The PCB industry is entering a new phase of transformation in the AI era, as rising demand for high-frequency and high-speed applications accelerates upgrades in upstream copper-clad laminate (CCL) materials. Among the beneficiaries is impregnation equipment maker Asia Metal Industries (AMI)

SK Hynix disputed reports that it is considering shifting DRAM investment at its new M15X memory production base in Cheongju, South Korea, from fifth-generation 10nm-class, or 1b, DRAM toward sixth-generation 10nm-class, or 1c, DRAM

A looming strike at Samsung Electronics is exposing deeper fractures than a typical labor dispute, with widening pay gaps, divisional tensions, and a controversial bonus structure converging into a broader test of how AI-era profits are distributed inside one of the world's most critical semiconductor suppliers

Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix are both riding a historic memory upcycle, but a profit gap of about KRW15 trillion (approx. US$10 billion) has opened between the two Korean chipmakers, driven largely by commodity DRAM rather than high-bandwidth memory (HBM), according to Sedaily

Spot memory prices surged in early 2026, triggering stockpiling and speculative buying across distribution channels, before reversing from a March peak. DDR4 DRAM spot prices have since corrected by more than 20% quarter-over-quarter, yet lower prices have failed to revive demand. With holidays approaching, buyers remain on the sidelines, while contract memory prices continue to climb