Tongfu Microelectronics

Tongfu Microelectronics (TFME; ) is a publicly listed Chinese semiconductor company headquartered in Nantong, Jiangsu.

It is one of the largest Outsourced Semiconductor Assembly and Test (OSAT) companies in mainland China. It has a focus on developing advanced packaging for HPC, new energy, automotive electronics, and memory sectors.[2]

Background

The origins of TFME can be traced to Nantong Transistor Factory, a state-owned enterprise established in 1966 to produce transistors. After the reform and opening up, overseas products came into the market and state-owned enterprise like Nantong Transistor Factory which lacked competitiveness would go into financial distress. By the end of the 1980s, the factory was one of the poorest enterprises in Nantong and was close to bankruptcy.[3]

In 1990, Nanjing University graduate, Shi Mingda who was a long term employee of the factory and had become the factory manager decided along with several other employees to acquire the factory. The factory was restructured to a joint-stock company and renamed to Nantong Huada Microelectronics.[3]

In 1994, Nantong Huada Microelectronics entered a partnership with Fujitsu where it would transfer the technology to it to assemble logic chips, including microcontrollers and linear integrated circuits, for consumer electronics. Originally a joint venture was suggested but rejected as Fujitsu wanted to try a partnership first.[3][4]

In 1997, Nantong Huada Microelectronics and Fujitsu established a joint venture named Nantong Fujitsu Microelectronics (NFME) to assemble and test integrated circuit products. Nantong Huada Microelectronics held 60% to take lead in its management while Fujitsu held 40%.[3][5]

On 16 August 2007, NFME held its initial public offering becoming a listed company on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange.[3][6]

In October 2015, AMD agreed to sell the majority of its interests in two of its Asian manufacturing operations (Suzhou and Penang, Malaysia) to NFME for $371 million. The deal would involve spinning out the operations into a joint venture with NFME with NFME holding 85% and AMD holding 15%. 1,700 AMD workers at the two factories would become employees of the joint venture.[3][7][8]

In December 2016, NFME changed its name to Tongfu Microelectronics and removed the Fujitsu branding.[9]

In 2018, due to change in business strategy, Fujitsu sold its holdings in TFME to various Chinese stakeholders which included the China Integrated Circuit Industry Investment Fund.[3]

In May 2024, it was reported that ChangXin Memory Technologies was partnering with TFME to produce High Bandwidth Memory semiconductors to reduce foreign reliance.[10] In January 2025, it was reported that TFME had started production.[11]

See also

References

  1. 2023 Annual Report Sina^
  2. Jingyue Hsiao. Tongfu Microelectronics and Tianshui Huatian invest in advanced packaging in China DIGITIMES, 2024-09-26, retrieved 2024-11-01^
  3. 【为国争辉南通人】石明达:30年砥砺前行产业报国 m.thepaper.cn, 23 September 2019, retrieved 18 October 2024^
  4. Planting season Forbes, 20 October 1997, retrieved 18 October 2024^
  5. Fujitsu and Nantong Huada Microelectronics Establish Company in China pr.fujitsu.com, 28 May 1997, retrieved 18 October 2024^
  6. Jamil Anderlini. On Asia: Renaissance gives Shenzhen added stature Financial Times, 3 August 2007, retrieved 18 October 2024^
  7. Ian King. AMD Creates Joint Venture With China's Nantong Fujitsu Bloomberg, 15 October 2015, retrieved 18 October 2024^
  8. Lilly Rockwell. AMD sells majority stake in Asian assembly, testing operations The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, retrieved 18 October 2024^
  9. Nantong Fujitsu Microelectronics changes name to TongFu Microelectronics Co Ltd Reuters, 5 December 2016^
  10. Fanny Potkin. Chinese firms make headway in producing high bandwidth memory for AI chipsets Reuters, 15 May 2024^
  11. Anton Shilov. Third Chinese company begins HBM memory production for AI processors: Report Tom's Hardware, 2025-01-24, retrieved 2025-04-16^