It is rumored that Samsung plans to acquire NXP, optimistic about the automotive semiconductor market?

Samsung Group has made frequent moves recently.According to foreign media reports on June 7, Samsung Group Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong will discuss the investment and acquisition case in the European visit plan from June 7 to 18, in which NXP, one of TSMC's major customers, will be locked.

According to the data, NXP was formerly the semiconductor division of Philips of the Netherlands, which was spun off from Philips in 2006 and acquired Freescale in 2015.At present, it has become the largest automotive chip manufacturer in Europe, and its products are widely used in secure connected cars, mobile devices, industrial Internet of Things, smart cities, smart homes, communication infrastructure and other fields.

According to industry interpretation, Samsung’s move is mainly optimistic about the automotive semiconductor market, and this round of acquisitions will also be an important strategy for Samsung to poach TSMC customers.

In fact, news of Samsung Group's intention to acquire European manufacturers has been reported since 2021, covering major manufacturers such as Dutch businessman NXP and German businessman Infineon. However, due to the global outbreak of the new crown epidemic, Samsung's overseas contacts have not been smooth. Suspended once.This time, Li Zaiyong started his overseas trip after six months. In addition to targeting investment or acquiring NXP, Germany's Infineon and Britain's ARM will also be the targets of cooperation.

It is worth mentioning that it is also reported that Lee Jae-yong will also visit ASML in the Netherlands, aiming at the latest EUV equipment procurement and the next-generation equipment cooperation plan.

You know, Samsung is actively catching up with TSMC, of ​​which EUV is a more critical device.And Lee Jae-yong's personal visit to ASML this time has a strong meaning.

It is reported that among the 48 EUV devices ASML will ship in 2021, Samsung and TSMC have purchased 15 and 20 units respectively.At this year's Q1 earnings meeting, ASML also stated that it would maintain itsproduction capacityexpectation of 55 EUV lithography machines.According to supply chain news, Samsung will order 18 EUV lithography machines this year, while TSMC will order at least 22.

In addition, it is rumored that the price of next-generation EUV equipment has skyrocketed.It is understood that the latest price of the EXE:5200 system, which was first ordered by Intel, is estimated to exceed US$400 million.