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Friday 4 July 2025
With d-Mode GaN, Renesas seeks edge in high-power semiconductor market
Following its acquisition of US-based GaN pioneer Transphorm, Renesas Electronics is ramping up its ambitions in the wide-bandgap power semiconductor space. With a bold pivot away from the crowded fast-charging market for consumer electronics, Renesas is positioning its new generation of GaN products for higher-power applications, including electric vehicles, industrial automation, infrastructure, networking, and even AI servers.
Friday 4 July 2025
Malaysia lays quiet groundwork to become regional IC design hub
Malaysia is advancing its integrated circuit (IC) design capabilities through a recent 10-year technology licensing deal worth US$250 million with Arm Holdings, aiming to strengthen local IC design firms like Oppstar, Key ASIC, and SkyeChip.
Friday 4 July 2025
Huawei's semiconductor matriarch charges forward with dual front: chips and talent
As US-China tech tensions intensify, Huawei is accelerating efforts to achieve technological independence after being added to the US Entity List in 2019. He Tingbo, president of HiSilicon and a central figure in Huawei's semiconductor strategy, is stepping into a pivotal role. She has been appointed head of Huawei's Senior Talent Compensation Division, expanding her authority over executive pay and talent development, key pillars in the company's long-term innovation agenda.
Friday 4 July 2025
WPG's split-path strategy signals deeper shift in chip distribution model
WPG Holdings, Asia's largest semiconductor distributor, is reportedly preparing a major organizational revamp centered on a "dual-engine" strategy, designed to break through global distribution bottlenecks while shoring up its core business capabilities.
Friday 4 July 2025
AOS to settle US export violation with US$4.25 miilion over Huawei shipments
Alpha and Omega Semiconductor (AOS), a California-based chipmaker, has agreed to pay US$4.25 million to resolve allegations that it violated US export controls by shipping restricted components to Huawei Technologies in 2019, the year Huawei was placed on the US Entity List.
Friday 4 July 2025
SEMICON Taiwan 2025 to launch AI chip packaging alliance, highlighting advanced packaging and ecosystem resilience
SEMICON Taiwan 2025 is scheduled to take place from September 10 to 12 at the Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center, with a series of technical forums kicking off on September 8. A key highlight will be the official launch of the SEMI 3DIC Advanced Manufacturing Alliance (SEMI 3DICAMA) on September 9, which will delve into critical topics such as breakthroughs in advanced packaging technologies for AI chips.
Friday 4 July 2025
Uneven customer demand and development keep ASIC providers walking on thin ice
While optimism about cloud ASICs is rising, demand and development vary widely among clients. Some with strong development teams are steadily increasing their ASIC needs, while others struggle with cost-efficiency or low production volumes. For ASIC designers, working with different clients can result in very different outcomes.
Friday 4 July 2025
China's local CPU and GPU companies cultivate talent alliances with universities
With the rapid development of artificial intelligence (AI) technology, the demand for computing power continues to rise, placing AI chips at the heart of global tech competition. To secure a dominant position in the future of computing, China's local CPU and GPU companies are accelerating efforts to cultivate AI talent through collaborations with universities and research institutions.
Friday 4 July 2025
Infineon targets 4Q25 for 12-inch GaN sample rollout as scaling accelerates
Infineon Technologies AG has announced progress in its scalable gallium nitride (GaN) semiconductor manufacturing using 12-inch wafers, aiming to supply customer samples by the fourth quarter of 2025. This development positions Infineon to expand its leadership in the GaN market segment amid rising demand for advanced power semiconductors.
Friday 4 July 2025
TSMC, suppliers ride AI wave as Nvidia GB series powers record demand

Taiwan's semiconductor and electronics industries are entering a new period of explosive growth, driven by the full-scale rollout of Nvidia's next-generation AI server platform, the GB200, and the scheduled launch of the even more powerful GB300 in the fourth quarter. Combined with expanding shipments of ASICs, the surge in demand is expected to significantly ease pressure from tariffs, currency volatility, and rising manufacturing costs.

Friday 4 July 2025
South Korea cuts reliance on Japanese chip materials, but faces hurdles in advanced technologies
In the high-stakes world of semiconductors, materials are everything. In South Korea, the issue became a national priority after a 2019 trade dispute with Japan sent shockwaves through its tech sector. In a tit-for-tat diplomatic standoff, Tokyo slapped export restrictions on critical chipmaking materials—photoresists, hydrogen fluoride, and polyimide. With Japanese firms controlling more than 90% of the global supply, the move threatened to derail South Korea's chip production and exposed its deep dependence on foreign suppliers.
Thursday 3 July 2025
Samsung completes development of 1c DRAM, paving way for HBM4 rollout

Samsung Electronics has successfully developed its sixth-generation DRAM, known as 1c DRAM, built using a 10nm class process. The product has received internal Production Readiness Approval (PRA), signaling it has met key quality and performance benchmarks and is now in the final phase before mass production. The milestone brings Samsung one step closer to its goal of mass-producing HBM4, or fourth-generation high-bandwidth memory, in the second half of 2025.

Thursday 3 July 2025
Intel plans to abandon in-house glass substrate development, shift to external procurement
According to Computerbase, under the leadership of new CEO Lip-Bu Tan, Intel might no longer push forward with in-house R&D of glass substrates but instead turn to purchasing ready-made solutions from specialized suppliers. This move is expected to help Intel accelerate the launch of viable products while diversifying risks and maintaining flexibility to switch suppliers.
Thursday 3 July 2025
Foxconn, Quanta ramp up GB200 output in AI infrastructure boom
Amid global uncertainty and volatile market conditions, AI servers have emerged as a strategic cornerstone for the ICT industry in 2025. With the ramp-up of Nvidia's GB200 series beginning in the second quarter of the year, suppliers across Asia are aggressively jockeying for a spot on the coveted "MP Ready" list — a designation signaling readiness for mass production.
Thursday 3 July 2025
IP battle erupts between PSI and iST over confidential tech
In a closely watched intellectual property case, the Hsinchu District Court has issued a first-instance ruling in favor of Phoenix Silicon International (PSI), ordering Integrated Service Technology Inc. (iST) to pay a fine of NT$5 million (US$155,000) and to jointly pay damages of NT$36.49 million (US$1.2 million) with a former Vanguard International Semiconductor (VIS) employee. The case stems from allegations that iST and the former employee misappropriated trade secrets belonging to PSI.
Thursday 3 July 2025
China's EV leaders switch gears from horsepower to chip power
As global automakers advance deeper into electrification and intelligent mobility, China's top EV brands—BYD, Nio, and Xiaomi—are fast-tracking the development of self-designed chips. The push reflects a broader transition from dependence on foreign semiconductor suppliers to fully integrated hardware-software platforms, with significant implications for the global EV value chain.
Thursday 3 July 2025
US lifts EDA tool curbs as part of new China deal
The Trump administration has lfited at least some export license requirements for chip design software sales in China, as Washington and Beijing implement a trade deal designed to see both countries ease flows of critical technologies.
Thursday 3 July 2025
AMD to boost India headcount beyond 10,000, calls for GPU openness for AI infrastructure
AMD is significantly expanding its footprint in India, with plans to increase its employee base to over 10,000 within the next two to three years. This move reflects the company's confidence in the country's engineering talent and its supportive environment for semiconductor and artificial intelligence (AI) development.
Wednesday 2 July 2025
Towa expands South Korea presence as AI spurs demand for HBM packaging tools
Japanese semiconductor equipment maker Towa Corporation, a global leader in advanced packaging systems, recently unveiled its newest technology for sixth-generation HBM4, aiming squarely at the surging demand from generative AI and high-performance computing markets.
Wednesday 2 July 2025
China’s Dongshan Precision moves to buy Taiwan’s Source Photonics, triggering tech security alarms
Leading Chinese electronics manufacturer, Suzhou Dongshan Precision Manufacturing, has announced plans to acquire Source Photonics, a Taiwan-based optical communications firm located in the Hsinchu Science Park, for up to CNY5.935 billion (approx. US$828 million). The deal, priced at roughly six times Source Photonics' market value, aims to help Dongshan Precision break into the high-growth optical communication sector.
Wednesday 2 July 2025
Taiwanese IC packaging and testing advances into Malaysia for auto and robotics
Since US President Donald Trump championed the "Made in America" initiative, technological competition between the US and China has intensified, rapidly escalating global geopolitical risks. Overseas customers have successively adopted "non-China" and "non-Taiwan" manufacturing policies, driving a new wave of semiconductor supply chain restructuring. The future division of regional manufacturing roles is becoming increasingly clear.
Wednesday 2 July 2025
China-backed IC designer Unisoc kicks off IPO process amid push for profitability
Unisoc (Shanghai) Technologies Co., Ltd. has filed IPO counseling documents with the China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC), signaling plans to list on the Shanghai STAR Market. Chinastarmarket.cn, citing sources familiar with the matter, reported the listing could occur in late 2025 or 2026. The company is still operating at a loss and is aiming to reach breakeven by 2025.
Wednesday 2 July 2025
The AI talent arms race: Nvidia, Meta, and Huawei battle for brains
As the AI revolution accelerates, global tech giants are racing to shortcut innovation by acquiring not just technology but the talent behind it. Companies like Nvidia, Meta, Google, Microsoft, AMD, and Qualcomm are in an escalating global talent war, eager to absorb entire teams or acquire startups outright to gain access to elite AI capabilities.
Wednesday 2 July 2025
Wolfspeed bankruptcy reshuffles SiC supply chain: Renesas and SAS next moves in spotlight
The leading third-generation semiconductor silicon carbide (SiC) supplier, US-based Wolfspeed, has filed for bankruptcy reorganization. Its major creditors recently reached a restructuring support agreement (RSA) acknowledging losses.
Wednesday 2 July 2025
Taiwan's Southern tech hubs boom on Nvidia chip demand and expansion
Fueled by booming global demand for Nvidia's GB200 chips—and the anticipated launch of the more powerful GB300 in the second half of 2025—Taiwan's semiconductor manufacturing sector is experiencing a rapid surge in revenue, particularly in the country's southern science parks. Recent data from Taiwan's National Science and Technology Council (NSTC), released in June 2025, shows that the Southern Taiwan Science Park generated NT$285.3 billion (US$9.8 billion) in revenue in April 2025—nearly three times the NT$109.6 billion recorded by the Central Taiwan Science Park.