with Rapidus involved creating a 2nm process, collaborating on market development for Rapidus chips, and collaborating on both companies’ researchers at a nanotechnology complex in Albany. It was later expanded to include chiplet technology. GlobalFoundries and IBM have settled their intellectual property lawsuit and said they are looking for ways to collaborate in the future. The case, which has been ongoing since April 2023, arose from IBM’s transfer of its semiconductor division to GloFo in 2015 and subsequent technology transfers to IBM Rapidus and Intel.

1. CES: Car radar in the cabin in one chip
Texas Instruments has announced an on-board vehicle radar chip that includes both RF interface and signal processing as well as application processing. Unveiled at CES, the AWRL6844 radar is a 60 GHz radar manufactured using 40 nm RF CMOS technology and packaged in a 9.1 x 9.1 mm BGA. Running artificial intelligence algorithms locally, it is designed to provide occupancy monitoring for seat belt reminders, child presence detection and intrusion detection through four transmit antennas and four receive antennas.