CONNECT WITH US
Wednesday 11 February 2026
TSMC Japan expansion mirrors broader Taiwan tech retreat from China
C. C. Wei, chairman and chief executive of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, announced that the company's 3-nanometer manufacturing technology will be deployed in Japan, marking another major overseas expansion following its investment in advanced fabrication in the US. By contrast, TSMC's plant in Nanjing will remain focused on advanced mature and specialty processes, primarily at the 12- and 16-nanometer nodes
LATEST STORIES
Thursday 12 February 2026
Z.ai unveils GLM-5, advances AI agents and China chip compatibility

Ahead of the Lunar New Year, Chinese AI startup Z.ai (formerly Zhipu AI) released its open-source model GLM-5, highlighting AI agent capabilities and coding performance. The company said the user experience is "approaching Anthropic Claude Opus 4.5.

Thursday 12 February 2026
China dominates 90% of South Korea's EV fast-charger modules

South Korea is moving to domestically produce key components for electric vehicle (EV) fast chargers, as Chinese-made power modules account for more than 90% of those installed in the country, according to a Hankyung report

Thursday 12 February 2026
Applied Materials settles with BIS for US$252.5 million over SMIC shipments
Applied Materials, a Santa Clara-based semiconductor equipment maker, has reached a US$252.5 million settlement with the US Department of Commerce's Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) to resolve allegations of illegal exports to China. The penalty represents the second-highest civil fine ever imposed by the BIS and the maximum amount permitted by statute — equal to twice the value of the illegal transactions
Thursday 12 February 2026
Samsung's premium TV discounts reflect pressure from China's expanding mini LED push
Samsung Electronics' pricing for premium televisions is drawing scrutiny in South Korea as significant gaps emerge between official online prices and aggressive in-store promotional bundles, reflecting mounting competitive pressure from Chinese brands
Thursday 12 February 2026
SMIC warns AI pull-forward is rewriting chip cycle, lifts mature-node pricing
The global foundry industry is undergoing a structural shift, and it is emerging first in mature process nodes once widely considered oversupplied. SMIC stated on February 11 that its performance in the first quarter of 2025 defied seasonality. Utilization held steady from the prior quarter, and pricing for mature nodes has begun to stabilize
Thursday 12 February 2026
The Netherlands draws a harder line on Nexperia’s Chinese parent
The Enterprise Chamber of the Amsterdam Court of Appeal in the Netherlands has ordered a formal investigation into Dutch chipmaker Nexperia BV, deepening a legal dispute that has curtailed the control of its Chinese parent, Wingtech Technology Co
Thursday 12 February 2026
Samsung weighs Europe chip expansion after Intel retreat opens German window

Samsung is reportedly evaluating a potential European semiconductor expansion alongside its South Korea and US manufacturing base, as the region tightens local production requirements and Germany seeks a replacement for a cancelled flagship chip investment

Wednesday 11 February 2026
Rapidus aims for 2nm ramp in FY2027 with fourfold capacity boost
Rapidus is expected to begin full-scale production in fiscal 2028. Mass production of 2nm-class chips is scheduled to commence in the second half of fiscal 2027, according to Kyoto News. The company's business plan, submitted to Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, outlines a strategy to enter volume production in late fiscal 2027. The plan calls for expanding output approximately fourfold within the first year of operation
Wednesday 11 February 2026
Silan raises device prices about 10% from March, signaling wider cost pass-through
On February 9, 2026, Hangzhou Silan Microelectronics said that it will raise prices on certain device product categories by about 10% on average starting March 1, 2026, citing severe global metal price volatility and sustained increases in the cost of precious metals used in wafer processing
Wednesday 11 February 2026
TCL narrows gap with Samsung as Chinese TV brands gain ground
Chinese television manufacturers are intensifying pressure on South Korean brands that have long dominated the global market, as shipment growth at companies such as TCL and Hisense contrasts with stagnation at Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics. What began as a volume-driven push is increasingly paired with premium strategies, setting the stage for fiercer competition across the global television industry
Wednesday 11 February 2026
SMIC breaks 2025 revenue record, margins fall to 19.2%
On February 10, Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation (SMIC) reported record 2025 revenues, but quarterly gross margins fell to 19.2%. The decline, driven by heavy depreciation costs and shifting smartphone supply chain dynamics, underscores the financial pressure of aggressive capacity expansion despite sustained high utilization across manufacturing facilities
Wednesday 11 February 2026
Alibaba builds Google-class AI stack with 'golden triangle' chip, cloud and model integration
Alibaba has completed the final piece of its AI strategy. T-Head Semiconductor has launched the Zhenwu 810E AI chip, developed in-house by Alibaba across hardware and software. The company's AI structure is now fully visible, built around Tongyi Lab, Alibaba Cloud, and T-Head Semiconductor operating as an integrated trio
Wednesday 11 February 2026
LGD to sell Nanjing automotive LCD module business

LG Display (LGD) agreed on February 9 to sell its automotive LCD module business in Nanjing, China, to Toprun Total Solution, according to a regulatory filing reported by ZDNet Korea. The transaction is valued at approximately KRW104.1 billion (approx. US$71 million) and is scheduled to close on July 30

Tuesday 10 February 2026
Renesas turns to China and India for recovery after first net loss in six years
Renesas Electronics recorded its first net loss in six years in fiscal 2025, reflecting weak demand for automotive semiconductors and a limited contribution from AI-related products. The company is recalibrating its strategy, with India and China positioned as key pillars in its recovery roadmap
Tuesday 10 February 2026
SK Hynix set to ship HBM4 for Nvidia's Vera Rubin this month

SK Hynix is expected to begin shipments this month of its sixth-generation high-bandwidth memory, HBM4, a high-performance, low-power semiconductor designed for Nvidia's next-generation artificial intelligence accelerator, Vera Rubin