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Friday 11 September 2026
Samsung Electro-Mechanics, LG Innotek vie in AI package substrates
At South Korea's recent KPCA Show 2026, Samsung Electro-Mechanics and LG Innotek showcased their next-generation package substrate technologies. As AI semiconductors evolve toward higher performance, increased density, and larger footprints, both companies are competing for dominance in this high-value-added advanced packaging market.
Friday 11 September 2026
China's DRAM supply chain clears another materials hurdle
China's semiconductor localisation effort has reached another upstream materials milestone.​ Jiangsu Pacific Quartz Co. has secured qualification for high-purity quartz products at a domestic DRAM manufacturer capable of large-scale production.
Friday 11 September 2026
CIOE: Hitachi relies on partnerships, not proprietary tech, to ride China's optical boom

At an optoelectronics trade expo in China, Hitachi High-Tech used its booth not to unveil a flagship product of its own, but to showcase a growing web of partnerships. This is a strategy the company says reflects both its late entry into the photonics race and its long-term goals in the region.

Friday 11 September 2026
AI packaging turns to glass, with TGV metallisation persisting as key technical hurdle
Taiwan supply-chain sources said low-CTE glass fibre cloth used in high-end substrates remains tight, while glass-core substrates for next-generation packaging are still in technical validation and supply-chain development. Key challenges include material brittleness and inconsistencies in through-glass via (TGV) metallisation processing and reliability.
Friday 11 September 2026
AI server tracker: Taiwan's August filings say demand is still accelerating
The clearest read yet on whether the AI build-out is still accelerating arrived this week in a batch of unaudited Taipei filings, and it accelerated. The 49 Taiwan-listed companies spanning AI server assembly, cooling, power, substrates, materials, networking, test, and optics reported combined August revenue of NT$2.84 trillion (US$89.74 billion), up 76.5% from a year earlier and 9.9% from July, according to their filings to the Market Observation Post System. Both the total and the growth rate are the highest of the cycle, and the year-on-year rate is a step up from July's 61.3%.
Friday 11 September 2026
Global IC substrate market to surge 32% to US$19.5 billion in 2026 as Taiwan, Korea lead ABF, BT
Rising demand for generative AI, high-performance computing (HPC), and data center buildouts is pushing the global IC substrate industry into a new phase marked by upgrades in high-end product specifications, tight supplies of critical materials, and intensifying competition in advanced packaging technologies.
Thursday 10 September 2026
AUO matching glass substrate size stokes TSMC collab speculation
AUO is accelerating its transformation by extending its established large-format panel manufacturing capabilities into advanced semiconductor packaging.
Thursday 10 September 2026
Spirox TGV inspection capable of scanning entire substrate in 20 minutes
As advanced packaging moves toward higher-density stacking, demand is rising for glass through-glass via (TGV) and through-silicon via (TSV) inspection, while glass core substrates are steadily shifting from technology validation to mass production. Spirox chairman Peter Chin said the company has entered advanced packaging inspection with nonlinear optical technology, with TGV aperture sizes now at 4μm and 3μm still under validation, while materials, foundry, memory and packaging companies in Taiwan, Japan, the US and South Korea have already sent samples for testing.
Thursday 10 September 2026
China gets an early shot at the next SiC power-chip cycle

Alkaidsemi (Shanghai) Technologies Corporation has introduced a 1,200 V silicon carbide superjunction MOSFET that it describes as the world's first SiC superjunction MOSFET product. Project leader Hao Yue said it is among the first globally to complete product validation, positioning the company for emerging demand from AI server power supplies and high-voltage direct-current data center architectures.

Thursday 10 September 2026
Samsung Electro-Mechanics' glass-substrate rollout slows as TSMC evaluation drags on

Samsung Electro-Mechanics (Semco) is facing a slower glass-substrate rollout as a reliability evaluation of through-glass via (TGV) modules submitted to TSMC takes longer than expected, pushing back related equipment orders and adding pressure to a commercialization schedule that had already shifted into 2028.

Thursday 10 September 2026
Nvidia reportedly drives testing interface capacity crunch, pushes Taiwan suppliers
AI chip demand is tightening high-end testing interface capacity, and supply-chain sources say Nvidia has raised prices to secure most of the probe card and test socket output from major testing interface vendors. The squeeze is also pushing Taiwan foundry leader TSMC and related IC design customers to assess diversified supply channels for early-stage R&D validation.
Thursday 10 September 2026
Europe and US IDM grid-to-core push challenges Taiwan power modules
Data-center power systems are entering a new phase as operators move toward 800V HVDC and denser DC-DC architectures, raising demand for high-voltage, low-loss, and high-frequency power devices. The shift is pushing suppliers toward integrated control, protection, and module solutions, while Taiwan manufacturers weigh how quickly they can adapt.
Thursday 10 September 2026
Yageo's August revenue hits record on AI demand
Yageo posted year-over-year and month-over-month revenue growth in August, extending its streak of record monthly highs to a sixth straight month. The passive components maker said strong AI-related demand and resilient demand in Asia helped offset holiday effects in Europe and the US.
Thursday 10 September 2026
AI server ODMs face widening component mismatches, with shortages reaching 15–20%
Nvidia's Vera Rubin platform is entering its production ramp, and although server ODM shipments are still expected to ramp further, server ODMs delivered strong operating results in August. Industry sources said demand remains robust for both the H-series and GB-series products.
Thursday 10 September 2026
Silicon photonics boom could push InP supply-demand gap above 70%, triggering race for strategic optical resources
As AI drives the transition toward high-speed transmission technologies such as 800G and 1.6T, silicon photonics has become increasingly mainstream in high-speed optical communications, attracting investment from major industry players.
Wednesday 9 September 2026
Ample Electronic hits 120% utilization as MLCC customers step up copper paste orders
Ample Electronic Technology said strong demand for passive components and artificial intelligence (AI) server-related products is boosting business momentum, as multi-layer ceramic capacitor (MLCC) customers ramp up copper paste purchases.
Wednesday 9 September 2026
LG Innotek tackles glass substrate microcrack issue as 2028 production race heats up

LG Innotek is applying internally developed artificial intelligence to semiconductor glass substrate manufacturing, targeting microcracks, one of the technology's toughest yield challenges. The move comes as industry forecasts and supplier roadmaps increasingly point to around 2028 as an early window for initial glass-core substrate production.

Wednesday 9 September 2026
Exclusive Interview: WG Tech sees a faster route for TGV beyond displays

WG Tech (Jiangxi) Group is accelerating its shift from display glass into semiconductor applications, targeting through-glass via (TGV) substrates for optical communications and advanced packaging as AI demand expands.

Wednesday 9 September 2026
Lotte Energy Materials pivots from EV weakness to AI, ESS copper foil
Cooling electric vehicle demand is forcing South Korean copper foil makers to rethink capital and capacity. Lotte Energy Materials has sold a 90% stake in its architectural exterior contracting subsidiary Lotte EcoWall for KRW170.8 billion (approx. US$120 million), and is redirecting the proceeds into its core copper foil business.
Tuesday 8 September 2026
PCB maker Zhen Ding tops US$634M August revenue on AI server, optical module demand
PCB maker Zhen Ding Technology (ZDT) said business momentum is accelerating as demand strengthens during the traditional peak season. In addition to continued stocking for new mobile communications products, combined revenue from servers, optical modules, and IC substrates more than tripled from a year earlier, with growth accelerating further and lifting August revenue above NT$20 billion (≈US$634 million).
Tuesday 8 September 2026
What to expect at CIOE, Shenzhen's optoelectronics mega-expo
This week, DIGITIMES heads to Shenzhen to cover an expo showcasing the world of optoelectronics, a class of technologies that serves as the link between electricity and light. In today's era of pervasive digital connectivity, from smart glasses to cars to phones, this event is expected to give us a glimpse into the hardware supply chain behind these devices, and increasingly behind the global AI infrastructure build-out.
Tuesday 8 September 2026
ChenFull Precision expands from defense and semiconductor equipment into quantum computing
ChenFull Precision has expanded rapidly in recent years from traditional precision manufacturing operations such as welding and surface treatment into the semiconductor process equipment supply chain. Its overall business portfolio is also shifting increasingly toward semiconductors, with the company formally reclassified as a semiconductor stock on the Taipei Stock Exchange in 2025.
Tuesday 8 September 2026
Intel CPU prices reportedly rising 10% again as Qualcomm and MediaTek target IPC and IoT gaps
Intel's PC CPU prices have continued to rise since the end of 2025, and supply chain sources said the company is expected to raise them by another 10%. Its low-margin small-core line is likely heading toward end-of-life (EOL) as CEO Lip-Bu Tan reshapes the business to cut low-margin products and lift overall profitability.
Tuesday 8 September 2026
ViTrox rides AI demand, expands Taiwan push as Malaysia semiconductor base grows
After several years away from SEMICON Taiwan, Malaysia-based inspection equipment maker ViTrox returned to the show this year and has already confirmed plans to exhibit again next year, signaling a renewed push into a market where AI and advanced packaging are raising the stakes for equipment suppliers.
Tuesday 8 September 2026
Interview: California companies highlight synergy between the state and Taiwan
This year's SEMICON Taiwan saw companies worldwide flock to Taipei to learn new industry developments and score potential business opportunities. Many came from elsewhere in Asia, but some came from as far as California, where business leaders highlighted the complementary relationship between the state's research and start-up ecosystem and Taiwan's manufacturing capabilities.