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> The plant will produce chips for intelligent power management > The company ... sought to capitalise on the massive AI investment boom These chips are proba

by usrnm 3mo ago

> The plant will produce chips for intelligent power management > The company ... sought to capitalise on the massive AI investment boom These chips are probably very useful and important, but I don't see what they have to do with AI. Does everything need to have the word AI these days?

wolfi1 3mo ago
there was a buzzword bingo and their application reached Bingo! first.
alephnerd 3mo ago
> don't see what they have to do with AI Not directly. This fab is meant to primarily fabricate compound semiconductors which is Infineon's niche and is a major bottleneck for European industry today. > Does everything need to have the word AI these days Because Infineon's press release [0] for their compound semiconductor fab called out "AI". Additonally, the "semiconductor" and "hardware" segment has now been rebranded has "AI" in a number of funds. By calling out something that's even tenuously tied to "AI", it allows funds that are contractually tied to investing in "AI" to purchase Infineon stock. Investor relations is important as well. [0] - https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/infineon-opens-the-worlds-largest-fab-for-power-semiconductors-and-analogmixed-signal-technologies-in-dresden-302816962.html https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/infineon-opens-the-...
_fizz_buzz_ 3mo ago
Infineon is betting big on the 800V dc power distribution that seems to become the new standard for AI data centers which is directly relevant for the chips that are made in this fab.
- tencentshill 3mo ago
  Hopefully they can use that tech to expand the EV fast charger network once the AI bubble pops.
  - _fizz_buzz_ 3mo ago
    I think (but I have no actual insides), they picked 800V dc for datacenter also because that is commonly used for the DC bus in EVs. So, one can share a lot of components across industries. Also, 800V just kind of works well for power transistors like SiC Fets.
1718627440 3mo ago
I think this fab was already in construction before the AI hype, this is just marketing.
- joe_mamba 3mo ago
  [flagged]
  - topspin 3mo ago
    "Process node," in the sense of logic, RAM or Flash density, isn't relevant here. These are power devices. Silicon Carbide FETS and whatnot; bulk current switching and related devices. Not frontier process node logic devices. That reality is carefully left unclear in all this "silicon sovereignty" narrative. It's a nice plant with new tooling cranking out 300mm wafers, but it's not the same game as a TSMC or Intel fab making cutting edge, high margin silicon, and there are a number of competitors making similar power devices around the world. And yes, the "AI" fluff is pure marketing nonsense; everyone needs lots of power devices for everything. Yes, they'll obviously seek lucrative contracts to supply exotic power devices for AI applications, but that stuff gets commoditized quickly.

by usrnm 3mo ago

wolfi1 3mo ago

there was a buzzword bingo and their application reached Bingo! first.

alephnerd 3mo ago

> don't see what they have to do with AI Not directly. This fab is meant to primarily fabricate compound semiconductors which is Infineon's niche and is a major bottleneck for European industry today. > Does everything need to have the word AI these days Because Infineon's press release [0] for their compound semiconductor fab called out "AI". Additonally, the "semiconductor" and "hardware" segment has now been rebranded has "AI" in a number of funds. By calling out something that's even tenuously tied to "AI", it allows funds that are contractually tied to investing in "AI" to purchase Infineon stock. Investor relations is important as well. [0] - https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/infineon-opens-the-worlds-largest-fab-for-power-semiconductors-and-analogmixed-signal-technologies-in-dresden-302816962.html https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/infineon-opens-the-...

_fizz_buzz_ 3mo ago

Infineon is betting big on the 800V dc power distribution that seems to become the new standard for AI data centers which is directly relevant for the chips that are made in this fab.

tencentshill 3mo ago
Hopefully they can use that tech to expand the EV fast charger network once the AI bubble pops.
- _fizz_buzz_ 3mo ago
  I think (but I have no actual insides), they picked 800V dc for datacenter also because that is commonly used for the DC bus in EVs. So, one can share a lot of components across industries. Also, 800V just kind of works well for power transistors like SiC Fets.

1718627440 3mo ago

I think this fab was already in construction before the AI hype, this is just marketing.

joe_mamba 3mo ago
[flagged]
- topspin 3mo ago
  "Process node," in the sense of logic, RAM or Flash density, isn't relevant here. These are power devices. Silicon Carbide FETS and whatnot; bulk current switching and related devices. Not frontier process node logic devices. That reality is carefully left unclear in all this "silicon sovereignty" narrative. It's a nice plant with new tooling cranking out 300mm wafers, but it's not the same game as a TSMC or Intel fab making cutting edge, high margin silicon, and there are a number of competitors making similar power devices around the world. And yes, the "AI" fluff is pure marketing nonsense; everyone needs lots of power devices for everything. Yes, they'll obviously seek lucrative contracts to supply exotic power devices for AI applications, but that stuff gets commoditized quickly.