. | . |
Drought hits Taiwan drive to plug global chip shortage by AFP Staff Writers Taipei (AFP) Feb 25, 2021 Taiwan's drive to plug a global shortage of microchips has hit a snag - a lack of water for its foundries caused by a drought. Taiwanese high-tech chip foundries are some of the world's biggest and most advanced, and European car manufacturers have been reaching out to Taipei for help. Semiconductor shortages, caused by supply chain priorities changing because of the coronavirus pandemic, have forced some major manufacturers to suspend production lines. Taiwan has said it will try to ramp up production of chips but worsening water shortages could hamper its plans. Under tougher restrictions imposed from Thursday, factories and industrial zones have to cut water use by up to 11 percent in some central and southern parts of the island. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), the world's largest contract microchip maker, said it has initiated measures such as reducing water usage and trucking in water for some facilities this week as a test run to prepare for "possible future needs." "So far there is no impact on production and we are monitoring the water supply situation closely," the company said in a statement. TSMC has said the auto industry was a top priority but warned its factories were already at full capacity. A science park in northern Hsinchu city said other semiconductor companies were making similar preparations for water restrictions. The dry spell came as no typhoons made landfall in Taiwan last year for the first time in 56 years. Water levels in some reservoirs are at below 20 percent, and the central weather bureau predicts "drier than usual" weather for this month and next. The government has "prepared for the worst," said economic affairs minister Wang Mei-hua, as an "orange alert" has been issued to limit total water use and reduce water pressure in some cities. aw/mtp
Data transfer system connects silicon chips with a hair's-width cable Boston MA (SPX) Feb 24, 2021 Researchers have developed a data transfer system that can transmit information 10 times faster than a USB. The new link pairs high-frequency silicon chips with a polymer cable as thin a strand of hair. The system may one day boost energy efficiency in data centers and lighten the loads of electronics-rich spacecraft. The research was presented at this month's IEEE International Solid-State Circuits Conference. The lead author is Jack Holloway '03, MNG '04, who completed his PhD in MIT's Departmen ... read more
|
|
The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us. |