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May 14
Samsung reportedly speeds up 3D NAND, packaging, and substrate plans
Samsung Electronics is reportedly reviving delayed semiconductor initiatives across next-generation NAND flash, compound semiconductors, advanced packaging, and substrates — areas it set aside after more than a year of prioritizing DRAM design and high-bandwidth memory (HBM) competitiveness. The move signals a shift from catch-up mode back toward longer-term technology investment.
Broadcom lost its appeal in South Korea on May 13, 2026, when the Seoul High Court upheld a KRW191 billion (approx. US$130 million) fine for allegedly coercing Samsung Electronics into an unfair three-year supply contract, according to Yonhap and Seoul Economic Daily. The court dismissed challenges brought by Broadcom's US headquarters and three South Korean affiliates against the Korea Fair Trade Commission's corrective order and penalty.
US President Donald Trump's meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing this week has put Nvidia's stalled H200 sales in China back in focus, as Washington's export approvals have yet to translate into revenue for the AI chipmaker.
After the early pull-forward effect from customers began to fade, Taiwan's panel makers have started to show signs of slower operating momentum. Weaker demand for consumer electronics dragged down April revenue at AUO, Innolux, HannStar, and Giantplus.

Samsung Electronics' escalating labor dispute is adding fresh uncertainty to the memory market, with spot prices moving higher as South Korea's government pushes management and labor to resume talks ahead of a planned 18-day strike.

Nvidia H200 sales to China stall despite US approval
May 15, 11:00
The US has cleared around 10 Chinese companies to buy Nvidia's H200 artificial intelligence chips, but no deliveries have been made, suggesting that Washington's approval alone may not be enough to revive the company's high-end China business.
United Microelectronics Corp. (UMC) has released a 14nm embedded high-voltage (eHV) FinFET technology platform for display driver ICs, marking a new step in the foundry's process roadmap after years of development.
Nvidia expanded a rapid investment campaign in 2026, deploying US$17.5 billion in the fiscal year that ended January 25, 2026, and topping US$45.3 billion so far in 2026, according to the company's financial disclosures and PitchBook data. Executives framed the activity as targeted moves across model providers, compute and cloud firms, and hardware and optical interconnect suppliers aimed at securing end demand and reducing bottlenecks in the AI inference stack.
In its first-quarter 2026 earnings Q&A session on May 15, Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation (SMIC) outlined a strategic response to shifting global market dynamics. As leading international foundries and integrated device manufacturers (IDMs) pivot capacity toward high-margin AI processors and High Bandwidth Memory (HBM), SMIC has seen a significant influx of orders for standard and specialty products from customers seeking to secure a reliable supply.
Following record second-quarter 2026 financial results, Applied Materials has detailed an extensive strategy to scale its global manufacturing capacity and accelerate technology commercialization through new collaborative platforms. As the semiconductor industry pivots toward artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure, the company is leveraging improved customer visibility to prepare its supply chain for a sustained growth cycle expected to last into 2027 and beyond.
Hua Hong Semiconductor is positioning itself to capitalize on the accelerating transformation of the global semiconductor industry, driven primarily by the "unmistakably positive impact of AI" on market demand. During its first-quarter 2026 earnings call on May 14, 2026, the company outlined a multi-pronged strategy to enhance its position as a leader in specialty process technologies while expanding into nascent, high-growth sectors.
Malaysia is accelerating efforts to expand beyond semiconductor assembly and testing into chip design, following a government-backed initiative tied to access to Arm technology.