CONNECT WITH US
Sep 23
Nvidia's 800V power shift hands Taiwan's capacitor makers a new AI segment

As AI computing workloads surge, demand for higher GPU and CPU performance is triggering exponential growth in data center power density and energy consumption. Nvidia's transition toward an 800V high-voltage direct current (HVDC) power architecture is driving hardware upgrades across sidecar power cabinets and battery backup units (BBUs), while spurring demand for customized high-voltage NP0 (C0G) multilayer ceramic capacitors (MLCCs).

Ahead of the Trump-Xi summit, the key semiconductor question is no longer simply how much Nvidia hardware Washington will allow China to buy.

Powertech Technology expects stronger memory packaging and testing demand, higher average selling prices (ASPs), and ramping high-end through-silicon via (TSV) DDR5 production in the fourth quarter of 2026 to drive sequential growth throughout 2026 and lift revenue to a new record. Its Taiwan fan-out panel-level package (FOPLP) line, already booked by Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), is set to add revenue from 2027 and open another growth chapter for both sales and profit.

SK Hynix's high-bandwidth memory (HBM) production site under construction in Indiana has been drawn into local litigation as the race for AI memory capacity intensifies. Local residents in the US are seeking to overturn a land-use change and halt construction, with a trial scheduled for December 2026 and the case drawing market attention.

OUCC sees semiconductor chemical shipments ramping up in 2027
Sep 24, 08:15
Oriental Union Chemical Corporation (OUCC) expects shipments of semiconductor chemicals to ramp up in 2027 as more products complete customer qualification, with the Taiwan-based chemical maker targeting electronic chemicals to account for 10% of revenue by 2028.

Japan's Leading-edge Semiconductor Technology Center (LSTC) is building a public-private-academic framework around Rapidus, which plans to mass-produce 2-nanometer chips in 2027, to advance next-generation semiconductor research and talent development and give Japan a unique edge in the global race for advanced process technology.

SKC is increasing its investment in its US glass substrate subsidiary Absolics, raising its stake to more than 82%, as the South Korean materials group commits more capital to a business that remains in customer evaluation and testing ahead of volume production.

Biwin Storage Technology plans to invest CNY4.5 billion (approx. US$672 million) in the third phase of its wafer-level advanced packaging and testing project, expanding 2.5D integration and compute-memory co-packaging capacity as AI and high-performance computing lift demand for advanced packaging.

ZDT prices US$800M ECB to expand AI server PCB push
Sep 23

Printed circuit board (PCB) maker Zhen Ding Technology (ZDT) Group completed pricing of its sixth overseas convertible bond issue on September 22, raising a total of US$800 million (about NT$25.224 billion). The company plans to issue the bonds on September 29 and list them on the Singapore Exchange, with proceeds to be used entirely to replenish working capital and support technology development for high-end products.

Archie Hwang, the founder and chairman of Hermes-Epitek, appeared before the media alongside Hermes Testing Solutions Inc. (HTSI) executives. The company outlined a major push into silicon photonics (SiPh) co-packaged optics (CPO) testing and said related revenue is expected to begin contributing in 2027.

Nexperia China is accelerating production on its domestic 12-inch wafer platform as it rebuilds a locally controlled semiconductor supply chain spanning design, wafer production, packaging, and testing.

Episil Precision said AI-related demand is reshaping semiconductor epitaxy for the long term, with effects reaching global power and optical supply chains. The Taiwan-based maker is expanding in silicon, GaN, SiC, and GeSi to serve AI servers, optical communications, and mature-node power components worldwide.