AI chip computing power is rising rapidly, pushing advanced packaging toward larger form factors, higher bandwidth, and greater integration. Traditional Ajinomoto build-up film (ABF) substrates and silicon interposers are increasingly hitting bottlenecks in cost, warpage, and packaging efficiency, making glass substrates and glass interposers a key focus in next-generation advanced packaging plans.
Samsung Electronics and Micron Technology are benefiting more strongly from rising conventional DRAM and NAND prices than SK Hynix, whose focus on high-bandwidth memory (HBM) has slowed the expansion of its traditional DRAM business despite its leadership in HBM.
The 2026 Open Compute Project (OCP) APAC Summit will be held in Taipei on August 11-12, bringing together global cloud service providers (CSPs), semiconductor firms, silicon photonics (SiPh) players, system makers and many Taiwanese suppliers to share the latest developments in compute architecture. Ayar Labs CEO Mark Wade, who will attend the event and spoke with DIGITIMES ahead of the summit, said Taiwan's supply chain is critical to the development of co-packaged optics (CPO) and that scale-up deployment is on track to ramp up 2028-2029.
GlobalWafers said semiconductor demand has rebounded as AI and high-performance computing applications expanded, keeping its factories highly utilized and prompting a new round of long-term supply agreement talks. The Taiwan-based wafer supplier also said tighter supply could push spot prices higher in the second half of 2026.
Daeduck Electronics plans to invest KRW497 billion(US$349.50 million) in semiconductor production facilities through 2027, its second major expansion announcement this year, Seoul Economic Daily reported, citing a regulatory filing with South Korea's Financial Supervisory Service.
SK Hynix plans to hold a formal groundbreaking ceremony in late August for its US$3.9 billion advanced chip packaging facility in West Lafayette, Indiana, as the memory maker expands its ability to serve US customers.
Kioxia and Sandisk have introduced a next-generation QLC 3D flash memory technology that boosts storage density, bandwidth, and power efficiency, a development that could help global data centers, cloud providers, and AI developers manage surging data demand while easing energy and cooling pressures across infrastructure markets.
Airoha sees faster growth ahead as AI infrastructure, optical networking, and wireless edge products expand across global supply chains. The chip designer said its 2026 product mix is shifting structurally, with addressable markets broadening in wired and wireless businesses. Revenue momentum is being driven by demand from cloud providers, telecom operators, and enterprise customers.
Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix reportedly began testing etching equipment from China's Advanced Micro-Fabrication Equipment (AMEC) about two years ago for possible use at their Chinese factories, Reuters reported on August 5, citing three people familiar with the matter.
Huawei is arguing that the next phase of semiconductor performance will depend less on transistor shrinkage and more on system architecture, faster data movement and tighter coordination between chips, software and AI models.
Macroblock's return to profitability in the second quarter points to a steadier recovery in the LED display supply chain, with implications for customers and competitors across Asia, Europe, and North America. The Taiwanese chip designer said improving product mix, new validations, and a planned cost-competitive product line could help second-half results outperform the first half.
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