To break through the technical, mass production, and yield challenges in advanced packaging processes such as 3D IC and CoWoS, SEMI, together with TSMC and ASE Holdings, has established the "3DIC Advanced Manufacturing Alliance." The alliance gathers industry players from the equipment and materials sectors to build a globally competitive local supply chain, ensuring that backend processes no longer become growth bottlenecks for the artificial intelligence (AI) industry.

Soaring demand for AI computing is ushering the semiconductor sector into a fresh cycle of high-speed growth, pushing advanced packaging requirements to new heights. From infrastructure expansion to end-user applications, the ecosystem now relies heavily on precision technologies, with chip-on-wafer-on-substrate (CoWoS) processes at the forefront.

Kemflo International has completed its activated carbon regeneration plant in Pingtung and is moving forward with environmental certification and licensing as it shifts focus toward circular economy solutions in semiconductor manufacturing. The company aims to establish a new growth area by offering regeneration services for spent activated carbon, widely used in liquid purification processes.

Simon Yang, the former YMTC CEO and later deputy chairman, has joined Rong Semiconductor (Ningbo) Co. (RongSemi) as head of its technical expert committee. The announcement came alongside RongSemi's September 8, 2025, statement denying reports that construction of its 12-inch fab in Ningbo had been suspended. The company said Yang has been guiding technical work in the role since July 2024.

The high bandwidth memory (HBM) market has become one of the most competitive arenas in the semiconductor industry, with Micron Technology signaling its confidence in its position. Micron Technology reports its 2026 HBM output is already sold out, underscoring the company's confidence in its market position as demand intensifies.

India-based IC design firm L&T Semiconductor Technologies (LTSCT) announced on Friday that it has acquired the power module design assets of Japan's Fujitsu General Electronics (FGEL), marking a significant step in its push to expand capabilities in power electronics.

Speaking ahead of SEMICON Taiwan 2025, Globalwafers chairperson Doris Hsu said competition in semiconductors is shifting from process nodes and capacity to control of critical materials and supply-chain resilience, which she argued will decide future industry leadership.

Industrial PC (IPC) manufacturers have been actively expanding into new application markets in recent years, optimistic about the semiconductor industry's growing demand for full-process automation. Taiwan-based IPC maker Aplex Technology is strengthening its software capabilities in the semiconductor sector through investment in Adirtek. By also joining TSS Holdings, Aplex aims to leverage its comprehensive product lineup—including AI IPCs, human-machine interfaces, embedded hosts, edge computing, and AI software operation platforms—combined with Adirtek's system-level competitiveness to jointly penetrate the semiconductor industry supply chain.

As the global semiconductor industry undergoes rapid restructuring, Chinese equipment makers are racing to achieve breakthroughs and scale. ACM Research (Shanghai), Inc. has introduced its first KrF lithography coater-developer system, the Ultra Lith KrF, a pivotal move into front-end lithography tools for mature-node production.

Taiwan's semiconductor sector continues to assert its significance globally, with surging demand for advanced processing and packaging technologies driving industrial PC (IPC) manufacturers to deepen their involvement. Industry participants highlight the growing need for customized, stable solutions across wafer fabrication and testing stages.

Intel has announced a series of senior leadership appointments aimed at advancing its core product business, scaling its foundry operations, and reinforcing engineering capabilities across the company. The moves, which include new hires and expanded responsibilities for key executives, come as Intel continues its efforts to improve execution and sharpen competitiveness in the semiconductor industry.

TSMC and major OSAT firms are aggressively expanding their advanced packaging capacity in response to rising demand driven by AI applications. Once considered peripheral, advanced packaging has become central to semiconductor strategy, with equipment suppliers forecasting robust growth through at least 2026.

As SEMICON Taiwan 2025 nears, ASE Technology's COO Tien Wu highlighted the semiconductor industry's decade-long outlook, stressing challenges in reshaping the value chain in the post-AI era. He emphasized Taiwan's lead in advanced process technologies for AI and data centers over the next two to three years, backed by its strong supply chain ecosystem.

TSMC will hold its Supply Chain Management Forum (SCM Forum) on November 13, 2025. Notably, Yuan-Guo Huang, who was promoted to vice president of materials management in early August this year, is set to make his first public appearance at the event. He will reportedly also engage in a dinner exchange with supply chain partners after the forum.

Samsung Electronics is reportedly expected to feature its in-house application processor (AP), the Exynos 2600, in the upcoming Galaxy S26 flagship series scheduled for early 2026. This move marks Exynos's return to Samsung's main flagship market, a bet on both corporate pride and technological prowess.

The 26th China International Optoelectronic Exposition (CIOE) will take place September 10–12, 2025, at the Shenzhen World Exhibition and Convention Center, alongside the International Semiconductor Exhibition & IC Industry Innovation Expo 2025 (SEMI-e). DIGITIMES will provide on-the-ground coverage in Shenzhen, with simultaneous English reporting on DIGITIMES Asia.

The Trump administration recently announced it would acquire nearly 10% of Intel's shares, becoming its largest shareholder. This move marks one of the most notable government interventions in a private company since the US government's bailout of the automotive industry during the 2008 financial crisis.

Samsung Electronics is reportedly accelerating the construction of its fifth plant (P5) in Pyeongtaek, South Korea.

Marc Hijink, a technology reporter at Dutch daily NRC, has released "The ASML Way", a book that explores how the Dutch lithography champion rose to dominate semiconductor manufacturing equipment.

The upcoming SEMICON Taiwan will feature keynote speeches from top executives at South Korean semiconductor giants Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix, in addition to a forum hosted by South Korean materials, components, and equipment firms. According to South Korean media reports, this event will provide an opportunity for South Korean manufacturers to break into Taiwan's semiconductor supply chain.

SEMICON Taiwan 2025 will take place from September 10 to 12, 2025, at the Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center, bringing together over 1,200 global semiconductor and technology companies across 4,100 booths. The event is projected to attract more than 100,000 visitors, setting a new record in scale.

Taiwan is drafting new measures to curb China's rising dominance in mature-node chip production, with the Legislative Yuan scheduled to review the plan when its new session opens on September 19, 2025. Economic Affairs Minister Kung Ming-hsin, National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) Chair Wu Cheng-wen, and Digital Affairs Minister Lin Yi-jing will present policy outlines, including a potential semiconductor program aimed at providing "China-alternative" chips by 2026.

The competition for advanced process leadership among TSMC, Samsung Electronics, and Intel is intensifying, making the pace of their new equipment acquisitions a key industry focus.

Following TSMC's confirmation in February 2025 that it will include 310×310 mm panels in its chip-on-panel-on-substrate (CoPoS) mass production, supply chain players—including outsourced semiconductor assembly and test (OSAT) providers and equipment manufacturers—have been abandoning previous specifications to align with TSMC's technology roadmap.