These are the most-read DIGITIMES Asia stories in the week of November 17 to November 23, 2025.
US moves to bar CHIPS Act recipients from purchasing Chinese chipmaking equipment for 10 years
US lawmakers are pushing a bipartisan bill that would bar CHIPS Act grant recipients from buying Chinese chipmaking equipment for ten years, a move aimed at tightening supply chain security and preventing federal subsidies from benefiting Beijing's tech sector. The Chip EQUIP Act, introduced in the House with a Senate version expected in December, targets tools from China and other entities of concern and covers a wide range of manufacturing equipment while allowing waivers if alternatives are unavailable.
Musk eyes in-house chip fab, citing TSMC, Samsung fail to keep up with Tesla's AI ambitions
Tesla CEO Elon Musk said the company may build its own wafer fabrication facility to keep up with surging AI chip demand that he believes far exceeds what TSMC and Samsung can supply. In an interview with investor Ron Baron, Musk estimated Tesla may eventually need 100 billion to 200 billion AI chips a year and argued that conventional fab construction timelines are too slow to support the company's growth. Tesla's current AI6 chips are produced at Samsung's Taylor plant and TSMC's Arizona site, and Musk said both versions meet the company's technical needs but cannot expand capacity fast enough.
The Intel-TSMC talent tug-of-war just escalated, now with a familiar name
Dr. Wei-Jen Lo, a former senior vice president at TSMC and one of the company's most influential technologists, is expected to return to Intel as executive vice president overseeing wafer fabrication and R&D, a move that has surprised Taiwan's chip industry and prompted TSMC to review possible legal action. Local media reports about boxes of handwritten notes taken from TSMC meetings have fueled speculation about potential trade secret risks involving upcoming process technologies, although TSMC has not confirmed any details.
Samsung's glass substrate samples fall short of requirements
Samsung Electronics has held exploratory talks with Samsung Electro-Mechanics, Ibiden, and Shinko Electric Industries on using glass substrates in advanced packaging, but the effort has not progressed to formal sample evaluations because the companies have yet to meet Samsung's technical requirements, and the firm remains uncertain about the technology's commercial potential.
Samsung set to become Nvidia's leading HBM4 supplier as Micron stumbles
South Korea's KB Securities projects that Samsung Electronics could secure up to 40% of Nvidia's supply share for next-generation HBM4 by 2026, a shift that would strengthen Samsung's position in the AI memory market, as SK Hynix also expects to sell out its memory lineup that year.
Korean reports also noted that Micron's HBM4 prototypes have fallen short of Nvidia's data-transfer requirements and may not enter the supply chain until 2027. KB Securities expects SK Hynix to sell out its HBM, DRAM, and NAND Flash products in 2026 and predicts Samsung and SK Hynix could reach a combined market capitalization of about KRW1,530 trillion.
When a chip guru switches sides: Taiwan investigates alleged sub-2nm leak to Intel
Taiwan has opened an investigation into former TSMC executive Wei-Jen Lo after allegations that he copied sensitive A16 and A14 process technology data before retiring in July 2025 and later joining Intel. The Ministry of Economic Affairs and the High Prosecutors' Office are examining whether his actions violated the National Security Act, which protects Taiwan's designated core technologies.
The probe comes as Washington pushes to bolster its chipmaking capabilities and as reports suggest Lo may take a senior fabrication role at Intel. Prosecutors are proceeding regardless of whether TSMC files a civil complaint, while officials say they aim to protect both national security and Taiwan's semiconductor interests.
TSMC accelerates CoPoS mass production to 2029, Taiwan suppliers win first orders
TSMC is accelerating development of its next-generation Chip-on-Panel-on-Substrate (CoPoS) technology as demand climbs for Nvidia AI GPUs and custom ASICs, with the company finalizing suppliers and specifications for CoPoS equipment and preparing to start installation by mid-2026. The advanced packaging method, described as a panelized version of CoWoS, is expected to enter mass production in 2029 and has drawn interest from US and Taiwan facilities, including an upcoming Arizona plant.
Article edited by Jack Wu
