Across the week, Taiwan-linked semiconductor groups and their partners continued expanding capacity, while AI demand, export controls, and financing structures shaped the industry outlook. ASML's push to raise EUV output comes as Musk and Huang warn China may narrow the lithography gap by 2030. TSMC is also tied to Texas, Singapore, and Tesla projects, while ASE added test capacity. Meanwhile, a US smuggling case and Broadcom's Anthropic financing highlight growing geopolitical and financial risk.
Elon Musk, Jensen Huang see China closing lithography gap by 2030
ASML is exploring how to lift EUV output beyond 110 units by 2028, planning at least 80 tools in 2027 and possibly about 30% more capacity in 2028 to meet AI infrastructure demand. But China's push for indigenous advanced lithography adds long-term uncertainty. Elon Musk said China could narrow its compute deficit in two to three years, while Jensen Huang said advanced lithography systems could emerge by around 2030.
Musk confirms talks with TSMC over his Texas chip factory project
Elon Musk confirmed Terafab is in talks with TSMC after reports that the foundry is examining Texas factories. The likely structure would have TSMC own and operate a new plant while SpaceX/Terafab provides equity, purchase commitments, or both. The discussions come as TSMC weighs a second US base, possibly several advanced fabs, but no decision has been made and policy certainty, tax credits, and demand remain key issues.
Tesla cuts AI5, AI6 memory specs to protect Optimus
Tesla is cutting memory specifications for its AI5 and AI6 chips to secure enough supply for Optimus mass production amid a prolonged memory crunch. AI5 is being reduced from 144GB of LPDDR5 to 72GB, while AI6 is now expected to use 144GB of LPDDR6. Musk said the change will not materially hurt performance and is needed to lower costs and ensure scale for the humanoid robot program.
TSMC helps VSMC build first Singapore fab in 22 months at lower cost than US
VSMC, the VIS-NXP joint venture, opened its first 12-inch wafer fab in Singapore after just 22 months of construction. TSMC supported the project with construction, technology transfer, and training, and executives said the model could cut a second fab's build time to about 18 months. The plant has entered trial production, with mass production set for 1Q27 and full capacity of 44,000 wafers a month expected in 2029.
California tech exec arrested in US$300M Nvidia AI server smuggling case
US prosecutors arrested California tech executive Greg Lui, accusing him of smuggling servers containing about US$300 million worth of Nvidia AI chips to China. Authorities said the shipments were sent in 2023 and 2024 without required licenses, using false documents and routing through Malaysia and Singapore. Lui faces charges including conspiracy to violate export controls, smuggling, and money laundering, and could face more than 20 years in prison if convicted.
Commentary: Broadcom's US$42 billion Anthropic loan exposes AI's emerging chip-financing loop
Broadcom's US$42 billion financing for Anthropic highlights an emerging AI "chip-financing loop" in which suppliers increasingly help fund the infrastructure that drives demand for their own products. The arrangement could cover about one-third of Anthropic's US$125.2 billion five-year TPU lease commitment and may later convert to equity. The commentary says this blurs supplier and customer roles, raises concentration risk, and shifts AI growth toward debt, private credit, and tighter financial interdependence.
ASE Technology buys Singapore factory for AI chip testing expansion
ASE Technology Holding's Singapore unit has agreed to buy a factory in Yishun Industrial Park from Lumileds Singapore for about US$68.44 million, or NT$2.152 billion. The site is intended to support future capacity expansion for wafer testing, final testing, and back-end wafer-level chip-scale packaging. ASE Singapore also serves RF, automotive, AI accelerator, and high-speed networking customers, and the property totals 449,340 square feet.
Article edited by Jingyue Hsiao
