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Jun 15
Samsung foundry chief sees 2028 profit path as bonus costs mount

Samsung Electronics' foundry division chief told employees on June 12 that a return to profitability in the contract chipmaking business looks difficult next year, with 2028 emerging as a more likely timeline, Yonhap, ZDNet Korea, and Chosun reported.

Nvidia is expected to surpass Apple and Samsung Electronics' mobile division to become the world's top buyer of LPDDR, as AI servers and AI PCs pull low-power memory beyond smartphones, MoneyToday reported, citing electronics industry sources.

Semiconductor materials suppliers are moving to rebuild depleted inventories and recover sharply higher costs from Samsung Electronics, SK Hynix and other memory chip customers after the 106-day US-Iran war strained supply chains for precursors, specialty gases and other key chipmaking inputs.

Global chip buyers, including BYD, Google, AMD, and Tesla, are turning to Samsung Electronics as TSMC's advanced production lines remain fully booked, Nikkei Asia reported. The shift underscores how AI demand and supply-chain risk are reshaping where cutting-edge chips are made.

Li Auto announced details of its new Mach M100 chip, a self-developed 5nm chip focused on autonomous driving, on June 15. This development marks the latest entry among Chinese automakers into designing in-house chips as they compete on cost and smart-driving features.

China PCB maker DSBJ bets US$1.2 billion on AI optical modules
Jun 17, 12:43
Suzhou Dongshan Precision Manufacturing (DSBJ) will invest US$1.2 billion to expand optical chip and optical module capacity at Source Photonics, accelerating its shift from PCB manufacturing into AI data center optical communications.

India-based Kaynes Technology is seeking outsourced automotive semiconductor orders in Japan, a move that could help establish a foothold for Indian backend chip manufacturing in a market long dominated by East Asia. Japanese partners are backing the effort, but the company still faces strict quality hurdles.

InnoScience Technology, a leading China-based integrated device manufacturer (IDM) in gallium nitride (GaN), has won a sweeping victory in the latest patent ruling against global power component leader Infineon in China. Supply-chain sources said the two sides' GaN patent fight has stretched from the US and Germany to China, and the ruling makes it even harder for Infineon within China's increasingly cutthroat market.

Chinese foundry Nexchip is expanding beyond wafer manufacturing with the establishment of a new wholly owned subsidiary, marking its latest move to deepen its presence across the semiconductor value chain.

Semiconductor manufacturers, market analysts, and engineering departments have long tracked the clean energy transition through siloed vertical markets. For example, they will calculate individual EV sales on one spreadsheet while tracking hyperscale data center deployments on another. However, during PCIM Europe 2026 in Nuremberg, Germany, industry leaders and experts discussed and dismantled this flawed strategy.

Poland is seeking major Taiwanese investment to strengthen its manufacturing base, a shift that could reshape Europe's supply chains and technology capacity. The plan spans electric vehicles, semiconductors, and industrial policy, and reflects how governments are adapting to geopolitical pressure and shortages in key global sectors.

AI infrastructure is increasingly dependent on light, and more of that technology is being built in Texas. Coherent's new Sherman expansion, backed by public and private funding, could strengthen global supply chains for the lasers and optical components that connect data centers, chips, and servers worldwide.