Apart from its TSMC-led silicon-based semiconductor ecosystem, Taiwan also plays a crucial role in the development of compound semiconductors, including the second-generation semiconductors GaAs and InP and third-generation SiC and GaN. As a leading Taiwanese GaAs foundry, Win Semiconductors has built a solid presence in the handset-use power amplifiers (PA), 3D sensors, optical components, LiDAR, and even satellite RF chips. In an interview for the "Silicon Island Chronicles" documentary conducted as part of DIGITIMES s 25th anniversary, Win S.
Transcom, Inc., a Taiwan-based IDM specializing in microwave semiconductor components and sub-system products, is seeing a steady growth momentum for 2023. As Taiwan s only IDM focusing on compound semiconductors, Transcom has been riding on Taiwan s recent endeavor to build a resilient and self-sufficient defense industry.
to hand to weigh up the risk. it s basically a risk management decision of weighing up the downsides versus the upsides about taking these calls. so for them to have made a decision based on this approach, that would suggest there is some evidence, some information they re looking at that i think ultimately worries them just a bit too much. but nexperia says it s ruled out any future compound semiconductor development at the newport site and has pledged to block the export of technology overseas. and some fear the government s divestment order will end up damaging, not safeguarding, this important domestic technology cluster. there s certainly a strong feeling from the industry s leaders that the absence of a national semiconductor strategy from the government is deterring vital foreign investment. we ve lost some opportunities for semiconductor companies, including compound semiconductor companies, to locate in the uk and in particular into wales, going instead to germany where there
photovoltaics, and that s because of the size, weight and power advantages. there are some really crazy things going on there, some really interesting things. so at the moment, people are doing a lot of research in how to transmit power back from space to the earth safely. and once those issues are solved, you can imagine compound semiconductor, large scale photovoltaics in space, power stations in space, really very exciting. now, the newport wafer fab doesn t at the moment actually produce these cutting edge compound semiconductors that they re experimenting on in cardiff. but the government seems to think the nexperia takeover could mean valuable technological knowhow in this area being extracted from the wider welsh cluster and sent to china, or that attempts to develop it here could be stymied because of the chinese presence at newport. compound semiconductor technologies could have security and defence applications, and some insist there are valid national security reasons to blo