TSMC and Sony Semiconductor Solutions have signed a legally binding definitive agreement to establish Advanced Vision Semiconductor Manufacturing Corporation, a joint venture in Koshi City, Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan, that will develop and volume-produce next-generation smartphone image sensors on advanced process technology. Volume production is slated to begin in 2029.

TSMC has been roughly doubling its CoWoS and SoIC capacity annually for the past several years, and is running CoWoS at better than 98% yield — sometimes 99% — on multiple AI customer products already in high-volume manufacturing. By Jun He's account, that is finally almost enough.

The latest indication of global demand for AI hardware comes not from a hyperscaler capex presentation, but from unaudited monthly filings in Taipei. Major Taiwanese companies across the AI server supply chain, including server assembly, cooling, power, networking, and testing, reported combined July revenue of NT$2.59 trillion (US$80.34 million), according to the filings.

Following growing momentum behind large-scale infrastructure buildouts in South Korea, the industry is witnessing an aggressive wave of AI-related initiatives aimed at expanding the nation's semiconductor production capacity. But the broader objective extends beyond capacity ramps alone toward building a more self-reinforcing semiconductor ecosystem across some of the most critical stages of advanced chip manufacturing.

Liying Environmental Protection Technology reported record July 2026 revenue as demand tied to AI semiconductor production continued to rise. The company said the growth reflected stronger global appetite for AI chips, which has lifted advanced-process utilization in the semiconductor industry and increased the need for recycling and decarbonization services around key manufacturing chemicals.

The UK Semiconductor Centre (UKSC), a leading organization in the UK semiconductor ecosystem, will lead a delegation of British semiconductor companies and research institutions to SEMICON Taiwan 2026, seeking to deepen strategic ties between Taiwan and the UK.

Shanghai-based AMIES Technology has secured repeat volume orders for its domestically developed AST6200 350nm stepper projection lithography system after passing process validation at a leading Chinese compound-semiconductor customer, extending the company's reach beyond its established advanced-packaging equipment business.

Co-packaged optics (CPO) remains a key focus in the AI era. Beyond advanced packaging and testing, compound semiconductors, and other fields, major Taiwan optical manufacturers — including Largan Precision, Asia Optical, Genius Electronic Optical, and JMO Corp. (Zhong Yang Technology) — have successively launched their own CPO initiatives, each pursuing a different strategy. Taiwan-based suppliers acknowledge that Corning, a major glass manufacturer, has a formidable solution, but say many CPO approaches remain under discussion and in development.

Sony Group and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) plan to invest around JPY1 trillion (approx. US$6.3 billion) in a joint venture to mass-produce next-generation image sensors in Kumamoto, Japan, with commercial production starting as early as 2029, Nikkei reported on August 10. Sony would own about 60% of the venture and TSMC about 40%.