DIGITIMES Asia news

Saturday 16 August 2025

China breaks neutral atom quantum record, showcasing AI’s role in next-gen computing

The quantum research team at the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) has set a new world record. Academic administrator Jianwei Pan and Professor Chao-Yang Lu from USTC collaborated with the Shanghai Research Center for Quantum Sciences and researcher Han-Sen Zhong's team from Shanghai AI Laboratory. Using artificial intelligence (AI) technology, they successfully constructed defect-free two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) atomic arrays consisting of 2024 atoms within 60 milliseconds, breaking the global record for neutral atom quantum systems

Saturday 16 August 2025

SK Hynix expands EUV in 1c DRAM, launches faster low-power chips for AI PCs

SK Hynix is stepping up its use of extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography in next-generation DRAM, increasing the number of EUV layers in its upcoming sixth-generation 10nm-class (1c) products to more than five. The plan was revealed at the Next Generation Lithography + Patterning Academic Conference in Suwon, South Korea

Friday 15 August 2025

China's CXMT resumes big-ticket chip investments to expand DDR5, fast-track HBM3 output

ChangXin Memory Technologies (CXMT) has restarted major facility investments to ramp up DRAM output and fast-track high-bandwidth memory (HBM) development, highlighting Beijing's drive to secure advanced AI memory under ongoing US export curbs

Friday 15 August 2025

Apple is seen gaining tariff exemption as Samsung faces 25% levy threat, potentially reshaping global smartphone market

The US government is expected to announce its tariff policy this week on semiconductor-related products—including smartphones, laptops, and surveillance devices—sending ripples of uncertainty through the global tech industry. A proposed 25% tariff on smartphones is now formally under consideration, placing the strategies of Samsung Electronics and Apple under intense scrutiny

Friday 15 August 2025

Can Tesla's chip shift uplift Samsung foundry services?

Over the past two weeks, Tesla CEO Elon Musk has promoted his company's new partnership with Samsung Foundry for manufacturing its AI chips. At one point, South Korean media speculated that Samsung might even take over exclusive foundry orders for Tesla's Dojo chips originally handled by TSMC, only to discover later that Musk had decided to shut down the supercomputer project

Friday 15 August 2025

China pushes back against Nvidia H20 chip exports amid US trade tensions

Chinese authorities have recently voiced concerns about the reauthorization of shipments for Nvidia Corporation's H20 AI chips, highlighting fears that these chips could be remotely disabled by the US. This capability, they argue, could be exploited to hinder China's AI development. In response, reports indicate that Beijing is encouraging domestic cloud providers to shift away from Nvidia's chips in favor of locally produced alternatives

Friday 15 August 2025

Commentary: China's chip equipment underdog stands up to Applied Materials as local substitution wave rises

Beijing E-Town Semiconductor Technology has sued US chipmaking equipment leader Applied Materials in a Chinese court, seeking nearly CNY100 million (approx. US$13.9 million) in damages for alleged trade secret misappropriation. Beyond the immediate legal battle, the case signals a strategic shift: Chinese semiconductor equipment firms, once largely reactive in disputes, are now asserting themselves on the global stage

Friday 15 August 2025

Samsung plays the long game on DDR4 as rivals exit for DDR5

Samsung Electronics is again at the center of speculation over a potential end to DDR4 DRAM production, as fresh industry reports indicate it may keep the older-generation memory in its lineup longer than anticipated. While leading DRAM makers are shifting to higher-performance DDR5, DDR4 continues to deliver reliable profits in specific markets, making it a potential hold for Samsung

Friday 15 August 2025

Fire at Kanto Denka Kogyo in Japan raises concerns over semiconductor supply chain disruption

A fire broke out early on August 7, 2025, at the nitrogen trifluoride (NF3) plant of Japanese industrial gas manufacturer Kanto Denka Kogyo in Shibukawa City, Gunma Prefecture. The incident raised concerns over potential supply chain disruptions in the semiconductor industry

Friday 15 August 2025

Clevo sees steady gains on high-end laptop sales, eyes AI-driven growth

Clevo, a Taiwanese notebook manufacturer, posted steady operating gains in the second quarter of 2025, buoyed by a sharp shift toward high-margin, niche-market laptops. The company expects further upside in the second half, as demand surges for AI-powered PCs and customers prepare for the end of Windows 10 support

Friday 15 August 2025

Japan's NEDO commissions AIRoA to build data platform for robot foundation models

The New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) of Japan has announced it will entrust the AI Robot Association (AIRoA) with establishing a data platform to support the development of robotic foundation models

Friday 15 August 2025

Applied Materials warns of $500M China sales drop in Q4 FY 2025

Applied Materials reported strong third-quarter fiscal 2025 results, but warned that revenue and profit will decline sequentially in the fourth quarter as the company navigates a combination of market and policy headwinds. The company cited weaker spending from Chinese customers, a growing backlog of pending export license applications, and non-linear demand from leading-edge customers as key factors weighing on the near-term outlook

Friday 15 August 2025

Applied Materials posts higher sales, warns of slowdown on China demand drop

Applied Materials reported higher sales and profits in the third quarter of fiscal year 2025, driven by strong semiconductor systems demand, but cautioned that fiscal fourth-quarter revenue may fall due to weaker orders from China and non-linear demand from leading-edge customers

Friday 15 August 2025

Samsung chair tipped to court Nvidia as 12-high HBM3E deal nears

Samsung Electronics is expected to supply Nvidia with its newest 12-high HBM3E memory chips, as multiple industry sources say the companies are in advanced talks over shipment volumes and delivery timelines. The potential agreement could see Samsung provide between 30,000 and 50,000 units

Friday 15 August 2025

DeepSeek's R2 stalls as Huawei Ascend chips fall short of Nvidia H100's capabilities

In the 2025 AI arms race, China's DeepSeek has become both a showcase of ambition and a cautionary tale on domestic chip limitations. Founded in Hangzhou in 2023 and backed by hedge fund High-Flyer, the startup's R1 large language model — trained on Nvidia H100 GPUs — gained global recognition in January for advanced reasoning, coding, and multilingual performance, positioning it alongside OpenAI's GPT-4

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