在歐洲舉行的國(guó)際電子論壇(International Electronics Forum)上，瑞薩電子(Renesas Electronics)前任董事長(zhǎng)Junshi (JJ) Yamaguchi 表示，已經(jīng)衰退超過(guò)20年的日本半導(dǎo)體產(chǎn)業(yè)，需要重新選擇關(guān)鍵的技術(shù)領(lǐng)域，并專注于重新崛起。
目前擔(dān)任瑞薩特別顧問(wèn)以及日本半導(dǎo)體產(chǎn)業(yè)協(xié)會(huì)的Yamaguchi指出，311日本大地震與海嘯，對(duì)日本這個(gè)國(guó)家與當(dāng)?shù)氐男酒圃焐虂?lái)說(shuō)，還未證實(shí)是一個(gè)轉(zhuǎn)折點(diǎn)。他在專題演說(shuō)中展示了一張日本芯片業(yè)全球市占率的變化圖，該數(shù)字在1988年為51%，到1994年成為44%，到1998年進(jìn)一步減少到29%，2010年僅剩20%。
Yamaguchi也解釋了造成以上衰退的主要原因。在1970年代，日本決定投資DRAM生產(chǎn)；而1980年個(gè)人計(jì)算機(jī)的銷(xiāo)售成長(zhǎng)帶動(dòng)了對(duì) DRAM需求，也讓日本芯片廠商享受到產(chǎn)品出貨量與營(yíng)收的大幅成長(zhǎng)。但美國(guó)的政治干預(yù)帶來(lái)了一個(gè)轉(zhuǎn)折點(diǎn)，日本與美國(guó)并在1988年簽署了一份美日半導(dǎo)體協(xié)議(U.S.–Japan Semiconductor Agreement)；根據(jù)該協(xié)議，日本不得以低于成本的價(jià)格銷(xiāo)售DRAM，美國(guó)供貨商在日本芯片市場(chǎng)的占有率也由10%提高到20%。
“對(duì)日本半導(dǎo)體業(yè)者的資本支出與進(jìn)口的限制，讓韓國(guó)(在DRAM與半導(dǎo)體市場(chǎng))的勢(shì)力崛起；”Yamaguchi表示，日本的態(tài)度一直太過(guò)保守，其問(wèn)題因?yàn)楸淮蟛糠峙懦贒RAM市場(chǎng)之外，以及專注于ASIC生產(chǎn)太久而持續(xù)存在：“在2000年，SoC的商機(jī)曾經(jīng)非常強(qiáng)勁，但是ASSP組件，并非ASIC組件?！碑?dāng)時(shí)晶圓代工產(chǎn)業(yè)也迅速成長(zhǎng)。
日本半導(dǎo)體產(chǎn)業(yè)全球市占率變化0jOesmc
“日本需要改革；”Yamaguchi表示，他也看到了一些廠商態(tài)度開(kāi)始轉(zhuǎn)變的跡象，也就是從311大地震之后開(kāi)始的：“瑞薩以不可思議的成就在3個(gè)月內(nèi)恢復(fù)生產(chǎn)，并非原先預(yù)計(jì)的6至9個(gè)月?！彼硎?，這意味著當(dāng)人們團(tuán)結(jié)起來(lái)、犧牲假日，是可以完成目標(biāo)的。
Yamaguchi認(rèn)為，日本廠商在部分領(lǐng)域仍然占據(jù)領(lǐng)導(dǎo)地位，因此該國(guó)廠商應(yīng)該專注于發(fā)展微控制器、NAND閃存、CMOS傳感器等產(chǎn)品。由于目前全球經(jīng)濟(jì)成長(zhǎng)的主要?jiǎng)恿?lái)自于鄰近的亞洲國(guó)家，日本有很好的優(yōu)勢(shì)地位可以在需要軟硬件解決方案的眾多應(yīng)用中與他國(guó)競(jìng)爭(zhēng)，例如行動(dòng)消費(fèi)性電子裝置、永續(xù)能源、醫(yī)療照護(hù)與安全等等。
“我們過(guò)去雖然有很多問(wèn)題，但現(xiàn)在已經(jīng)知道該往哪里走！”Yamaguchi做結(jié)論。
編譯：Judith Cheng
本文授權(quán)編譯自EE Times，版權(quán)所有，謝絕轉(zhuǎn)載
參考英文原文：IEF: Japan can rise again, says exec，by Peter Clarke
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IEF: Japan can rise again, says exec
Peter Clarke
SEVILLE, Spain – The Japanese semiconductor industry, which has been in decline for more than 20 years, needs to select key technology areas and refocus to rise again, Junshi (JJ) Yamaguchi, former chairman of chip company Renesas Electronics Corp., told the International Electronics Forum, being organized here.
Yamaguchi, who now serves as special advisor to Renesas and as chairman of the Japan Semiconductor Industry Association, indicated that the tragedy of the great Japanese earthquake and tsunami of March 2011 could yet prove to be a turning a point of for the country and its remaining chip manufacturers.
He opened his presentation by painting a picture of the decline of the Japanese chip industry as a percentage of the global output. This went from 51 percent in 1988 to 44 percent in 1994 to 29 percent in 1998 and to just 20 percent in 2010, he said.
Yamaguchi explained the key events that prompted the decline.
In the 1970s Japan had decided to invest in DRAM production. Increasing sales of personal computers in the 1980s drove DRAM consumption resulting in high volumes and revenues for numerous Japanese chip companies.
The turning point was political intervention by the United States that led to the signing in 1988 of U.S.–Japan Semiconductor Agreement in 1988. Under the agreement Japan agreed to not to sell DRAMs at below cost and also to raise the U.S. market share in the Japanese chip market from the prevailing 10 percent to 20 percent. "Limits on Japanese capex and imports helped create South Korea as a force [in DRAMs and semiconductors]," said Yamaguchi.
However, Japan continued to be too conservative Yamaguchi said. Its problems continued when, having been largely forced out of DRAMs it stayed focused on ASIC production for too long. "In the 2000s there was a strong market for SoCs; that is ASSPs rather than ASICs." During this time there was rapid growth in foundry.
Japan has to change
"Japan has to change," Yamaguchi said. And he sees some evidence for that happening, starting with the response to the earthquake and tsunami that devastated his country.
"Renesas made an incredible effort to recover its manufacturing within three months, not six or nine months." He said this shows what can be achieved when people come together on a mission and are prepared to work weekdays and weekends until the goal achieved.
Japanese companies still have a commanding position in some sectors. So the country needs to focus on microcontrollers, NAND flash memory, CMOS sensors, Yamaguchi said.
With much of the global economic growth nearby in Asia Japan is well placed to compete in the many applications that will demand hardware and software solutions; things like mobile consumer electronics and sustainable and energy-related development, healthcare and security.
"We had a lot of issues in our past but we have recognized where we should go!" Yamaguchi concluded.
