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Sunday 26 April 2026

ASML cuts management layers due to restructuring; TSMC stance affects High-NA outlook

ASML is moving to eliminate a wide range of management roles as part of a broader effort to simplify its organization and improve execution, according to internal documents viewed by Business Insider.

Sunday 26 April 2026

Nvidia and OpenAI both make US$20 billion bets on AI chip startups: what's the common factor?

2026 has become a major year for IPO fundraising among leading AI players. At the end of 2025, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang spent US$20 billion to acquire the IP and talent of AI chip startup Groq. In April 2026, The Information reported that OpenAI will purchase more than US$20 billion worth of chips from AI chip startup Cerebras. These two amounts are nearly identical; Nvidia for acquisition, OpenAI for procurement. Although seemingly isolated events, they are symmetrical moves.

Sunday 26 April 2026

Samsung bets its HBM leverage can hold Nvidia's LPU orders — but TSMC is pushing back

The AI era has officially shifted from training to inference and agent-centric computing, prompting Nvidia's strategic acquisition of Groq to integrate LPUs into its own platform. This move not only eliminates a strong competitor but also sparks a fierce battle between Samsung Electronics and TSMC over LPU foundry orders.

Saturday 25 April 2026

LandMark Optoelectronics ramps up semiconductor-grade equipment for 6-inch SiPh amid surging demand

Silicon photonics (SiPh) products continue to see strong demand, with optical communication epitaxy manufacturer LandMark Optoelectronics reporting output still far below customer needs. The company plans to increase capital expenditure (capex) to NT$1.315 billion (US$41.7 million) in 2026 to prepare early for second-half 2027 demand, and aims to introduce semiconductor-grade equipment for processes involving substrates larger than 6 inches, targeting a new expansion phase starting in 2028.

Saturday 25 April 2026

China's Horizon Robotics aims at Tesla with new self-driving platform

As competition in intelligent electric vehicles shifts from incremental feature upgrades to full system-level redesign, China's Horizon Robotics is mounting an ambitious strategic push — one that places it in more direct competition with Tesla.

Friday 24 April 2026

Chipmakers face higher cost pressure as packaging outpaces foundry price hikes

In recent weeks, chip companies ranging from major players to small and medium-sized firms have issued price increase notices or begun renegotiating product prices with select customers. These moves aim to pass on steadily rising manufacturing costs across the supply chain as outsourced semiconductor assembly and test (OSAT) costs surge faster than even foundry price increases.

Friday 24 April 2026

M31 and TSMC complete eUSB2V2 tapeout on N2P process

IP provider M31 has announced that its eUSB2V2 interface IP has completed tapeout on TSMC's N2P 2nm process. M31 CEO Scott Chang emphasized that 2nm interface IP must align closely with the manufacturing platform to boost design efficiency and accelerate time-to-market.

Friday 24 April 2026

Strait of Hormuz disruption puts semiconductor supply chains at risk as photoresist shortages grow

Geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz since early March 2026 are beginning to ripple through the global semiconductor supply chain, threatening shortages of a critical chipmaking material: photoresists.

Friday 24 April 2026

TSMC CoPoS equipment orders face reshuffle with legal turmoil at Taiwanese equipment maker

The semiconductor packaging equipment sector is experiencing order shifts linked to significant executive changes at a key Taiwanese supplier, raising concerns over TSMC's chip-on-wafer-on-substrate (CoWoS) and chip-on-panel-on-substrate (CoPoS) advanced packaging equipment orders. Industry sources indicate that ASE Technology Holding's equipment orders may also be affected as the supply chain undergoes potential realignment.

Friday 24 April 2026

SK Hynix deepens TSMC ties with HBM4, advances memory-logic integration

SK Hynix showcased its latest high-bandwidth memory (HBM) technologies at TSMC's North America Technology Symposium 2026, highlighting closer collaboration with the foundry and outlining a strategy focused on integrating memory and logic.

Friday 24 April 2026

Texas Instruments eyes further price hikes amid strong data center, industrial chip demand

Texas Instruments (TI) reported robust results for the first quarter of 2026 on April 23, driven by surging AI data center demand and a notable rebound in industrial control applications. TI stressed that while industrial demand has yet to reach its previous peak, the current recovery trend is positive, signaling continued growth prospects ahead.

Friday 24 April 2026

Texas Instruments says edge AI opportunities extend beyond robots

In an April 23 interview, Amichai Ron of Texas Instruments (TI) warned that edge AI will reshape devices worldwide, extending far beyond robotics and driving greater semiconductor demand as AI integrates into long-lived products, implying that global markets must prepare for increased connectivity, sensorization, and chip requirements, along with regulatory and logistical adjustments.

Friday 24 April 2026

SMIC returns to advanced packaging, scales team to boost AI chip strategy

China's leading foundry, SMIC, is quietly recalibrating its strategy, moving beyond its long-standing focus on front-end wafer manufacturing to accelerate investments in advanced packaging.

Friday 24 April 2026

Intel keeps capex steady as it shifts spending toward capacity expansion

Intel is holding its 2026 capex broadly flat year over year, not because of reduced ambition, but because of a strategic reallocation of spending toward equipment that directly boosts chip output. Executives signaled that existing factory space is sufficient for now, allowing the company to prioritize tools and productivity gains to meet rising AI-driven demand. This measured approach reflects confidence in near-term demand—particularly for server CPUs—while maintaining financial discipline amid macroeconomic uncertainty and rising input costs.

Friday 24 April 2026

CPUs regain central role in AI as Intel highlights growing importance alongside rising ASIC demand

Intel executives are placing renewed emphasis on the central role of CPUs in artificial intelligence (AI), arguing that shifting workloads are elevating their importance even as specialized chips gain traction. Management said the transition from model training to real-world deployment is driving stronger demand for server CPUs, reinforcing confidence in Intel's competitive position. At the same time, the company is expanding into custom silicon, or ASICs, as part of a broader strategy to address evolving AI infrastructure needs.

Friday 24 April 2026

Samsung labor unions rally 40,000 workers, prepares for 18-day strike in May

Three major labor unions at Samsung Electronics held a large-scale protest on the afternoon of April 23 in front of the Pyeongtaek semiconductor campus in South Korea. An estimated 40,000 people participated, accounting for roughly one-third of the company's workforce, marking the largest collective action in Samsung's history.

Friday 24 April 2026

Intel bets on CPUs as backbone of AI growth

Intel executives are expressing growing confidence in the company's long-term outlook, arguing that a fundamental shift in artificial intelligence toward real-world deployment aligns with Intel's core strengths. CEO Lip-Bu Tan said the transition from model training to inference, agentic systems, and edge computing is driving renewed demand for CPUs, positioning Intel for sustained growth. Management's confidence rests on what they describe as a structural, not cyclical, change in computing architectures — one that places CPUs back at the center of the AI ecosystem.

Friday 24 April 2026

Intel flags price increases and supply shortages as CPU demand strengthens

Intel signaled that industry-wide supply shortages and selective price increases are helping offset weaker PC demand, even as the company works to expand supply capacity across its product lines. Management said constrained output continues to limit revenue upside in parts of the business, while rising prices and improving server CPU demand are supporting overall resilience. The company also pointed to ongoing efforts to increase supply availability, though demand in several segments continues to outpace output.

Friday 24 April 2026

Intel's AI-driven CPU rebound signals early-stage revival

Intel's first-quarter 2026 results point to a company in the midst of a credible revival, as improving execution and rising demand for AI-related computing begin to reshape its trajectory.

Friday 24 April 2026

Intel says 18A yield improves as 14A advances to early customer engagement stage

Intel reported steady progress on its most advanced manufacturing technologies, saying its 18A process node is seeing meaningful yield improvements, while the next-generation 14A node has reached early design enablement stages with initial customer engagement underway. Management emphasized that 14A is currently at the 0.5 PDK stage, with a 0.9 PDK milestone expected next, marking a key step toward customer design commitments and future volume production. The company framed both nodes as central to its foundry turnaround, while acknowledging that commercial scale and margin benefits will take multiple quarters to materialize fully.

Friday 24 April 2026

GMI pursues vertical integration amid surging AI leasing demand

GMI Technology is transitioning from its role as an electronics distributor into an AI technology integration and application company, building vertically integrated capabilities from upstream chips to downstream end products. The company is optimistic about the rapid growth in AI leasing demand, with its revenue contribution expected to increase. It is also partnering with strategic ally GMI Cloud to participate in the deployment of computing infrastructure in Taiwan, the US, and other regions.

Friday 24 April 2026

Interview: Taiwan-Korea cooperation not limited to memory giants; Hwaseong City aims to expand alliances

When it comes to Taiwan-Korea semiconductor cooperation, the outside world often focuses on orders and R&D between memory giants such as Samsung Electronics, SK Hynix, and TSMC. However, centered on Hwaseong City in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea, emphasizes that the potential of Taiwan-Korea cooperation goes far beyond this; both sides should establish more direct supply chain alliances at the SME level in equipment and components.

Friday 24 April 2026

Taiwan plans 130-hectare industrial zone in Tamsui for science city

Following Nvidia's decision to establish its overseas headquarters at the Beitou-Shilin Technology Park (BSTP) in Taipei, space constraints in northern Taiwan have prompted Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) to set up a research and development center in Shalun, Tainan, in Taiwan's south, with the help of Taiwan's government.

Friday 24 April 2026

China chipmaker scales beyond security ICs into AI, automotive

Unigroup Guoxin Microelectronics reported steady growth in 2025, reinforcing its position across specialty ICs and security chips while accelerating expansion into AI, automotive electronics, and other emerging applications.

Thursday 23 April 2026

Machvision targets 70% high-end equipment share, eyes record 2026 revenue

Machvision's launch of advanced inspection tools for semiconductors and high-end printed circuit boards carries significant implications for global electronics supply chains, promising higher test throughput, improved defect detection, and greater automation. Manufacturers worldwide may see reduced process risk, higher yields, and accelerated validation as complexity and miniaturization intensify across markets.

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