DIGITIMES: News and Insight of the Global Supply Chain

From Bloomberg to DIGITIMES: building a media model for the AI era

Scarlett Yu — Sun, 5 Jul 2026 02:45:33 GMT

Manhattan is where financial giants gather. By the weekend, the crowds become so dense that near Times Square, even moving through the streets can be difficult. At moments like this, a walk through Central Park becomes the best choice. With its forests, streams, and seemingly natural ecology, and with plane trees, pines, and olive trees arranged in irregular patterns, Central Park truly is the best place for New Yorkers to rest in the heart of the city.

AI PCs, AR glasses, and robots reshape display tech

Sherri Wang — Sun, 5 Jul 2026 02:45:05 GMT

The rapid expansion of AI applications is redefining what device makers need from display technology.

Applied Materials unveils integrated tools for HBM, chiplet, and 3D packaging scale-up

DIGITIMES — Sun, 5 Jul 2026 02:44:42 GMT

Applied Materials announced a new equipment platform aimed at addressing the memory bandwidth and energy-efficiency bottleneck confronting AI computing, unveiling tools across DRAM, advanced packaging, and process control to help chipmakers boost yields and accelerate mass production. The company said the platform combines materials engineering with process integration to support high-bandwidth memory (HBM), chiplet architectures, and multi-layer 3D stacking on advanced production lines.

Component inflation weighs on manufacturing momentum as Taiwan PMI growth moderates

DIGITIMES — Sun, 5 Jul 2026 02:44:12 GMT

Surging demand for high-bandwidth memory (HBM) used in AI servers has driven shortages and sharp price increases for conventional memory, while microcontroller (MCU) suppliers have also begun passing higher costs on to customers. Apple raised prices for certain Mac and iPad models in late June, and market rumors suggest the upcoming iPhone 18 could see price increases of as much as 30%.

AI, HPC test interface demand drives CHPT June revenue to new monthly high

Scarlett Yu — Sun, 5 Jul 2026 02:43:51 GMT

Test interface supplier Chunghwa Precision Test Tech. Co., Ltd. (CHPT) reported its June 2026 revenue, marking its sixth consecutive monthly revenue record as demand from the market remained strong. The company also posted record quarterly revenue in both the first and second quarters of 2026, underscoring its sustained growth momentum.

Advantest and OpenLight join forces on silicon photonics test platform for mass production

DIGITIMES — Sun, 5 Jul 2026 02:43:28 GMT

Advantest said it has partnered with OpenLight to develop a scalable silicon photonics (SiPh) test solution for mass production environments. The announcement comes as artificial intelligence (AI) and high-performance computing workloads increase demand for silicon photonics and co-packaged optics in data centers.

CSCC advances carbon materials for AI data center BBU supply chain

Charlene Chen — Sun, 5 Jul 2026 02:43:04 GMT

CSCC is pushing its carbon materials, advanced carbon materials, and graphite blocks as a three-pronged strategy to target battery backup units (BBUs) for AI servers. Its advanced carbon materials have entered the final customer certification stage and are expected to secure an entry point into the AI data center supply chain.

Why enterprise AI in manufacturing is stuck at the pilot stage

Willis Ke — Sun, 5 Jul 2026 02:42:37 GMT

At a late-June industry forum, experts from Taiwan's TPIsoftware, the Institute for Information Industry (III), and Phison Electronics agreed that although AI is now indispensable for manufacturing, scaling it up depends less on raw model capability than on whether companies can actually trust it in operation. Fragmented data, weak governance, and cybersecurity concerns remain the primary hurdles keeping companies from moving past pilot projects into full adoption.

Infineon wins fourth German patent ruling against Innoscience, as GaN fight flares in Shanghai

DIGITIMES — Sat, 4 Jul 2026 06:06:22 GMT

Germany's District Court Munich I ruled on July 3 that Innoscience infringed Infineon Technologies' gallium nitride (GaN) patents, barring the Chinese chipmaker from importing, selling, or marketing the affected products in Germany and ordering it to pay damages.

Tesla tops Taiwan imports in June 2026, cuts Supercharger rates

Charlene Chen — Fri, 3 Jul 2026 23:58:38 GMT

Tesla led Taiwan's imported-car market in June 2026, posting 4,369 new registrations and surpassing its highest-ever quarterly delivery pace, as the company said its local owner base has now topped 80,000. Tesla also said more than 70% of its Supercharger stations across Taiwan will switch to a new discounted rate plan starting immediately, with weekend charging costs falling by up to 40% after the weekend peak-off-peak surcharge is removed.

Machvision's June revenue hits another record due to AI demand

Lily Hess — Fri, 3 Jul 2026 23:58:27 GMT

Machvision posted another record monthly revenue in June 2026, as surging demand for AI servers, high-performance computing (HPC), and advanced packaging continued to lift orders for the semiconductor and PCB inspection equipment maker. The company said the biggest challenge has now shifted from winning orders to managing supply chains and expanding capacity.

TSMC's median pay trails four smaller IC design houses, filings show

DIGITIMES — Fri, 3 Jul 2026 23:58:06 GMT

Fabless chip designers dominate the upper ranks of Taiwan's newly disclosed non-managerial employee pay data for fiscal year 2025, with only two capital-intensive manufacturers — TSMC and memory-testing equipment maker Phison — breaking into the top tier typically reserved for asset-light IC design houses.

China's CR Micro raises power chip prices as Chinese suppliers push fresh hikes

Sherri Wang — Fri, 3 Jul 2026 23:57:31 GMT

China Resources Microelectronics (CR Micro), a Chinese power semiconductor integrated device manufacturer, has notified customers and partners that it will raise prices across its entire product lineup starting July 1, with increases beginning at 15%.

SoftBank targets AI cloud market with 10GW US rental plan

Charlene Chen — Fri, 3 Jul 2026 23:55:50 GMT

SoftBank Group (SBG) and telecom subsidiary SoftBank said they will set up a new company in the US in July 2026 to rent out AI computing resources, aiming to challenge CoreWeave and Nebius in the fast-growing AI cloud market. The new unit, SB Neo, is scheduled to begin operations in fiscal 2027 (April 2027 to March 2028).

Samsung and SK Hynix seek substrate price cuts for the second half of 2026

DIGITIMES — Fri, 3 Jul 2026 23:55:38 GMT

Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix are reportedly pressing South Korean semiconductor substrate suppliers to lower prices for the second half of 2026, even as memory demand remains in a Super Cycle. According to ET News, the talks have intensified pressure across the supply chain as raw material costs stay high and substrate makers warn of margin erosion.

Anthropic tightens controls as Chinese firms route around Claude restrictions

DIGITIMES — Fri, 3 Jul 2026 23:55:29 GMT

Anthropic is stepping up efforts to block unauthorized access to Claude after reports that Chinese companies, including Ant Group and ByteDance, have used overseas entities, cloud services, and VPNs to work around its restrictions. Financial Times reported that the company has increased detection measures as it tries to prevent users in China from reaching its AI tools through indirect channels.

Commentary: Korea's KRW800tn chip bet risks US fab pressure while Apple profits from memory shock

Levi Li — Fri, 3 Jul 2026 23:55:08 GMT

South Korean President Lee Jae-myung, Samsung Electronics, and SK Hynix have announced the country's largest-ever semiconductor expansion plan, while soaring memory prices have opened a separate fight between Micron and Apple.

Thinking wins varistor orders as Japanese rival exits amid silver prices hikes

Scarlett Yu — Fri, 3 Jul 2026 23:54:44 GMT

Volatile precious metal prices weighed heavily on passive component suppliers in early 2026, but the cost pressures have also created unexpected order-transfer opportunities for Taiwanese manufacturers.

Infineon China pushes back after GaN products removed at Shanghai electronics show

DIGITIMES — Fri, 3 Jul 2026 08:22:12 GMT

Infineon China said on July 3 that it is pursuing legal remedies after several gallium nitride (GaN) products became the subject of a removal dispute at electronica Shanghai 2026, saying public accounts of the incident did not fully reflect the case's background or specific circumstances.

Ubtech's U1 companion robots test whether China is ready for AI intimacy

DIGITIMES — Fri, 3 Jul 2026 07:42:09 GMT

Ubtech has launched the U1 series, its first mass-produced full-size bionic humanoid robot line, under the U World sub-brand, testing China's market for AI companion robots beyond industrial and service uses.

Megawatt AI Racks: Infrastructure Evolution & Wide-Bandgap Power Semiconductor Opportunities by 2030

DIGITIMES — Fri, 3 Jul 2026 07:24:35 GMT

Megawatt AI Racks: Infrastructure Evolution & Wide-Bandgap Power Semiconductor Opportunities by 2030

Apple plans five iPhone launches to capture market share amid component shortages

DIGITIMES — Fri, 3 Jul 2026 07:20:22 GMT

Apple is reportedly planning to launch at least five new models by this time next year, with the company expanding its foldables' production. Amid surging component prices and a weakening smartphone market, these moves may be a bid to gain market share while rivals are on the back foot.

Chinese NOR Flash supplier Giantec raises prices 25% as memory market risks persist

Scarlett Yu — Fri, 3 Jul 2026 07:12:50 GMT

China's memory price rally continues to gather momentum. Giantec Semiconductor Corporation, a Chinese NOR flash supplier, recently notified its distribution partners that prices for its entire NOR flash memory product portfolio will increase by 25% beginning July 6, 2026. The new pricing will apply to both newly signed orders and outstanding orders that have yet to be delivered.

China's polarizer makers seek price hikes as material bottlenecks bite

DIGITIMES — Fri, 3 Jul 2026 07:07:18 GMT

Chinese polarizer film suppliers are seeking higher prices from panel makers after raw-material and logistics costs rose in the second quarter, exposing a weak point in China's display-material supply chain.

Taiwan's Turvo confirms full management authority, reaffirms robotics expansion plans

Scarlett Yu — Fri, 3 Jul 2026 07:00:29 GMT

Following recent reports of significant management changes at Turvo International Co., Ltd, President Steven Tsai addressed investors ahead of the company's earnings conference on July 2. He said representatives of the company's major shareholder, ZENG HSING Industrial Co., Ltd, were not present, and therefore he could not comment on their behalf. While acknowledging that the major shareholder has the legal authority to make such decisions, Tsai said the matter should be handled in a manner acceptable to all parties in order to avoid unnecessary controversy and disruption.

Turn Cloud shifts to AI infrastructure

Rodney Chan — Fri, 3 Jul 2026 06:59:08 GMT

Turn Cloud Technology is accelerating its transformation from a solution as a service (SolaaS) provider into an AI infrastructure provider for physical spaces, as demand for digital transformation across real-world venues continues to rise. The company says its new Tomorrow Space (TSpace) architecture will anchor its next phase of growth.

China's Z.ai ramps up AI rivalry with Anthropic, OpenAI via GLM-5.2

DIGITIMES — Fri, 3 Jul 2026 06:49:45 GMT

Chinese AI company Z.ai, also known as Zhipu AI, is escalating its challenge to US leaders Anthropic and OpenAI with the release of its open-weight GLM-5.2 model and a new AI coding assistant, underscoring China's growing competitiveness in frontier AI.

South Korea bets on southwest semiconductor cluster, but key hurdles remain

Lily Hess — Fri, 3 Jul 2026 06:47:47 GMT

South Korea on June 29 unveiled a large-scale investment plan for the country's Honam region in the southwest, which mainly covers the city of Gwangju and North and South Jeolla provinces, including semiconductor clusters for Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix, AI data centers, and regional infrastructure. The plan is seen as a key move by the South Korean government to respond to surging AI chip demand, excessive industrial concentration in the Seoul capital area, and pressure for balanced regional development.

Medical demand, multimedia shipments drive Sonix recovery as drone strategy gains traction

Scarlett Yu — Fri, 3 Jul 2026 06:35:31 GMT

With supply chain inventory normalization largely complete, Sonix Technology (Sonix) has seen business momentum recover. The MCU supplier is benefiting from resilient demand for microcontrollers used in medical monitoring devices and steady shipments of multimedia image-processing chips, giving it better order visibility for 2026 than in previous years. Meanwhile, the company's drone business has entered niche commercial and industrial applications, providing a stepping stone toward higher-end markets.

'Switchblade' drone maker AeroVironment deepens Taiwan supply chain ties

Kevin Wang — Fri, 3 Jul 2026 06:11:24 GMT

US drone maker AeroVironment has worked closely with Taiwan-based supply chain partners over the past three years, with the company noting that many of its product components are now co-developed and manufactured by both sides. Moreover, the defense tech company has also established a direct communication channel in Taiwan in recent years to support Taiwan's national defense resilience program.

Sharp, SES target Japan MEO satellite services as industrial connectivity demand rises

Scarlett Yu — Fri, 3 Jul 2026 05:58:39 GMT

Sharp is moving deeper into satellite communications as it seeks to extend its networking technologies beyond consumer devices and into industrial infrastructure.

Intel takes aim at TSMC's CoWoS lead with EMIB-T

DIGITIMES — Fri, 3 Jul 2026 05:44:58 GMT

As transistor density scaling slows, chipmakers are leaning on advanced packaging to keep improving accelerator performance. A SemiAnalysis roundup of this year's IEEE Electronic Components and Technology Conference described a shift in which Intel, Marvell, TSMC, and others detailed new packaging approaches as packages themselves begin hitting limits.

BOE targets AI packaging with Micro LED optical interconnect and glass substrate CPO

Levi Li — Fri, 3 Jul 2026 04:48:50 GMT

BOE, China's leading display panel maker, is accelerating its move into next-generation packaging technologies for the AI era. The company recently disclosed that it has formed a dedicated project team for Micro LED optical interconnect systems and glass substrate-based co-packaged optics (CPO), working with ecosystem partners on early-stage technology research to advance optical interconnect and glass substrate CPO development.

How TSMC quietly turned its supply chain into a 'second fleet'

Charlene Chen — Fri, 3 Jul 2026 04:46:36 GMT

TSMC has accelerated efforts to localize its supply chain in recent years, using joint development, joint validation, and long-term partnerships to help Taiwanese equipment, materials, and chemical suppliers enter the advanced semiconductor supply chain. The move is steadily building a more resilient and complete local supply system, with both CoWoS and panel-level advanced packaging (CoPoS) now spawning a "second fleet."

Microsoft launches US$2.5 B unit to guide enterprise AI adoption using embedded engineers

DIGITIMES — Fri, 3 Jul 2026 04:43:22 GMT

Microsoft unveiled plans for a new business unit called "Microsoft Frontier Company," which is aimed at helping large organizations move beyond pilot projects and turn AI investments into measurable business results. The initiative echoes new services offered by other AI firms like OpenAI and Amazon Web Services (AWS) to embed engineers within enterprises and guide their AI adoption.

DIGITIMES: News and Insight of the Global Supply Chain

From Bloomberg to DIGITIMES: building a media model for the AI era

AI PCs, AR glasses, and robots reshape display tech

Applied Materials unveils integrated tools for HBM, chiplet, and 3D packaging scale-up

Component inflation weighs on manufacturing momentum as Taiwan PMI growth moderates

AI, HPC test interface demand drives CHPT June revenue to new monthly high

Advantest and OpenLight join forces on silicon photonics test platform for mass production

CSCC advances carbon materials for AI data center BBU supply chain

Why enterprise AI in manufacturing is stuck at the pilot stage

Infineon wins fourth German patent ruling against Innoscience, as GaN fight flares in Shanghai

Tesla tops Taiwan imports in June 2026, cuts Supercharger rates

Machvision's June revenue hits another record due to AI demand

TSMC's median pay trails four smaller IC design houses, filings show

China's CR Micro raises power chip prices as Chinese suppliers push fresh hikes

SoftBank targets AI cloud market with 10GW US rental plan

Samsung and SK Hynix seek substrate price cuts for the second half of 2026

Anthropic tightens controls as Chinese firms route around Claude restrictions

Commentary: Korea's KRW800tn chip bet risks US fab pressure while Apple profits from memory shock

Thinking wins varistor orders as Japanese rival exits amid silver prices hikes

Infineon China pushes back after GaN products removed at Shanghai electronics show

Ubtech's U1 companion robots test whether China is ready for AI intimacy

Megawatt AI Racks: Infrastructure Evolution &amp; Wide-Bandgap Power Semiconductor Opportunities by 2030

Apple plans five iPhone launches to capture market share amid component shortages

Chinese NOR Flash supplier Giantec raises prices 25% as memory market risks persist

China's polarizer makers seek price hikes as material bottlenecks bite

Taiwan's Turvo confirms full management authority, reaffirms robotics expansion plans

Turn Cloud shifts to AI infrastructure

China's Z.ai ramps up AI rivalry with Anthropic, OpenAI via GLM-5.2

South Korea bets on southwest semiconductor cluster, but key hurdles remain

Medical demand, multimedia shipments drive Sonix recovery as drone strategy gains traction

'Switchblade' drone maker AeroVironment deepens Taiwan supply chain ties

Sharp, SES target Japan MEO satellite services as industrial connectivity demand rises

Intel takes aim at TSMC's CoWoS lead with EMIB-T

BOE targets AI packaging with Micro LED optical interconnect and glass substrate CPO

How TSMC quietly turned its supply chain into a 'second fleet'

Microsoft launches US$2.5 B unit to guide enterprise AI adoption using embedded engineers

Megawatt AI Racks: Infrastructure Evolution & Wide-Bandgap Power Semiconductor Opportunities by 2030