Automotive semiconductor companies NXP and Infineon also shut down
As a power shortage occurred due to a record cold wave in the United States, semiconductor companies in the United States such as Samsung Electronics stopped operating their factories.
It is predicted that the global semiconductor supply shortage will worsen as major automotive semiconductor companies such as NXP and Infineon also stop operating their lines due to power supply and demand problems.
According to foreign media and industry sources on the 17th, the Samsung Electronics semiconductor plant in Austin, Texas, has stopped operating since the power supply has been cut off from the dawn of this day in Korean time.
An official from Samsung Electronics explained, “We have been informed in advance that the electricity supply will be stopped due to the power shortage problem. We have taken precautions to minimize the damage and are waiting for the power supply to be restored.”
Samsung Electronics’ Austin plant mainly produces power semiconductor products for IT devices and semiconductors for communication based on 14 nanometers (1 billionth of a meter) process technology.
It is said that it was the first time the Austin plant was shut down since the establishment of the plant in 1998.
Due to the nature of semiconductor microprocessing in nanometer units, there is a situation where short-term electrostatic products must be discarded. Some analysts say that the power outage may cause damage worth hundreds of billions of dollars.
It is reported that Samsung Electronics has not yet been notified of the time to resume power supply.
According to foreign media, not only Samsung Electronics, but also NXP and Infineon, a global automotive semiconductor company in the vicinity, have stopped operating the line due to the power outage.
Recently, the global automobile industry has even cut production due to a shortage of semiconductors, but analysts say that the US blackout will worsen the global automotive semiconductor supply and demand situation.
CNN broadcast on the 16th (local time) citing the analysis data from the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), a record cold wave caused 73% of the total area of the 48 states on the mainland to snowball, and those who died from the cold wave have been It reported that there were at least 15 people.
According to foreign media, electricity was cut off to 5.5 million households in 18 states, including Texas, Oregon, Kentucky, West Virginia, and Virginia. Of these, the power outages in Texas, where Samsung Electronics’ semiconductor factories were located, were the most damaged at 4.3 million.
It is known that companies with production facilities in the US, such as the manufacturer GM, have stopped operating their production facilities due to power supply problems.
/yunhap news