Applied Materials tracked more than 100 wafer fabrication projects worldwide over the past two quarters as strong artificial intelligence demand continued to meet constraints in cleanroom construction and supply chain capacity. The company added more than 10 projects in each quarter, indicating that global fab development and future cleanroom availability were still expanding.

Applied Materials is increasing investments in research and development, manufacturing and its global supply chain as it targets greater market share and profitability through 2030. The semiconductor equipment maker expects advanced logic, DRAM and advanced packaging to generate about 75% of wafer fab equipment (WFE) market growth from 2025 to 2030. By 2030, it is also targeting more than 2pp of additional WFE market share, along with non-GAAP gross and operating margins of approximately 54% and 40%, respectively.

Fujifilm is expanding semiconductor materials production in Arizona as global chip demand rises, especially for artificial intelligence, advanced logic, and memory. The move aims to strengthen supply for makers in the US and beyond, while supporting new packaging technologies and faster commercialization worldwide.

Following stronger-than-expected demand for its Galaxy Z Fold8, Samsung Electronics submitted an expedited wafer production request to United Microelectronics Corporation (UMC) that was ultimately turned down. As a result, Samsung scaled back its September 2026 component production volume by 10%. Amid persistent capacity tightness at mature process nodes, Samsung is now evaluating GlobalFoundries (GF) as a secondary foundry partner for its OLED smartphone DDIs, with potential adoption set for late 2027 at the earliest.

The rapid expansion of AI and data center chip package sizes is accelerating the adoption of glass substrates, with SEMI's Beth Keser now forecasting market entry around 2028, two years earlier than she previously expected. Beth Keser, SEMI's vice president of technology coalitions, said package dimensions are growing too quickly for the industry to wait until around 2030, her earlier forecast.

Topco Scientific (TSC) is evaluating a new base in Boise, Idaho, as the US enters a fresh wave of chip manufacturing expansion and Micron ramps up advanced memory investment. The company already operates service bases in Phoenix, Arizona, and Dallas, Texas, and plans to strengthen its local technology, engineering, and supply chain capabilities to pursue memory and advanced-process opportunities.

Global spending on 300mm front-end fab equipment is projected to reach US$149 billion in 2026, up 31% from a year earlier. Spending is expected to keep growing at double-digit rates and reach US$227 billion in 2029, SEMI said in its latest 300mm Fab Outlook, released October 13 at SEMICON West in San Francisco.

Tata Group's semiconductor fab in Gujarat, held up as the foundation of India's chipmaking ambitions, now faces scrutiny from within, as the group's controlling shareholder presses for quicker returns on capital-intensive bets.

ASE has expanded its PowerSiP platform with a 3D system-in-package solution aimed at vertical voltage regulator modules (VRMs) for AI data centers and high-performance computing systems. The move could matter globally as demand for AI infrastructure rises, since more efficient power delivery may help lower energy losses, support denser computing, and ease the strain on rapidly expanding digital infrastructure.

Automotive drivetrain manufacturer Tsang Yow reported consolidated revenue of NT$86.36 million (US$2.69 million) in September 2026, down 2.3% month-over-month and 1.24% year-over-year as demand from the Americas aftermarket temporarily slowed. Supported by its semiconductor business, consolidated revenue reached NT$269 million in the third quarter of 2026, up 7.5% year-over-year, while revenue for the first nine months rose 4.04% year-over-year to NT$824 million.

ASML reported record third-quarter 2026 net sales of EUR11.7 billion (approx. US$13.1 billion) and net income of EUR5 billion, while warning that its planned supply for 2027 and 2028 would fall short of customer demand. Growing AI investment is prompting the lithography equipment supplier to explore a larger capacity expansion for 2028, with some customers expressing interest in placing orders for 2029 and 2030.

JCET is directing most of its increased capital spending towards advanced packaging, modules and testing while reorganising its two South Korean factories to meet AI infrastructure demand. The company expects benefits from the transformation of its South Korean operations to emerge from the second half of 2026 and to become more pronounced in 2027 and 2028, according to a recently released investor relations activity record.

As demand for artificial intelligence computing accelerates, the competitive focus in semiconductors is shifting beyond single-chip speed to the efficiency of entire data centers. Nvidia, Broadcom, and Qualcomm executives said memory bandwidth, chip interconnects, power use, and heat management are now among the biggest constraints on AI performance, forcing closer coordination across chips, memory, packaging, and system design.

Broadcom's Frank Ostojic said semiconductor firms need joint innovation across equipment, materials, and design to overcome bottlenecks that affect AI chips worldwide. He warned that die size, packaging, power delivery, and cooling are becoming major constraints as workloads evolve, making faster coordination essential for future system performance.

At Plug and Play Taiwan's Batch 4 Selection Day, 21 startups made the case that Taiwan's next wave of innovation is being built by chip-industry veterans who are tackling problems faced by the world's biggest tech companies.

The AI accelerator market is set to reach US$1.4 trillion by 2030, up 150% from Bloomberg Intelligence's January 2026 estimate of US$560 billion, as higher prices—not just shipment growth—drive the market. Annual revenue is expected to surpass US$1 trillion in 2028, growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 38% from 2026 to 2030.

Hua Hong Group signed strategic agreements with four Chinese semiconductor equipment suppliers at the inaugural 2026 China Integrated Circuit Exhibition (China Chip Exhibition) in Shanghai, strengthening cooperation on domestic manufacturing technologies. The event also showcased advances in chipmaking equipment, AI accelerators, and electronic design automation (EDA).

Japanese semiconductor materials giant TOK is expanding its production footprint in Koriyama, Fukushima Prefecture, to strengthen its position in the global semiconductor materials market, particularly photoresists. The company announced on October 8 that a new facility at its Koriyama plant had been completed and that it plans to expand the site further.

The contest for leadership in AI computing is being fought on two fronts—technology and manufacturing capacity—and chipmakers must advance chips, memory, advanced packaging and system interconnects simultaneously to keep pace with demand, Applied Materials President and CEO Gary Dickerson said.

King Yuan Electronics (KYEC) has signed a prepayment agreement with Nvidia to support its wholly owned US subsidiary, AeternZ, in building local testing capacity, giving Nvidia early access to AI chip testing capacity in the US. The move further clarifies KYEC's plans to invest in the US, with Fort Worth, Texas, reportedly emerging as the likely site of its operations in the country.

Qualcomm is pushing to cut edge AI's energy cost as phones, cars, and other devices face tighter power and cooling limits than data centers. At the opening of Applied Materials' EPIC Center, the company said its memory-and-logic stacking work could sharply reduce energy use, although thermal, materials, and manufacturing challenges remain globally.

Taiwanese semiconductor testing services provider King Yuan Electronics (KYEC) is expanding its US footprint, with its board approving an advance payment agreement with Nvidia. Under the arrangement, Nvidia will make advance payments to support KYEC and its US subsidiary AeternZ Semiconductor Testing in building local testing capacity, while securing capacity for Nvidia. The payments will be gradually offset through the provision of testing services.

Senior executives from TSMC, Intel, and Samsung Electronics outlined the growing challenges of AI chip development, spanning advanced semiconductor processes, 3D integration, and research models, at the October 12 opening of Applied Materials' Equipment and Process Innovation and Commercialization (EPIC) Center in the US.

SEMI announced at a media event during SEMICON West 2026 that the exhibition will move to Phoenix, Arizona, in 2027 and shift to a spring schedule. SEMI Americas President Joe Stockunas confirmed at a pre-show press conference that the organization has signed a three-year agreement with Phoenix to host SEMICON West.

GlobalFoundries' plan to build a 7nm-class chip process in Dresden without extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography tests how a second-tier foundry can stay relevant while TSMC holds most of the AI data center market. Instead of competing on transistor size, GF is competing on integration, power efficiency, and location, and it is making European supply security part of its pitch.