Wednesday 24 December 2025
Japanese startup pushes diamond semiconductors toward commercialization in EVs and satellitesA Japanese startup originating from Waseda University, Power Diamond Systems (PDS), showcased its diamond-based semiconductors at SEMICON Japan 2025, presenting for the first time an evaluation system that confirmed the devices' operation after packaging.
Wednesday 24 December 2025
Unimicron leases Dajia plant to Uniflex, spins off flexible PCB businessTaiwan-based IC substrate maker Unimicron recently announced that it will sublease part of its Taichung Dajia land and factory to its flexible PCB (FPCB) subsidiary Uniflex Technology. The move addresses overseas customers' non-China production requirements.
Wednesday 24 December 2025
Innolux shifts FOPLP from volume to validation as US client drives orders, plant closures loomChairman Jim Hung said Innolux will deprioritize shipment volume for its fan-out panel-level packaging (FOPLP) business in 2026, shifting its focus to redistribution layer (RDL) and through-glass via (TGV) technology development to complete customer qualification.
Wednesday 24 December 2025
TSMC's N-2 restrictions hand Samsung US advanced chip openingSamsung Electronics is poised to capitalize on US demand due to Taiwan's N-2 policy restricting TSMC's advanced process transfers and its capacity being booked by Apple and Nvidia. The company is testing its second-generation 2nm process with AMD and collaborating with Google for 2026 production, outpacing TSMC's planned 3nm output in 2027.
Wednesday 24 December 2025
Softstar rebrands as Star Fusion Group in major pivot toward chips and power tech beyond gamingOn December 23, 2025, Softstar Entertainment held an extraordinary shareholders' meeting to approve its official name change to Star Fusion Group, signaling a decisive transformation into a technology- and energy-focused conglomerate. Chairman David Tu said the group now employs around 3,600 people across 11 subsidiaries and more than 30 affiliated companies, spanning gaming, semiconductors, cybersecurity, dining, third-party payments, and heavy electrical equipment.
Wednesday 24 December 2025
TSMC Nanjing in no danger of operation disruption, says branch headAs US-China technology controls continue to shape the global semiconductor supply chain, the operation of TSMC in China remains under close scrutiny from the market.
Wednesday 24 December 2025
Taiwan remains key AI and semiconductor hub in new digital economy eraDeloitte Taiwan released a report on December 23, 2025, highlighting that AI has moved beyond proof of concept to large-scale commercial deployment, rapidly expanding across core areas such as smart manufacturing, generative content, personalized marketing, and integration with 5G/6G and edge computing. Notably, advances in agentic AI are becoming a major driver of industrial growth. Taiwan continues to hold a critical position as a global node for AI and semiconductors.
Wednesday 24 December 2025
Taiwan's November export orders up nearly 40%, driven by US AI demandTaiwan's Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) announced on December 23, 2025, that export orders from the US reached US$28.45 billion in November 2025, up 12.5% sequentially and 56.1% year-over-year. Orders for information and communications products, focused on artificial intelligence (AI) servers, rose by US$6.43 billion, marking a sharp year-over-year increase of 117.7%.
Wednesday 24 December 2025
SMIC signals mature-node price turnaround with reported 10% hikeChina's leading foundry, SMIC, is reported to have issued price increase notices to selected customers, marking the start of a pricing adjustment. The company has yet to formally confirm the move.
Wednesday 24 December 2025
Malaysia's semiconductor packaging and testing industry gains momentum with Taiwanese investmentsMalaysia's semiconductor packaging and testing sector is experiencing rapid growth driven by Taiwanese and other foreign investments, according to PwC Taiwan. The firm highlights Malaysia's strategic advantages, including its diverse talent pool, geographic benefits, mature legal framework, and supportive policies, as key factors positioning the country as an emerging hub for semiconductor and high-tech industries in Southeast Asia.
Wednesday 24 December 2025
Samsung boosts Texas staff and upgrades gear to hit 2026 targets for Tesla and xAISamsung Electronics is reportedly advancing preparations for its 2026 wafer foundry scale-up at the Taylor, Texas, fab by increasing local headquarters staff and reorganizing production to satisfy key customer Tesla's requirements. The company aims to fast-track volume manufacturing targets for the second half of 2026.
Wednesday 24 December 2025
US sets June 2027 deadline for China chip tariff spikeThe Office of the US Trade Representative (USTR) has concluded a year-long Section 301 investigation into China's acts, policies, and practices related to its semiconductor industry, determining that they are actionable under US trade law. The findings were published in a notice dated December 23, 2025, and are scheduled to appear in the Federal Register on December 29.
Wednesday 24 December 2025
2D materials: from memory entry to logic's futureTwo-dimensional (2D) materials were once regarded as important candidates for extending semiconductor scaling. Because they are only an atom thick, they are theoretically very suitable for fabricating extremely small, ultra-low-power transistors. However, once these ideas move into advanced logic processes, challenges begin to surface. The problem lies in the fact that using 2D materials to fabricate FETs requires process control that is nearly at the single-atom level.
Wednesday 24 December 2025
CHIPX eyes Malaysia for 8-inch GaN-on-SiC wafer fabDublin-based semiconductor startup CHIPX plans to build an 8-inch gallium nitride on silicon carbide wafer fabrication plant in Malaysia to meet rising demand from artificial intelligence (AI) data centers and high-voltage power electronics, CEO and founder Chinmoy Baruah told DIGITIMES Asia. The project aims to establish a front-end manufacturing presence in Southeast Asia, with the company expecting to reach key milestones beginning in January 2026.
Wednesday 24 December 2025
Quantum reshapes cybersecurity as AI and industrial sectors deploy PQCTraditional encryption systems are facing challenges as AI and quantum computing advance. In early 2025, international financial institutions and automotive supply chains began adopting post-quantum cryptography (PQC) to prepare for potential threats posed by quantum computers. Now, AI data centers and industrial applications are also integrating PQC.
Tuesday 23 December 2025
Silicon Optronics eyes BSI and low-power products in face of memory supply concernsSilicon Optronics (SOI) highlighted at its recent earnings call that ongoing price hikes and shortages in consumer memory remain unresolved, potentially tightening wafer foundry supply for the company's lens module-related chips. The firm warned that since SoCs integrated with lenses require memory support, shortages in consumer memory could limit production volumes of mid- to low-end consumer applications due to high costs or material mismatches. Given that this segment is a core shipment market for SOI, the company said it will closely monitor developments.
Tuesday 23 December 2025
US probes top Southeast Asian Nvidia buyer over chip smugglingUS authorities are investigating Singapore-based cloud provider Megaspeed International Pte. amid concerns that Nvidia chips could have been diverted to China, as a senior Republican lawmaker presses the Commerce Department to tighten enforcement of US export controls.
Tuesday 23 December 2025
Weltrend expects USB PD market share to remain strong as heat-management ICs growAt a recent investor briefing, Weltrend Semiconductor discussed its two major business pillars: USB Power Delivery (USB PD) chips and fan driver ICs for heat management. While USB PD shipments continue to grow, average selling prices (ASPs) have declined due to increased competition. For fan driver ICs, rising demand from AI servers and market share gains drove year-to-date growth of 37.2% in the first three quarters of 2025, with this product line now contributing more to overall revenue than USB PD. Despite mixed performance in 2025, Weltrend emphasized that both key growth segments have strong potential to continue upward in 2026.
Tuesday 23 December 2025
Rohm, Tata Electronics form partnership to manufacture power semiconductors in IndiaRohm and Tata Electronics said they have entered into a strategic partnership to establish semiconductor manufacturing operations in India, targeting both domestic and overseas markets, as the two companies seek to expand their presence amid growing efforts to localize chip supply chains.
Tuesday 23 December 2025
Exclusive: Why photons beat copper in AI factories—Celestial AI Co-founder on Marvell's acquisitionIn a year when artificial intelligence spending has begun to resemble a national infrastructure program, Celestial AI has chosen to stop being a standalone startup. Preet Virk, the company's co-founder and chief operating officer, says the decision to sell to Marvell was less about scale for its own sake than about physics, efficiency, and timing.
Tuesday 23 December 2025
China's space launch surge exposes Taiwan's tech gapAs privately owned rocket and satellite manufacturers in the United States continue to surge, China has been accelerating its own commercial space ambitions. Beyond its extensive low-Earth-orbit satellite deployment plans, the privately held Chinese launch company LandSpace Technology achieved a milestone on December 3, 2025, when its Zhuque-3 rocket completed a successful maiden flight.
Tuesday 23 December 2025
Wingtech-Nexperia talks continue as chair warns dispute threatens global chip supplyTalks between China's Wingtech Technology and its Dutch subsidiary Nexperia are ongoing as the companies seek to resolve a governance dispute that has disrupted semiconductor supplies, with Wingtech's chair warning that prolonged uncertainty could further damage global supply chains.
Tuesday 23 December 2025
Korean chip industry faces mounting pressure from escalating power pricesElectricity costs for South Korea's domestic semiconductor manufacturing industry have reportedly surged, raising concerns over mounting cost pressures on chipmakers. Over the past four years, electricity consumption has risen by only about 9%, yet total electricity bills have more than doubled.
Tuesday 23 December 2025
Nexperia's China unit secures local wafer supply under governance disputeThe Chinese subsidiary of Nexperia, the Dutch semiconductor manufacturer, has moved to secure wafer capacity from domestic suppliers to support production of key products in 2026, according to documents reviewed by Reuters. The shift underscores a widening rupture between the China operation and its European parent, as disputes over corporate governance and control continue to reshape the company's global supply chain.
Tuesday 23 December 2025
TRI's 2025 operations hit record highs, with advanced packaging opportunities to further drive growthOptical and electrical inspection equipment supplier Test Research Inc. (TRI) held an online investor conference on December 16, 2025, stating that, benefiting from continued strong demand for networking servers, semiconductors, and automotive electronics, its 2025 revenue is confirmed to hit a record high. The company expects 2026 order momentum to remain strong, significantly reducing the impact of traditional seasonality, with full-year operations expected to continue setting new highs. Gross margin is projected to remain firmly in the 55–60% range.
- Exclusive: Samsung slows DDR4 phase-out, reportedly requires NCNR contracts for server customers
- Quantum reshapes cybersecurity as AI and industrial sectors deploy PQC
- Samsung boosts Texas staff and upgrades gear to hit 2026 targets for Tesla and xAI
- Moore Threads challenges Nvidia as S5000 targets Hopper-class LLM training
- CHIPX eyes Malaysia for 8-inch GaN-on-SiC wafer fab
Forget the Cloud. AI is heading into Orbit.
The rise of top 10 IC design houses in China