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Thursday 12 February 2026

HBM4 first-mover fog: Samsung and Micron duel for supremacy amid Nvidia supply tension

Samsung Electronics has officially commenced the mass production and commercial shipment of its HBM4 memory, marking a pivotal moment in the global semiconductor landscape.

Thursday 12 February 2026

Tower Semiconductor revamps strategy after Intel deal collapses

Intel's decision to walk away from its September 2023 agreement for Fab 11X in New Mexico has prompted Tower Semiconductor to revamp its manufacturing roadmap, scrap the facility from its 2028 model, and redirect customers — marking a strategic reset for the specialty foundry partner.

Thursday 12 February 2026

GlobalFoundries accelerates silicon photonics targets; eyes US$1 Billion revenue run rate by 2028

GlobalFoundries is aggressively pulling forward its financial targets for silicon photonics (SiPh), betting that the "insatiable" demand for AI compute will cement its position as a critical provider of high-speed data interconnects.

Thursday 12 February 2026

Applied Materials settles with BIS for US$252.5 million over SMIC shipments

Applied Materials, a Santa Clara-based semiconductor equipment maker, has reached a US$252.5 million settlement with the US Department of Commerce's Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) to resolve allegations of illegal exports to China. The penalty represents the second-highest civil fine ever imposed by the BIS and the maximum amount permitted by statute — equal to twice the value of the illegal transactions.

Thursday 12 February 2026

Winsemi revenue falls 5% in 2025, speeds pivot to AI optical and LEO satellite markets

Win Semiconductors (Winsemi), a GaAs wafer foundry, held its earnings conference on February 11. Its fourth-quarter 2025 consolidated revenue reached NT$4.79 billion (approx. US$152.65 million), up 7% quarter-over-quarter and 29% year-over-year, slightly above expectations. Full-year 2025 revenue totaled NT$16.64 billion, down 5% year-over-year.

Thursday 12 February 2026

TSMC's advanced process drives AI profits; SMIC, UMC, VIS face growth pressure

Amazon, Google, Meta, and Microsoft are set to sharply increase AI capital expenditure in 2026, with total investments reaching US$670 billion. This surge has sparked market concerns about an AI bubble, though Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang called the CSPs' spending "reasonable and necessary." The semiconductor industry sees a clear divide: TSMC is profiting heavily from AI demand, while Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation (SMIC), United Microelectronics Corporation (UMC), and Vanguard International Semiconductor (VIS) face growth challenges.

Thursday 12 February 2026

SMIC warns AI pull-forward is rewriting chip cycle, lifts mature-node pricing

The global foundry industry is undergoing a structural shift, and it is emerging first in mature process nodes once widely considered oversupplied. SMIC stated on February 11 that its performance in the first quarter of 2025 defied seasonality. Utilization held steady from the prior quarter, and pricing for mature nodes has begun to stabilize.

Thursday 12 February 2026

China claims five places in 2025 global OSAT top 10

The latest global ranking of the top 10 outsourced semiconductor assembly and test (OSAT) providers points to a shift in competitive balance. In 2025, five Chinese companies entered the top tier, narrowing the gap with Taiwan’s established leaders and reshaping the industry structure.

Thursday 12 February 2026

SEMI: AI and HBM lift 2025 silicon wafer shipments, revenue still dips

Worldwide silicon wafer shipments increased 5.8% in 2025 to 12,973 million square inches (MSI), while wafer revenue declined 1.2% to US$11.4 billion, according to the year-end analysis released by the SEMI Silicon Manufacturers Group (SMG).

Thursday 12 February 2026

The Netherlands draws a harder line on Nexperia’s Chinese parent

The Enterprise Chamber of the Amsterdam Court of Appeal in the Netherlands has ordered a formal investigation into Dutch chipmaker Nexperia BV, deepening a legal dispute that has curtailed the control of its Chinese parent, Wingtech Technology Co.

Thursday 12 February 2026

Samsung weighs Europe chip expansion after Intel retreat opens German window

Samsung is reportedly evaluating a potential European semiconductor expansion alongside its South Korea and US manufacturing base, as the region tightens local production requirements and Germany seeks a replacement for a cancelled flagship chip investment.

Thursday 12 February 2026

TSMC spillover lifts Xintec testing orders, 2026 growth in sight

Xintec, the packaging and testing subsidiary of TSMC, held an investor conference in which Chairman CH Chen said full-year 2025 revenue maintained modest growth, driven primarily by a sharp increase in testing service revenue. However, high-margin optical diffractive element (DOE) packaging orders continued to decline after a 3D sensing customer adjusted its supplier strategy, putting pressure on overall gross margin and profitability.

Wednesday 11 February 2026

Rapidus aims for 2nm ramp in FY2027 with fourfold capacity boost

Rapidus is expected to begin full-scale production in fiscal 2028. Mass production of 2nm-class chips is scheduled to commence in the second half of fiscal 2027, according to Kyoto News. The company's business plan, submitted to Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, outlines a strategy to enter volume production in late fiscal 2027. The plan calls for expanding output approximately fourfold within the first year of operation.

Wednesday 11 February 2026

The Arizona Fixer and the R&D Architect: TSMC’s new SVP duo step into spotlight

TSMC's board held its first meeting in Kumamoto, Japan, where it approved the promotion of Y.L. Wang and T.S. Chang to senior vice presidents (SVPs), marking a significant leadership transition within the company. The meeting followed an earlier session in Arizona, US, in 2025, and also saw Yuan-Guo Huang promoted to vice president overseeing procurement after Wen-Ru Li's departure.

Wednesday 11 February 2026

GPTC management shakeup raises concerns over TSMC, ASE, Micron orders

Grand Process Technology Corporation (GPTC), a key wet process equipment supplier in the supply chains of TSMC, ASE, and Micron, posted record consolidated revenue of NT$6.514 billion (approx. US$207.5 million) in 2025, up 59.93% year-over-year, with profits expected to hit new highs as well. However, January 2026 revenue unexpectedly plunged 47.7% from December's peak to NT$527 million, though it still rose 42% year-over-year. GPTC attributed the drop to delayed customer shipments affecting revenue recognition, but maintained that full-year momentum remains stable and upward.

Wednesday 11 February 2026

ByteDance reportedly in talks with Samsung on chip development amid US Nvidia curbs

China's ByteDance is developing an artificial intelligence (AI) chip and is in talks with Samsung Electronics to manufacture it, Reuters reported, citing two people familiar with the matter, as the TikTok parent seeks to secure a supply of advanced processors.

Wednesday 11 February 2026

TSMC supplier AblePrint sees January 2026 revenue jump 142% on AI chips packaging boom

Taiwan-based AblePrint Technology, a key supplier of advanced packaging defoaming equipment for major clients including TSMC, reported record-breaking performance despite earlier regulatory scrutiny. In January 2026, the company's revenue reached NT$304 million (US$9.65 million), up 50.44% month-on-month and 142% year-over-year, marking its highest single-month revenue ever.

Wednesday 11 February 2026

Netherlands' China-hawk cabinet signals tighter grip on chip tech

Europe's technology security posture toward China is tightening. The Netherlands is emerging as an early indicator. A new Dutch cabinet dominated by China hawks signals tighter export controls, stricter investment screening, and deeper coordination with US and allied technology-security frameworks. The shift carries potential spillover effects across semiconductor supply chains and EU industrial policy.

Wednesday 11 February 2026

Taiwan Premier Cho affirms commitment to advance energy infrastructure

Taiwan Premier Jung-tai Cho stressed the government's commitment to industry in his remarks at the groundbreaking ceremony on February 10 for the Advanced Semiconductor R&D Base at the Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI), saying that Taiwan bears responsibilities to the global supply chain, and any pause in Taiwan's industrial sector could disrupt supplies worldwide.

Wednesday 11 February 2026

Singapore to boost semiconductors and photonics under RIE 2030

As demand for higher transmission performance rises alongside the expansion of artificial intelligence and data centers, the 2026 Asia Photonics Expo (APE 2026), held in Singapore, underscored the deepening convergence between the semiconductor and photonics industries. Against this backdrop, DIGITIMES interviewed Sukumar Verma, managing director of Informa Markets Singapore, on development trends shaping the city-state's high-tech sector.

Wednesday 11 February 2026

TSMC Japan expansion mirrors broader Taiwan tech retreat from China

C. C. Wei, chairman and chief executive of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, announced that the company's 3-nanometer manufacturing technology will be deployed in Japan, marking another major overseas expansion following its investment in advanced fabrication in the US. By contrast, TSMC's plant in Nanjing will remain focused on advanced mature and specialty processes, primarily at the 12- and 16-nanometer nodes.

Wednesday 11 February 2026

ASE focuses on Malaysia expansion, ADI plant acquisition expected to close in 2Q26

After US President Donald Trump took office, he vigorously promoted the reshoring of the chip manufacturing supply chain, prompting some Taiwanese companies to shift the focus of their overseas expansion from previously favored new hubs in Southeast Asia to Arizona, where TSMC is located. Dr. Tien Wu, chief operating officer of ASE Technology Holding, said that the group's future overseas manufacturing footprint will still center on Penang, Malaysia, with the Philippines and South Korea serving as complementary bases, targeting automotive and robotics orders from global IDM customers.

Wednesday 11 February 2026

Silan raises device prices about 10% from March, signaling wider cost pass-through

On February 9, 2026, Hangzhou Silan Microelectronics said that it will raise prices on certain device product categories by about 10% on average starting March 1, 2026, citing severe global metal price volatility and sustained increases in the cost of precious metals used in wafer processing.

Wednesday 11 February 2026

TSMC equipment donation split between two institutes as TSRI expansion hits roadblock

TSMC's donation of 12-inch wafer fabrication equipment is being divided between two government research facilities, with the Taiwan Semiconductor Research Institute (TSRI) and the Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) each receiving separate allocations. While ITRI successfully held its groundbreaking ceremony on February 10, 2026, TSRI's expansion plans have stalled due to a land ownership dispute with National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University (NYCU), forcing officials to consider relocating the project to southern Taiwan.

Wednesday 11 February 2026

Taiwan to embrace advanced nuclear energy tech to secure energy and computing edge

Taiwan's Executive Yuan announced on February 10, 2026, that the government will fully embrace advanced new nuclear technologies worldwide, including small modular reactors (SMRs). This marks a significant shift in its longstanding non-nuclear policy amid rising challenges from climate change, energy security, and surging AI-driven electricity demand.

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