1.What are the automotive chips?What are the automotive chips?

Semiconductor components are collectively referred to as chips, and automotive chips are mainly divided into: functional chips, power semiconductors, sensors, etc.

Functional chips, mainly for infotainment systems, ABS systems, etc.;

Power semiconductors are mainly responsible for converting power for power supply and interface;

Sensors can realize functions such as automotive radar and tire pressure monitoring.

2.what type chip is short of supply

Different devices are in short supply at different stages. The general-purpose devices that were in short supply in the first half of the year have been prioritized for production after the resumption of production. The prices have stabilized in the second half of the year, and some power devices and special devices need to be adjusted in production capacity before they can be supplied. MCU (vehicle micro-control unit) is the king of shortage and has not been supplied. Others, such as SoC substrates, power devices, etc., are in a state of rotation shortage. It sounds okay, but in fact, the shortage of turns will lead to the chips in the hands of car companies. Cannot be set. Especially MCU and power devices are all key components.

3.What is the reason for the lack of chips?

In the first half of 2021, the core shortage crisis was discussed. Many people attributed the reasons to two points: First, the epidemic has reduced the production capacity of many overseas factories and severely undersupply; second, the rebounding growth of the automotive industry, and the rapid growth of the automotive market in the second half of 2020 The recovery exceeded the supplier’s prediction. In other words, the epidemic has widened the gap between supply and demand, superimposed on unexpected shutdowns caused by various black swan incidents, resulting in a serious imbalance between supply and demand.

However, more than half a year has passed, and the reasons are still in front of us, but the chip production capacity is still unable to keep up. Why is this? In addition to the epidemic and the black swan incident, it is also related to the particularity of the automotive chip industry.

The first particularity is that the chip production standards are extremely strict.

Generally, the manufacturing industry has experienced phased crises such as fires, water and power outages, and it is relatively simple to restart the production line, but chip production has its particularities. The first is that the cleanliness of the space is very high, and the smoke and dust caused by the fire takes a long time to return to the production state; the second is the restart of the chip production line, which is very troublesome. When the manufacturer restarts the equipment, it is necessary to perform the equipment stability test and small batch production test again, which is extremely labor-intensive. Therefore, the production lines of chip manufacturing and packaging and testing companies generally operate continuously and only stop once a year (overhaul), so it takes more time than other industries to recover from the damage caused by the epidemic and the black swan incident to chip production capacity.

The second particularity is the bullwhip effect of chip orders.

In the past, chip orders were formed by OEMs looking for multiple agents with orders. In order to ensure supply, agents would also increase the quantity. When they were transmitted to chip factories, there was already a serious imbalance between supply and demand, which was often an oversupply. The length and complexity of the supply chain and opaque information make chip makers afraid to expand production capacity because supply and demand are prone to mismatches.

4.The reflection brought about by the lack of chips.

In fact, after the core shortage tide, the auto industry will also form a new normal. For example, the communication between OEMs and chip makers will be more direct, and at the same time the ability of enterprises in the industry chain to control risks will be further improved. The lack of cores will continue for a period of time. This is also an opportunity for reflection on the automotive industry chain. After all problems are exposed, solving problems becomes smooth.