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Friday 31 July 2026
Shanghai rises as China's lithography hub, powered by SMEE, Huawei and rising DUV rivals

China's lithography equipment sector has returned to the global semiconductor spotlight following reports that a domestically developed immersion deep ultraviolet (DUV) system has entered mass production.

Friday 31 July 2026
TSMC reportedly develops EMIB-like packaging to counter Intel

TSMC is reportedly developing a new advanced chip-packaging technology modeled on Intel's Embedded Multi-die Interconnect Bridge (EMIB), signaling that competition in AI semiconductor packaging is becoming as critical as chip manufacturing itself. The project, internally described as "EMIB-like," is being developed with Taiwanese substrate supplier Kinsus Interconnect Technology as TSMC seeks to broaden its packaging portfolio and address growing customer demand.

Friday 31 July 2026
Analysis: Samsung's HBM4 base die is the foundry weapon TSMC and Intel can't copy

The most revealing thing about Samsung Electronics' foundry commentary on its second quarter of 2026 earnings call was not any single number. It was the shape of the customer list: cloud service providers, AI/HPC designers, an LPU maker ramping at 4nm, and talks with Broadcom. This is not the mobile-centric foundry business Samsung has run for a decade. It is the profile of a fab catching overflow from a leading-edge market that has run out of capacity.

Friday 31 July 2026
Unimicron says Intel's EMIB-T will not reach mass production until 2027, sharpening advanced packaging rivalry
TSMC's CoWoS capacity remains tight, and demand for a second supply route is strengthening, according to Unimicron, which said Intel's EMIB-T advanced packaging platform will not reach true mass production until 2027. The substrate maker said the new platform is already drawing three suppliers, all targeting an initial 50% yield.
Friday 31 July 2026
SPIL AI packaging investment boosts CTSP Erlin Park as first standard factory opens in 2H26
The Central Taiwan Science Park's (CTSP) Erlin Park is set to reach a long-awaited milestone when its first standard factory building begins operations in the second half of 2026, signaling a potential turning point for a development that has struggled for nearly two decades to establish an industrial foothold.
Friday 31 July 2026
UMC raises capex to US$2B, eyes AI SiPh
UMC said on July 29 that it will raise 2026 capex from US$1.5 billion to US$2 billion, while unveiling expansion plans in Singapore and a new fab in STSP. The foundry also disclosed its first AI business target, forecasting AI-related revenue of about US$300 million in 2026 and aiming to reach US$1 billion within the next three years.
Thursday 30 July 2026
ASE sees full-year LEAP revenue topping US$3.5 billion amid tight packaging capacity
ASE Technology Holding said growing demand for advanced packaging and testing, combined with stronger momentum in its electronics manufacturing services (EMS) business, has tightened capacity across both advanced and conventional packaging. Wafer sorting and final test capacity are also nearing full utilization.
Thursday 30 July 2026
South Korean chip exports increasingly flow to Taiwan for TSMC packaging amid rising AI demand

Growing demand for AI chips is sending a larger share of South Korea's semiconductor exports to Taiwan, where Korean-made high-bandwidth memory (HBM) moves into advanced packaging processes led by TSMC.

Thursday 30 July 2026
China's DUV shock: the secretive Aishengna rattles ASML with US$1B state backing

China's immersion DUV lithography programme has brought a little-known state-backed company into focus. Shanghai Aishengna Electronic Technology Group, founded in August 2023 with CNY7 billion (approx. US$1.03 billion) in registered capital, is reportedly coordinating limited production of domestically developed lithography systems.

Thursday 30 July 2026
South Korean suppliers win HBM4 tester orders from SK Hynix
South Korean test-equipment suppliers Digital Frontier and UniTest have secured four orders for HBM4 wafer testers from SK Hynix worth a combined KRW247.84 billion (approx. US$172 million) in 2026, expanding domestic vendors' role in a memory-testing segment where Japan's Advantest has long been an established supplier.
Thursday 30 July 2026
GlobalFoundries lands US$300M CHIPS backing for AI silicon photonics

GlobalFoundries has signed a letter of intent with the US Department of Commerce for a potential US$300 million award to accelerate US development of silicon photonics technologies used in AI and high-performance computing data centres.

Thursday 30 July 2026
Lam Research raises WFE outlook as AI drives NAND, DRAM, advanced packaging demand
Lam Research delivered record quarterly results and raised its outlook for global wafer fab equipment (WFE) spending, citing accelerating AI-driven demand across memory, advanced logic and packaging.
Thursday 30 July 2026
China's 28nm DUV lithography enters fab validation, reportedly guided by State Council-level experts
China's 28nm DUV lithography programme has entered a new phase after Shanghai Aishengna Electronic Technology delivered its first five immersion deep ultraviolet lithography systems.
Thursday 30 July 2026
Samsung foundry to double 2nm design wins in 2026 on Broadcom talks; claims profit turnaround 'possible in near term'

Samsung Electronics' foundry business expects its 2nm project wins to more than double year-on-year in 2026, and the company is in talks with Broadcom and other major customers on multiple projects, foundry business EVP Sukchae Kang said on Samsung's earnings call for the second quarter of 2026. This is the clearest sign yet that its advanced-node business is gaining commercial traction after years of trailing TSMC.

Thursday 30 July 2026
Ennoconn deepens Singapore push with SMF pact and AI forum

Ennoconn Technologies held its 2026 Semiconductor x AI Applications Forum at Google's Asia-Pacific headquarters in Singapore on July 29 and signed a memorandum of understanding with the Singapore Manufacturers' Federation (SMF) on the same occasion. The event marked a further step in the Taiwanese technology group's expansion into Southeast Asia's semiconductor and artificial intelligence markets.

Thursday 30 July 2026
Italy, US to sign Pax Silica pact on AI, chip supply chains

Italy and the US are set to sign a cooperation agreement tied to the US-led Pax Silica initiative on July 31, as Rome expands efforts to secure critical raw materials and semiconductor supply chains.

Thursday 30 July 2026
Lam Research raises outlook as AI-driven semiconductor demand fuels record revenue and margin expansion
On July 29, Lam Research reported record fiscal fourth-quarter results and issued stronger-than-expected guidance, signaling that rising demand for artificial intelligence is accelerating investment in semiconductor manufacturing equipment. The company's performance reflects growing demand for advanced chip production technologies, while analysts said AI-related capacity expansion could continue to support growth across etching, deposition, and service businesses.
Thursday 30 July 2026
Samsung memory sales up 471% in 2Q26; foundry targets double-digit second-half growth

Samsung Electronics' Device Solutions (DS) division posted the most profitable quarter in its history in 2Q26, generating operating profit of KRW89.2 trillion (approx. US$61.6 billion) on sales of KRW127.5 trillion (approx. US$88.1 billion) — a 70% operating margin — as the AI-driven memory supercycle intensified.

Thursday 30 July 2026
UMC, Intel advance 12nm process collab with no next-gen plans at this time
United Microelectronics (UMC) stated that its collaboration with Intel to develop a 12nm process is progressing smoothly. The process design kit (PDK) is expected to be completed by the end of 2026, with tape-out scheduled to begin in 2027. Full-scale mass production and revenue contribution are expected to come in 2028.
Thursday 30 July 2026
UMC posts NT$42.26B profit on non-operating investment gains in 2Q26
United Microelectronics (UMC) reported consolidated second-quarter 2026 revenue of NT$68.73 billion (approx. US$2.12 billion) during its earnings call on July 29. The figure is up 12.6% from NT$61.04 billion in the first quarter and 17% year-over-year. Profit margin reached 32.5% in the second quarter, up 3.3 percentage points from the previous quarter.
Thursday 30 July 2026
Greatek sees sustained AI demand, plans Philippines packaging plant acquisition
Greatek's latest investment and capacity plans signal how AI-driven semiconductor demand is rippling beyond Taiwan, with implications for global device makers, automakers, and industrial customers. The PowerTech Technology unit said orders remain strong, its bumping lines are full, and it is preparing new overseas capacity to support supply chain diversification.
Thursday 30 July 2026
Amkor reallocates SiP production to Vietnam, freeing Korean cleanrooms for AI packaging
Amkor Technology reported record second-quarter results for 2026, characterized by broad-based revenue growth and significant strategic shifts in its global manufacturing footprint. During the subsequent Q&A session, President and CEO Kevin Engel and CFO Megan Faust detailed the company's performance across ten key areas, ranging from volatile smartphone demand to the long-term financial implications of its new US manufacturing facility.
Thursday 30 July 2026
Taiwan semiconductor power demand is set to reach 52 billion kWh in 2026

Taiwan's semiconductor sector is set to become an even larger driver of electricity demand as AI-related expansion lifts output in wafer fabrication, memory, and advanced packaging. Taipower projected that the industry's power use would reach 52 billion kWh in 2026, underscoring how the island's chip ambitions are reshaping its energy system.

Wednesday 29 July 2026
TSMC: JASM utilities back to normal, equipment calibration underway; construction resumes

TSMC on Wednesday issued its third statement since a magnitude 7 earthquake struck Kumamoto, Japan on July 28, saying that utility systems at its JASM wafer fab are operating normally, equipment inspection and calibration are in progress, and construction at the site of its second Kumamoto fab has resumed.

Wednesday 29 July 2026
Coretronic reports first-half loss as margins weaken and demand stays uneven
Coretronic said its first-half 2026 performance turned negative as margin pressure and weaker profitability offset a second-quarter revenue recovery. The Taiwanese electronics maker said it would respond cautiously to market changes while focusing on its core businesses, product mix, market position, and technology development.