Japan: Power of semiconductor equipment industry: Advantest, Tokyo Electron
Japanese semiconductor industry:
Japan is strong in semiconductor manufacturing equipment and material development.
By no means, it is not strong against semiconductor chips.
Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry of Japan:
In the past, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry and the electronics manufacturers worked together to develop semiconductors, all of which failed.
In semiconductor development in Japan
Stop developing DRAM
To develop a system LSI
It has issued a big command to the manufacturer.
As a result, Japan’s DRAM lost to South Korea and Micron.
This is because it was not possible to make an inexpensive DRAM aimed at the demand for personal computers.
Since then, it has neglected low-cost design technology and manufacturing technology.
Kioxia:
Sony Semiconductor Solutions:
Renesas Electronics:
Of the three major domestic companies that remain
Kioxia and Sony:
They make money from old-fashioned mass-produced memory and CMOS image sensors.
However, it is not a system LSI.
Renesas only:
Manufactures system LSI (also called SoC).
However, it’s like being crushed and regenerated.
Japan made a big mistake with system LSI:
A system LSI is an “IC that is differentiated by software according to the customer.”
It is very different from the DRAM that produced 20 million pieces per month.
The system LSI is a product that can be sufficiently covered with a monthly production of hundreds of thousands.
System LSIs are not products that are invested in factories.
Japanese electronics maker owners were unaware of this.
Japanese semiconductor manufacturing equipment manufacturer:
On the other hand, Japanese semiconductor manufacturing equipment manufacturers have increased their overseas sales ratio.
Advantest:
Advantest, the largest in the semiconductor tester industry
Now, the overseas sales ratio is always extremely high at around 92%.
Tokyo Electron:
Tokyo Electron also has 85% overseas sales.
Independent from Japanese electronics manufacturer:
The common denominator of these Japanese semiconductor manufacturing equipment manufacturers is that they are “independent of Japanese electronics manufacturers.”
Since the parent company is not an electronics manufacturer, I was able to increase overseas sales on my own.
Hitachi High-Tech:
Unfortunately, Hitachi High-Tech’s overseas sales ratio is as low as about 60%.
This semiconductor manufacturing equipment maker is always behind the electronics maker Hitachi.
–Yahoo! News
https://news.yahoo.co.jp/byline/tsudakenji/20210405-00230730/