The magnetic pull of TSMC is making waves, as the upcoming SEMICON West exhibition scheduled for October 7, 2025, at the Phoenix Convention Center in Arizona, is poised to reach record scale. The number of Taiwanese companies participating will be the highest ever —over 200 global semiconductor firms are on the waiting list—mirroring the bustling crowds that just concluded SEMICON Taiwan.

MediaTek announced on September 16, 2025, that it has completed the tape-out of its first flagship system-on-chip (SoC) using TSMC's 2nm process, becoming one of the earliest adopters of the advanced node. Mass production is expected by late 2026. The companies have a long history of collaboration across smartphones, automotive, computing, and data center chips, with MediaTek calling the achievement a major milestone in its strategic partnership with TSMC.

On the evening of September 8, 2025, Xiaomi issued an internal notice that abruptly ended Wang Teng's rapid nine-year rise within the company. The under-40 executive, who had served as general manager of Xiaomi's China marketing division, was officially terminated for "leaking confidential company information" and "conflicts of interest."

Tata Electronics' plan to roll out its first semiconductor chip from its Dholera, Gujarat plant by mid-2027 may face delays if India fails to secure sufficient supplies of rare earth and critical elements, according to Mint, citing unnamed sources.

The United Kingdom demonstrated a prominent presence at SEMICON Taiwan 2025 last week, reinforcing its position as a key player in innovative technology. The UK Department for Business and Trade and Innovate UK, the national innovation agency, led a delegation of over 30 emerging companies across semiconductor manufacturing, design, testing, and materials sectors to the event.

The Trump administration has officially reduced the tariff rate on passenger cars imported from Japan from 27.5% to 15%, effective from 12:01 a.m. on September 16, 2025 (1:01 p.m. Japan time), according to documents released by the US Department of Commerce. However, ambiguity remains over whether Japan's semiconductor and pharmaceutical industries will receive most-favored-nation (MFN) treatment under the agreement.

Intel Corp. has completed the sale of a controlling stake in its Altera programmable chip unit to private equity firm Silver Lake, marking a significant step in the company's ongoing efforts to streamline operations and concentrate on core businesses.

Power semiconductors, particularly silicon carbide (SiC) and gallium nitride (GaN), emerged as key themes at SEMICON Taiwan 2025. The toughest competition was in SiC equipment, with Chinese, US, and Japanese suppliers all aggressively fighting for market share.

Samsung's ambitious US expansion faces an unexpected obstacle that could derail its 2026 production timeline. A mounting visa crisis, triggered by immigration raids on South Korean workers, is creating ripple effects across the semiconductor industry's most critical supply chains.

A new phase in the global race for silicon carbide (SiC) dominance is unfolding—one shaped as much by geopolitics as by market forces. As Chinese manufacturers make rapid strides in low-cost SiC wafer production, the strategic consensus around this next-generation semiconductor material is beginning to fracture.

On September 10, 2025, HiSilicon, a subsidiary of Huawei, completed significant personnel changes in its business registration—Eric Xu stepped down as chairman and legal representative, succeeded by Jeffrey Gao; the board's senior management was also adjusted.

Since Huawei established Shenzhen HiSilicon Semiconductor in 2004, its semiconductor business has supported over two decades of development and innovation within Huawei's product ecosystem. However, from 2000 to 2003, Huawei faced one of its most challenging periods and nearly became a US company. CEO Ren Zhengfei confirmed this long-rumored episode during an interview.

Jun Otani, executive vice president of Kumamoto University, highlighted the university's 268-year history during a Taiwan-Japan semiconductor supply chain talent forum. Following JASM's establishment of a fabrication plant in Kumamoto, the university has shifted its educational focus to keep pace with rapid changes in high technology.

The 2025 SEMI-e Shenzhen International Semiconductor Exhibition and the Integrated Circuit Innovation Expo have concluded. The twin events drew a significant crowd, with 43,986 professional visitors in attendance. A total of 1,062 exhibitors displayed their latest technologies, underscoring the event's importance to the global semiconductor sector.

TSMC has donated several sets of used 12-inch chipmaking equipment to the government, which has had the Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) under the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) and the Taiwan Semiconductor Research Institute (TSRI) under the National Institute of Applied Research (NIAR) receive them on its behalf. TSRI has selected a site on the campus of National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University (NYCU) to build a 12-inch wafer fab where proof-of-concept and pilot lines will be installed using the equipment. The facility is expected to officially commence operations in 2028.

Although the AI glasses market has yet to experience clear explosive growth, major system manufacturers, brands, and startups are continuously increasing their resources and development efforts for new products and solutions. Chipmakers share this high level of anticipation toward the technology trend, marking a stark contrast from their previous cautious stance regarding short-term mass adoption.

Following its major deal with Tesla, Samsung Electronics has won an order from Israeli IC design company Valens Semiconductor to manufacture next-generation automotive system chipsets based on the MIPI A-PHY standard. The chips are expected to be produced using FinFET process technology.

AR glasses represent a revolution for displays that incorporate key technologies such as near-eye displays, microLED, and waveguides, with AI and AR now sharing a symbiotic existence and development, says Jorjin Technologies chairman Tom Liang. These technologies did not emerge overnight, and although Taiwanese companies possess the necessary expertise, they have usually worked independently in the past without proper integration.

Recent market reports indicate that CoWoP has shown preliminary test results exceeding expectations. Nvidia, which leads its development, is expected to accelerate mass production timelines. This development has sparked growing attention on whether the positions of China and Taiwan's printed circuit board (PCB) industries will be reshuffled.

Since its IPO application was accepted by Shanghai's STAR Market in September 2024, Wuhan Xinxin Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (XMC) has updated its prospectus to highlight its move into a pivotal stage of China's 3D integration and silicon-on-insulator (SOI) build-out. Nearly 70% of XMC is directly owned by Cheung Kong (Holdings) Limited, the parent company of Yangtze Memory Technologies Co. (YMTC).

Marc Hijink, technology reporter for Dutch newspaper NRC and author of Focus: The ASML Way, introduced his new book at SEMICON Taiwan 2025 on September 12. Speaking at the Netherlands Pavilion, he traced how ASML initially sought US customers but soon recognized greater opportunities in Asia, particularly Taiwan and South Korea, leading to deep, long-term collaborations in the region.

Former TSMC R&D vice president Jack Sun, who currently serves as senior vice president at National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University (NYCU), emphasized that semiconductors can no longer be replaced by other technologies. The TSMC Grand Alliance provides all participating companies with opportunities to profit. With AI now accelerating innovation, the combination of "semiconductor + AI" has become almost omnipotent, marking the starting point of the next major technological boom.

Facing immense geopolitical risks and skepticism, TSMC has announced a costly long-term plan for expanding production facilities abroad. Among these efforts, the establishment of its first fab in Arizona has encountered numerous hurdles, including talent shortages, high costs, and regulatory complexities. TSMC, along with related plant operations, equipment, and material supply chains, faces unprecedented challenges.

Below are the most-read DIGITIMES Asia stories from the week of September 8–September 14.