On June 25, IBM unveiled what it calls the world's first sub-1nm chip technology: a 0.7nm — or 7 angstrom — transistor architecture built on an entirely new 3D platform called Nanostack. The announcement, timed to the VLSI 2026 symposium, marks the first time logic technology has extended below the 1nm node and, IBM says, opens a roadmap of at least a decade of further semiconductor scaling.

The detention of two Japanese nationals in China over suspected rare earth export violations is raising fresh compliance concerns for Japanese technology manufacturers operating in China, as Beijing tightens control over strategic minerals amid worsening Japan-China ties.

Qualcomm used its Investor Day to formally launch Dragonfly, a new data center product line aimed at cloud AI, and set out an ambitious revenue path that would shrink its dependence on handset sales. The company said the plan could reshape its business mix by 2029, but it still faces questions over timing, product performance, and execution.

Tai Asia Semiconductor's latest annual meeting highlighted a broader shift that could matter for investors and technology supply chains worldwide. The company said it is absorbing short-term losses to fund new businesses, while its subsidiaries advance in visual sensing, smart technology, silicon carbide, and gallium nitride.

Onsemi has agreed to buy Synaptics in an all-stock transaction valued at about US$7 billion, a deal that could reshape the edge AI landscape across automotive, industrial, and connected devices. If completed, the merger aims to broaden global access to intelligent systems, software, and wireless technology.

GlobalFoundries (GF) is positioning its Singapore operations as a core hub for the emerging era of physical AI, as the chipmaker expands investment in manufacturing capacity and next-generation semiconductor technologies aimed at robotics, autonomous systems, and AI-driven infrastructure.

As AI demand prolongs shortages in memory chip supply, global technology companies are increasingly turning to Chinese-made semiconductors. However, industry analysts believe that even if major tech firms are interested in adopting Chinese chips, translating that interest into actual supply agreements remains difficult due to several significant obstacles.

China's power semiconductor makers are lifting prices again as demand from artificial intelligence (AI) servers and new energy vehicles strengthens. The moves may signal a broader industry upcycle with global implications, as higher costs and tighter capacity could affect data centers, automotive suppliers, and power equipment buyers worldwide.

Taiwan's Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) released industrial production statistics for May 2026 on June 24, reporting that Taiwan's computer, electronic products, and optical products sector—led by servers, switches, semiconductor testing equipment and components, and solid-state drives—saw production increase 36.62% year over year. This was attributed to the rapid expansion of artificial intelligence (AI) applications, continued strong demand for computing power, and aggressive capacity expansion in the semiconductor industry. Cumulatively, from January to May, production increased 93.17% compared with the same period in 2025, ranking first among all industrial sectors.

Compound semiconductor epitaxial wafer maker IntelliEPI said AI-driven high-speed transmission demand continues to lift the indium phosphide (InP) market, and it expects revenue to keep rising in 2026 and set another record. The company's biggest challenge remains a shortage of InP substrates, prompting it to rely mainly on Japanese suppliers while helping German manufacturers accelerate mass production of InP substrates.

The European Commission has given the green light to a EUR76 million (approx. US$86.3 million) German subsidy supporting QuantumDiamonds' plan to build a new semiconductor testing equipment facility in Munich, the Commission announced. The approval is the latest step in Brussels' push to reduce Europe's reliance on foreign chip technology and strengthen its industrial autonomy.

Hua Hong Grace Semiconductor (HHGrace) is seeing gains from both process technology and capacity expansion, with industry research showing its 40nm ultra-low-power specialty process has entered stable mass production while its Wuxi 12-inch line continues to ramp.

Sigurd is expanding testing and packaging capacity as AI demand and steady customer orders keep its facilities fully utilized. For global readers, the move underscores how supply chains for silicon photonics (SiPh), AI servers, and advanced chips are tightening, while new capacity is expected to ease bottlenecks and shape revenue growth in 2026 and 2027.

ASE Holdings COO Dr Tien Wu said the global semiconductor industry is growing faster than expected on the back of AI investment, with demand so strong that the capacity the company had built over the past few years was absorbed almost immediately.

The global semiconductor packaging and testing race is heating up as TSMC recently signed a 10-year agreement with Amkor to expand advanced packaging collaboration in Arizona, drawing close market attention to how the rivalry with ASE and Amkor will reshape market share. ASE Chief Operating Officer Tien Wu said he is "optimistic," stating that strong demand from US customers and the need to diversify supply-chain risk make deeper global investment inevitable.

Co-packaged optics (CPO) is rapidly emerging as a foundational architecture for next-generation AI infrastructure. With Nvidia's latest Scale-Up CPO switch roadmap now taking shape, bandwidth per AI rack is set to increase from approximately 130 TB/s in the Blackwell generation to more than 1 PB/s in the Feynman era, spanning Blackwell, Rubin, Rubin Ultra, and Feynman platforms. As a result, the global AI race is rapidly expanding beyond GPU compute, with optical interconnects, silicon photonics, and CPO emerging as the next major battleground.

JCET Group is accelerating its AI chip packaging expansion with a CNY7.8 billion (US$1.1 billion) investment in a new advanced packaging and testing plant in Shanghai Lingang, strengthening capacity for AI computing, high-performance chips, high-density memory and automotive electronics.

As demand for AI chips surges, the battle for foundry orders is heating up. South Korean industry sources say the next 2-3 years will be a critical period for Samsung Electronics' foundry business, with its 2028 turnaround target hinging on stable operations at the Taylor plant and landing major orders.

ByteDance's reported plan to purchase at least 50,000 AI inference chips from Shanghai-based GPU developer Iluvatar CoreX could become one of the most significant commercial wins yet for China's domestic AI chip industry.

IC design firms are scrambling to expand their partner networks as tight packaging and testing capacity remain the most pressing bottleneck in the supply chain. Companies in Taiwan, Europe, and the US say the shortage is worse than expected, pushing packaging, testing, and related materials into broader supply constraints.

Techzone Technology Materials, a provider of one of Taiwan's few integrated waste treatment, renewable energy, and recycling solutions, is actively addressing the waste treatment demand driven by semiconductor capacity expansion. Together with its subsidiaries Han-Yang Technology Renewable Energy and Sunlight Environment, the company has a combined annual treatment capacity of 239,000 tons.

The market for fan-out panel-level packaging(FOPLP) and glass substrate packaging is set to grow sharply as chipmakers race to support AI and high-performance computing. For global readers, the shift could shape future device performance, supply chains, and where advanced semiconductors are manufactured and assembled.

Qualcomm's reported talks to provide custom chip-design services to TikTok owner ByteDance show how China's AI chip supply chain is moving beyond a simple Nvidia replacement story.