Below are the most-read DIGITIMES Asia stories from the week of March 2 - March 8, 2026.
Former TSMC executive under investigation for leaking core chip technology
Wei-Jen Lo, former senior vice president of corporate strategy development at TSMC, retired in 2025 and subsequently accepted an invitation from Intel to serve as executive vice president. Judicial authorities have officially launched an investigation and completed evidence collection regarding allegations that Lo leaked sensitive information. Cheng-Wen Wu, Minister of the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC), stated that after the incident, prosecutors consulted the Hsinchu Science Park Bureau to help verify that the sub-2nm process technology taken by Lo constitutes a national core key technology.
TSMC dominates global foundry rankings while four Chinese players enter top 10
ChipInsights data shows the combined revenue of 29 pure-play foundries worldwide reached CNY1.149 trillion in 2025, up 25.46% year-over-year and exceeding the CNY1 trillion mark for the first time in the industry's history.
Samsung reports faster-than-expected 2nm yield gains, aims to triple HBM revenue
Samsung Electronics announced that its 2nm process yield is improving faster than expected, signaling strong progress in semiconductor manufacturing. The company also revealed plans for wafer production at its Texas Taylor foundry and reaffirmed confidence in the high-bandwidth memory (HBM) business.
Trade tensions deepen Nvidia and TSMC's strategic grip on AI infrastructure
As expected, Nvidia delivered another strong earnings beat for the fourth quarter of its fiscal 2026, reinforcing the view that global demand for AI computing remains resilient despite mounting geopolitical pressures. For the fiscal year, the company posted more than US$120 billion in profit with a gross margin of 71.1%, underscoring the extraordinary profitability of AI infrastructure even as export controls and trade tensions intensified during the first year of US President Donald Trump's administration.
US moves to bar federal purchases of China-linked chips
The US is moving to bar federal agencies from buying certain semiconductors tied to major China-based chipmakers, widening procurement restrictions even as memory shortages and rising prices strain electronics supply chains.
Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix reportedly plan large DRAM price increases, deepening supplier advantage for big buyers
Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix have notified customers of plans to raise DRAM prices in the second quarter of 2026 and have begun price negotiations. Industry sources say the move reflects surging AI-driven demand and changing trading practices that favor large purchasers.
DRAM prices to surge up to 70% in 2Q26; Nvidia GTC 2026 ignites AI memory rally
AI-driven data centre expansion has pushed the memory market beyond traditional supply-demand cycles, creating a structural shortage that continues to deepen. Industry sources say the gap between spot and contract prices has widened to 40–50%, pressuring memory suppliers to raise contract prices in successive rounds to close the spread.
Article edited by Jack Wu
