The Korea Times
amn_close.png
amn_bl.png
National
  • Politics
  • Foreign Affairs
  • Multicultural Community
  • Defense
  • Environment & Animals
  • Law & Crime
  • Society
  • Health & Science
amn_bl.png
Business
  • Tech
  • Bio
  • Companies
  • World Expo 2030
amn_bl.png
Finance
  • Companies
  • Economy
  • Markets
  • Cryptocurrency
amn_bl.png
Opinion
  • Editorial
  • Columns
  • Thoughts of the Times
  • Cartoon
  • Today in History
  • Blogs
  • Tribune Service
  • Blondie & Garfield
  • Letter to the Editor
amn_bl.png
Lifestyle
  • Travel & Food
  • Trends
  • People & Events
  • Books
  • Around Town
  • Fortune Telling
amn_bl.png
Entertainment & Arts
  • K-pop
  • Films
  • Shows & Dramas
  • Music
  • Theater & Others
amn_bl.png
Sports
  • Hangzhou Asian Games
amn_bl.png
World
  • SCMP
  • Asia
amn_bl.png
Video
  • Korean Storytellers
  • POPKORN
  • Culture
  • People
  • News
amn_bl.png
Photos
  • Photo News
  • Darkroom
amn_NK.png amn_DR.png amn_LK.png amn_LE.png
  • bt_fb_on_2022.svgbt_fb_over_2022.svg
  • bt_twitter_on_2022.svgbt_twitter_over_2022.svg
  • bt_youtube_on_2022.svgbt_youtube_over_2022.svg
  • bt_instagram_on_2022.svgbt_instagram_over_2022.svg
The Korea Times
amn_close.png
amn_bl.png
National
  • Politics
  • Foreign Affairs
  • Multicultural Community
  • Defense
  • Environment & Animals
  • Law & Crime
  • Society
  • Health & Science
amn_bl.png
Business
  • Tech
  • Bio
  • Companies
  • World Expo 2030
amn_bl.png
Finance
  • Companies
  • Economy
  • Markets
  • Cryptocurrency
amn_bl.png
Opinion
  • Editorial
  • Columns
  • Thoughts of the Times
  • Cartoon
  • Today in History
  • Blogs
  • Tribune Service
  • Blondie & Garfield
  • Letter to the Editor
amn_bl.png
Lifestyle
  • Travel & Food
  • Trends
  • People & Events
  • Books
  • Around Town
  • Fortune Telling
amn_bl.png
Entertainment & Arts
  • K-pop
  • Films
  • Shows & Dramas
  • Music
  • Theater & Others
amn_bl.png
Sports
  • Hangzhou Asian Games
amn_bl.png
World
  • SCMP
  • Asia
amn_bl.png
Video
  • Korean Storytellers
  • POPKORN
  • Culture
  • People
  • News
amn_bl.png
Photos
  • Photo News
  • Darkroom
amn_NK.png amn_DR.png amn_LK.png amn_LE.png
  • bt_fb_on_2022.svgbt_fb_over_2022.svg
  • bt_twitter_on_2022.svgbt_twitter_over_2022.svg
  • bt_youtube_on_2022.svgbt_youtube_over_2022.svg
  • bt_instagram_on_2022.svgbt_instagram_over_2022.svg
  • Login
  • Register
  • Login
  • Register
  • The Korea Times
  • search
  • all menu
  • Login
  • Subscribe
  • Photos
  • Video
  • World
  • Sports
  • Opinion
  • Entertainment & Art
  • Lifestyle
  • Finance
  • Business
  • National
  • North Korea
  • 1

    INTERVIEWYim Si-wan went extra mile to portray legendary athlete in 'Road to Boston'

  • 3

    S. Korea to stage massive military parade as tensions with North remain high

  • 5

    China's 'batwoman' scientist warns another coronavirus outbreak is 'highly likely'

  • 7

    BTS' Jungkook to drop 2nd solo single '3D'

  • 9

    Tanghulu captures hearts of Korean millennials and Gen Z

  • 11

    Korea, Saudi Arabia celebrate 93rd Saudi National Day, vow stronger cooperation

  • 13

    Lee Jae-myung's possible arrest looms over main opposition party

  • 15

    PHOTOSHarvest season arrives

  • 17

    LG Chem to build LFP cathode plant with Huayou in Morocco

  • 19

    An American high school experience in Seoul

  • 2

    Samsung, SK relieved by revised chip restrictions on China

  • 4

    K-pop group Kingdom recalls album cover resembling Quran

  • 6

    Seoul, Beijing try to mend fences as Russia and N. Korea grow closer

  • 8

    4 in 10 Koreans experience overdue wages: survey

  • 10

    Patients, doctors at loggerheads as operating room CCTV footage made mandatory

  • 12

    The ethical issues of AI: fighting the right battles

  • 14

    Low growth becomes new normal for Korean economy

  • 16

    Mirae Asset Global Investments' AUM reaches $219 bil.

  • 18

    Bears of Joseon part 2: Behind bars

  • 20

    Russian FM to visit Pyongyang next month as follow-up to Kim-Putin summit

Close scrollclosebutton

Close for 24 hours

Open
  • The Korea Times
  • search
  • all menu
  • Login
  • Subscribe
  • Photos
  • Video
  • World
  • Sports
  • Opinion
  • Entertainment & Art
  • Lifestyle
  • Finance
  • Business
  • National
  • North Korea
Business
  • Tech
  • Bio
  • Companies
  • World Expo 2030
Tue, September 26, 2023 | 18:24
Tech
EXCLUSIVESamsung mulls buying stakes in Arm
Posted : 2020-08-03 17:01
Updated : 2020-08-03 18:45
Baek Byung-yeul
Print PreviewPrint Preview
Font Size UpFont Size Up
Font Size DownFont Size Down
  • facebook
  • twitter
  • kakaolink
  • whatsapp
  • reddit
  • mailto
  • link
Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong, left, and SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son, second from right, arrive at the Korea Furniture Museum in Seoul, in this July 4, 2019, file photo, to attend a dinner with the leaders of Korea's conglomerates. / Korea Times file
Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong, left, and SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son, second from right, arrive at the Korea Furniture Museum in Seoul, in this July 4, 2019, file photo, to attend a dinner with the leaders of Korea's conglomerates. / Korea Times file

By Baek Byung-yeul

Samsung Electronics is set to join the acquisition race for the British semiconductor company Arm, which has been put up for sale by its current owner SoftBank, but the Korean tech giant will try to participate in the bid in the form of equity investment, obtaining a small stake in the chip-designing firm, according to a top official in the semiconductor industry here, Monday.

"Samsung Electronics is considering acquiring a small stake in Arm, which will be between 3 percent and 5 percent," said the top industry official, who requested to remain anonymous. "Arm will be acquired by a consortium led by multiple parties from the semiconductor industry given the complex nature of Arm's shareholding structure."

The official also mentioned that Samsung's move in the acquisition race will be similar to that of acquiring equities in Dutch semiconductor equipment maker ASML.

In 2012, Samsung acquired a 3-percent stake in ASML Holdings for 766.4 billion won ($642 million). The Korean tech giant decided to become a stakeholder in the Dutch company as it is the world's largest manufacturer of lithography systems, which are used to print circuit patterns on silicon wafers. ASML is also the only supplier for the extreme ultraviolet (EUV) technology-based lithography equipment, a core product used to produce smaller and more power-efficient chips.

"As seen in Samsung's previous equity purchasing in ASML, Samsung will likely try to acquire equities in Arm. As Samsung could solidify its partnership with ASML after the equity acquisition, Samsung expects it can reduce its licensing fee expenditure by securing equity in Arm," the official added.

Established in 1990, the U.K.-based company Arm is a global leader in mobile chip architecture design that generates profit by licensing its intellectual property to tech giants including Samsung Electronics, Apple and Qualcomm.

Mobile application processor chips are used in most smartphones; Apple's A-series, Samsung's Exynos and Qualcomm's Snapdragon chips are based on Arm's architecture. Every chipmaker using the architecture pays a licensing fee upfront, which depends on the complexity of the design, and the companies additionally pay a royalty for each chip sold.

Its mother company SoftBank is considering either selling Arm or going through with an initial public offering for the chip-designing unit because the Japanese tech giant is strapped for cash after its $100 billion Vision Fund posted losses for two consecutive quarters.

It was rumored that Samsung or other tech giants such as Apple or Nvidia would attempt to acquire Arm as such a move could help them take the upper hand in the semiconductor market.

But Jim Handy, a U.S.-based seasoned semiconductor analyst working for Objective Analysis, said Arm will be merged by a consortium comprised of fabless companies or intelligent system design companies such as Rambus, Cadence and Synopsys. The rationale for that is because these firms are similar to Arm, generating revenue through IP licensing.

Recently, some suggested that Nvidia, a U.S.-based graphics chip maker, would become the sole suitor for Arm, but the top official said it is unlikely because it will be difficult for the graphics chip maker to win approval from the various fair trade commissions in semiconductor powerhouse regions: the U.S., the EU, and East Asia ― Japan, China and Korea.

The official also expressed doubt whether Nvidia has sufficient financial firepower to become an independent acquirer of Arm given SoftBank reportedly wants to sell Arm based on a valuation of over $41 billion.

"Nvidia won't become the sole suitor for Arm as the company needs to win approvals from fair trade authorities in countries that are doing business with the British company. I think it will be difficult for Nvidia to gain approval from any of those authorities," he said.


Emailbaekby@koreatimes.co.kr Article ListMore articles by this reporter
 
miguel
wooribank
Top 10 Stories
14 in 10 Koreans experience overdue wages: survey 4 in 10 Koreans experience overdue wages: survey
2Tanghulu captures hearts of Korean millennials and Gen Z Tanghulu captures hearts of Korean millennials and Gen Z
3[PHOTOS] Harvest season arrives PHOTOSHarvest season arrives
4K-pop fans rally in Seoul against luxury brands' failure on climate action K-pop fans rally in Seoul against luxury brands' failure on climate action
5Korea has world's highest senior poverty rate: data Korea has world's highest senior poverty rate: data
6Korean gov't faces international criticism for R&D budget cuts Korean gov't faces international criticism for R&D budget cuts
7LG Uplus, Hanwha develop ceiling-mounted EV charging system LG Uplus, Hanwha develop ceiling-mounted EV charging system
8[EXCLUSIVE] Lawmakers to submit resolution urging China to free N. Korean escapees EXCLUSIVELawmakers to submit resolution urging China to free N. Korean escapees
9SK earthon begins crude oil production in South China Sea SK earthon begins crude oil production in South China Sea
10Main opposition chief in showdown with prosecutors over arrest Main opposition chief in showdown with prosecutors over arrest
Top 5 Entertainment News
1K-pop group Kingdom recalls album cover resembling Quran K-pop group Kingdom recalls album cover resembling Quran
2BTS' Jungkook to drop 2nd solo single '3D' BTS' Jungkook to drop 2nd solo single '3D'
3Cho Seong-jin celebrates 140-year ties between Korea, UK Cho Seong-jin celebrates 140-year ties between Korea, UK
4[INTERVIEW] ONEUS returns as 'mermaid prince' INTERVIEWONEUS returns as 'mermaid prince'
5Kep1er unveils 'Magic Hour' with fresh perspective on love Kep1er unveils 'Magic Hour' with fresh perspective on love
DARKROOM
  • Turkey-Syria earthquake

    Turkey-Syria earthquake

  • Nepal plane crash

    Nepal plane crash

  • Brazil capital uprising

    Brazil capital uprising

  • Happy New Year 2023

    Happy New Year 2023

  • World Cup 2022 Final - Argentina vs France

    World Cup 2022 Final - Argentina vs France

CEO & Publisher : Oh Young-jin
Digital News Email : webmaster@koreatimes.co.kr
Tel : 02-724-2114
Online newspaper registration No : 서울,아52844
Date of registration : 2020.02.05
Masthead : The Korea Times
Copyright © koreatimes.co.kr. All rights reserved.
  • About Us
  • Introduction
  • History
  • Contact Us
  • Products & Services
  • Subscribe
  • E-paper
  • RSS Service
  • Content Sales
  • Site Map
  • Policy
  • Code of Ethics
  • Ombudsman
  • Privacy Statement
  • Terms of Service
  • Copyright Policy
  • Family Site
  • Hankook Ilbo
  • Dongwha Group