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Wednesday 2 April 2025
Towa's HBM4 packaging breakthrough powers ambitious growth plan
Towa, a prominent name in Japan's semiconductor manufacturing equipment industry, has introduced a new technology specifically designed for the sixth-generation high bandwidth memory (HBM4) advanced packaging. In addition to this development, the company revealed a strategic three-year midterm plan set to culminate in March 2028. The aim is to expand its sales channels throughout Asia for its leading equipment. Towa forecasts a 31% increase in consolidated revenue from March 2025 figures, expecting it to reach JPY71 billion (US$473.97 million), while net profit is projected to rise by 39% to JPY10.9 billion.
Wednesday 2 April 2025
CXMT DDR4 price hike on table as memory market stabilizes
The memory market has shown signs of stabilization after a notable downturn, with recent price increases indicating a positive shift. This transition comes in the wake of manufacturers announcing impending price hikes, resulting in a rebound in spot market quotes for DRAM and NAND Flash products over the past month.
Wednesday 2 April 2025
Lee Jae-yong reportedly brought Samsung's chip and display chiefs along on China trip; signals strategic reset
Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong was recently joined by senior executives from the company's semiconductor and display departments on a rare visit to China. Industry analysts in South Korea say the joint trip is highly unusual and likely points to a strategic pivot in Samsung Group's China operations.
Wednesday 2 April 2025
Hanmi Semiconductor hikes key HBM equipment price, likely impacts SK Hynix
Hanmi Semiconductor has increased the price of its thermal compression bonder (TC Bonder; TCB), a critical piece of equipment for high-bandwidth memory (HBM) production, by 25% starting April 1. This marks the company's first price hike for TCB equipment, according to reports from South Korean media outlets ET News and Money Today.
Tuesday 1 April 2025
Samsung looks to salvage chip fortunes as chairman Lee Jae-yong courts China's AI and EV powerhouses
Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong recently made a high-profile visit to China, meeting with leading Chinese automaker executives and President Xi Jinping. South Korean analysts suggest the trip was more than diplomatic optics—it reflects Samsung's bid to capitalize on China's surging artificial intelligence (AI) demand and revive its faltering semiconductor division.
Tuesday 1 April 2025
Tokyo Electron forecasts stable semiconductor demand and expansion in AI chip equipment
Hiroshi Kawamoto, Division Officer, Finance Division of Tokyo Electron Limited (TEL), one of Japan's leading semiconductor equipment manufacturers, projects that demand for high-bandwidth memory (HBM) equipment—vital for powering generative AI—will continue to grow. However, he anticipates that sales of front-end semiconductor manufacturing processes in 2025 will likely remain on par with 2024 levels.
Monday 31 March 2025
Hanwha Semitech expands HBM production capabilities with orders from SK Hynix
Hanwha Semitech is poised to expand its supply of thermal compression bonding machines (TCB) for high-bandwidth memory (HBM) production to SK Hynix.
Monday 31 March 2025
Micron initiates price increase; Samsung and SK Hynix may follow suit
Following the announcement of a price increase by Micron, the world's third-largest DRAM manufacturer, South Korean media analysis indicates that the other two major DRAM players, Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix, are also expected to raise their prices soon. According to a report from South Korea's Chosun Biz, demand related to artificial intelligence has exceeded expectations, and the inventory levels of general memory have gradually depleted.
Monday 31 March 2025
Weekly news roundup: Semiconductor business like DeepSeek may emerge in China; Intel Japan chair defends Gelsinger strategies
These are the most-read DIGITIMES Asia stories from the week of March 24 – March 29.
Saturday 29 March 2025
South Korean semiconductor boom drives massive profit surge for SK Hynix and Samsung in 2024
A recent survey from South Korea reveals a significant boost in the country's top 500 companies' performance in 2024. Operating profits soared by 66% compared to 2023, reaching KRW73 trillion (approx. US$51.1 billion), with the semiconductor industry leading the charge. Major players such as SK Hynix and Samsung Electronics are driving the country's IT and electronics sector, contributing to an astounding 854% increase in operating profits for the industry as a whole.
Saturday 29 March 2025
Global fab equipment spending to surge 18% in 2026, says SEMI
Global investment in front-end fab equipment is projected to increase by 2% year over year to US$110 billion in 2025, marking the sixth consecutive year of growth since 2020, according to SEMI. Expenditure is forecast to rise by 18% the following year, totaling US$130 billion.
Friday 28 March 2025
SK Hynix to finalize 2026 HBM production target by mid-2025 amid rising AI demand
SK Hynix announced during its 77th shareholders' meeting that it will determine product volume for its high bandwidth memory (HBM) lineup in the first half of 2025. CEO Noh-Jung Kwak stated that customer negotiations for 2026 HBM product allocations will conclude by mid-2025 to enhance sales stability, according to South Korean media reports, including JoongAng Ilbo and Hangkyung.
Friday 28 March 2025
Silicon Motion joins AI humanoid robotics supply chain
Silicon Motion Technology has entered the AI humanoid robotics supply chain and anticipates substantial growth from this area over the next five years, according to the flash device controller specialist.
Friday 28 March 2025
SK Hynix completes final acquisition, obtains Intel's NAND IP
SK Hynix has completed the full acquisition of Intel's NAND Flash division, concluding a four-year process. The assets will be integrated under Solidigm, SK Hynix's US subsidiary, to enhance R&D collaboration for enterprise-grade SSDs.
Friday 28 March 2025
Phison sharpens AI playbook with new partnerships, 2026 care robot in pipeline
Phison Electronics is accelerating its AI push through key partnerships, most notably with Ever Fortune.AI Co. The two companies have launched a joint venture, Chang Lian Technology, to develop AI-driven healthcare robots powered by Phison's proprietary aiDAPTIV+ platform. The first commercial unit is expected to debut as early as 2026, according to MarketScreener.
Friday 28 March 2025
Samsung and SK Hynix profits set to soar with memory chip market recovery
As the memory chip market re-enters a favorable cycle, industry forecasts predict that Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix's operating profits in 2025 could surge by 40% compared to previous predictions. Samsung's operating profit is expected to reach KRW41 trillion (US$28 billion), returning to levels seen during its peak years. SK Hynix will likely achieve a historic high, with operating profits possibly reaching KRW29 trillion.
Thursday 27 March 2025
Micron price hikes signal shift to memory seller's market
The surging demand for artificial intelligence has compelled memory manufacturers to implement widespread price increases. The supply chain has been informed by Micron Technology about impending "across-the-board price increases," according to industry sources.
Thursday 27 March 2025
Edge AI to drive Innodisk's 2025 growth
Innodisk's chairman, Randy Chien, forecasts that while cloud AI dominated in 2024, attention will turn to edge AI in 2025. He anticipates significant growth in edge AI, fueled by the rise of generative AI and the potential for Artificial General Intelligence, with projected annual revenues reaching NT$10 billion (US$300 million).
Wednesday 26 March 2025
Micron breaks the 'memory wall' with Nvidia: SOCAMM, HBM3E now shipping
Micron Technology showcased its latest AI-optimized memory technologies at GTC 2025, unveiling advanced DRAM solutions designed for data center and high-performance computing (HPC) applications. The company emphasized its growing role in accelerating artificial intelligence (AI) workloads—not just with Nvidia, but potentially across a broader ecosystem.
Tuesday 25 March 2025
DeepSeek jolt sparks China memory revival, 5-year boom ahead
China's AI sector regained traction in early 2025 with the breakout launch of DeepSeek, a homegrown AI model that revitalized industry confidence and reignited momentum across the memory and storage ecosystem.
Tuesday 25 March 2025
Memory contract prices to rise
According to industry sources, all major memory chipmakers aim to boost their quotes for the second quarter of 2025, resulting in a change towards a more bullish market attitude.
Monday 24 March 2025
SK Hynix to pull M15X fab timeline forward by two months
SK Hynix is reportedly accelerating equipment installation at its M15X fab in Cheongju, South Korea, moving the original timeline forward from December to October in response to surging demand for high-bandwidth memory (HBM). Supply chain sources say vendors are now operating under heightened urgency as they scramble to meet the new schedule.
Monday 24 March 2025
Weekly news roundup: China pays uncapped PhD salaries to develop ASML alternative; TSMC board member dismisses Intel foundry takeover rumors
These are the most-read DIGITIMES Asia stories from the week of March 17 – March 22.
Saturday 22 March 2025
Jensen Huang's Samsung visit at GTC 2025 reignites spotlight on memory supply ties
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang visited the Samsung Electronics booth at GTC 2025 on March 20, Pacific Time, where he left a signature including the words "Samsung," "GDDR7 rocks!" and "RTX on!"
Friday 21 March 2025
Innodisk expects 2H25 growth to outpace 1H25
Industrial memory module specialist Innodisk has been diligently pursuing order opportunities from Chinese CSPs and network device customers and anticipates that its sales growth in the second half of 2025 will surpass that of the first half.