Since the second half of last year, the global semiconductor market has ushered in a problem that must be faced. All chip-related companies have fallen into a situation of core shortage, that is, "core shortage". It stands to reason that with the help of major chip foundries, there should be no shortage of chip production capacity, but this is not the case. Now, the "core shortage" has spread to all walks of life.
For a simple example, in the first half of this year, many new machines were released in China, some of which are very cost-effective, and they are favored by consumers. But unfortunately, these mobile phones are often in short supply, and they will be out of stock after a period of sale, and consumers can only buy them by snapping up.
For major mobile phone manufacturers, the higher the sales volume of products, the better. However, due to the insufficient supply of chips, they simply cannot guarantee the stock of related models. In this way, it will only hurt consumers, and the lack of core seems to be no big problem, but it will affect people’s daily life, because nowadays all kinds of electronic products and machinery and equipment are inseparable from the support of chips.
So why is the semiconductor industry "core shortage"? Can it be said that the whole industrial chain has been unable to operate normally? In fact, the lack of chips was first exposed in the second half of last year. Before that, the semiconductor market did not have to worry about the lack of chips, and the United States just formulated the so-called chip rules in September last year. There must be some connection between the two.
In other words, a large part of the reason why the semiconductor industry lacks cores is that American chip rules interfere with the normal shipment of major foundries, which has affected their production capacity. Domestic enterprises, led by Huawei, are the main targets of the rules, and now they are facing the pressure of chip shortage and have to find new breakthroughs.
President of ASML issued a "warning"
It is worth mentioning that the status quo of the semiconductor industry is not only for domestic companies, but also for some foreign companies, including the world’s top mask aligner giant ASML. In April this year, the president of ASML issued a "warning": If the United States persists in its wrong behavior, it will not only miss out on the China market, but also promote the rise of China chips.
The implication of ASML is that the chip rules formulated by the United States are not only a kind of pressure, but also a kind of motivation, which constantly urges China Semiconductor Company. Moreover, before that, our country had set the goal of achieving 70% chip self-sufficiency rate in the next five years. As the saying goes, the greater the pressure, the greater the motivation, and it may not be long before domestic chips can be self-reliant.
In addition, China is still the largest chip consumption market in the world, and the number of chips consumed every year is unimaginable. The United States restricts the normal export activities of major chip companies through technical means, and in the end it will only be shooting itself in the foot and will not get any favorable results.
It is precisely because of these considerations that ASML’s attitude towards China will change. At present, 11 mask aligner sets have been submitted to China. This is a big boost to the domestic chip industry. With the support of mask aligner, the domestic chip manufacturing level will go further.
Huawei has made the right decision.
However, it should be noted that ASML also has its own purpose. The reason why ASML is friendly to China is to seize the China market and further consolidate its position. Fortunately, Huawei in China has made a correct decision and pointed out the direction for other domestic enterprises. ASML’s wishful thinking is not so easy to succeed.
Although Huawei is the key "focus" of the United States, it has been holding an uncompromising attitude in the past two years and has made some achievements under pressure. For example, Huawei and the Chinese Academy of Sciences jointly announced an important decision before, and they will enter the field of mask aligner in the future, creating mask aligner products that truly belong to China, and will no longer be "stuck" by ASML.
As far as the current situation is concerned, Huawei’s business focus has begun to shift to the direction of software. Whether it is the appearance of HarmonyOS OS or the appearance of smart car solutions, it means that Huawei has found a new breakthrough. As long as Huawei continues to stick to its own path, American rules will not be able to restrict it, and eventually it will slowly lose its role.
Write it at the end
To sum up, the fermentation of the global "core shortage" has caused changes in the semiconductor market, and the "warning" issued by the president of ASML is the most powerful proof. As for Huawei’s decision, it is the smartest choice at the moment. Since the supply of chips is insufficient, why not look for other development directions?
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