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Dec 18
China's EUV prototype forces a rethink of the AI chip order
China has quietly crossed a psychological and potentially strategic threshold in the global semiconductor race. In a tightly controlled laboratory in Shenzhen, Chinese scientists have built a working prototype of an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography machine, the most complex and geopolitically sensitive tool in modern chipmaking, according to Reuters.
Marking the 100th anniversary of quantum mechanics, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) proclaimed 2025 as the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology (IYQ). The United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) launched the Quantum 100 initiative, recognizing key contributors who have made pivotal contributions to the advancement of quantum science, technology, and the broader quantum community.
Samsung Electronics has unveiled a key technology pathway for sub-10nm DRAM, offering a rare public look at how the company plans to push memory scaling beyond current 10nm-class limits and into future 0a and 0b nodes.
The Trump administration has launched an interagency review to determine whether to authorize the first exports of Nvidia's H200 artificial intelligence chips to China, Reuters reported.

Taiwan is seeking to anchor itself at the center of the next wave of artificial intelligence infrastructure, with silicon photonics elevated to a strategic national priority.

Japan plans to guarantee up to 80 percent of private-sector loans raised by Rapidus as the government intensifies financial backing for the chipmaker’s plan to mass-produce 2nm semiconductors, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry said on December 18.
TI has begun shipping chips from its newest 12-inch semiconductor fabrication plant in Sherman, Texas, marking a key milestone in the company's long-term manufacturing expansion in the US. The facility, known as SM1, is the first fab at TI's Sherman mega-site and comes online about three and a half years after construction began.
According to Yonhap News and The Korea Herald, Samsung Electronics has posted a full specification sheet for its mobile application processor (AP), the Exynos 2600, on its official website. The Exynos 2600 was designed by Samsung Semiconductor's Device Solutions (DS) division under the System LSI business unit and manufactured using the company's most advanced 2nm process based on Gate-All-Around (GAA) technology. With the specifications now public, the industry's first 2nm mobile AP is expected to attract increased attention from the tech sector.
China eases rare earth export curbs as shipments rebound
Dec 19
China has begun easing restrictions on rare earth exports by approving a series of general licenses for qualified suppliers, according to the Ministry of Commerce on December 18, 2025. The move allows for smoother shipments to overseas customers and signals a measured loosening of trade controls that had tightened earlier this year.
TSMC Executive Vice President and Co-Chief Operating Officer Y.J. Mii has been awarded the Executive Yuan Award for Outstanding Science and Technology Contribution, underscoring both his personal achievements and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company's long-standing leadership in advanced semiconductor innovation.
Former COO of TSMC and a veteran semiconductor industry leader, J.K. Wang, shared insights from his 30-plus-year career at the company in an exclusive interview with DIGITIMES' IC Broadcasting podcast, marking his first media interview since retirement.
China's GPU start-ups are back at the center of a capital-market frenzy. Following Moore Threads, five-year-old MetaX has listed on Shanghai's STAR Market, with its shares surging more than sevenfold on debut. At its peak, the company's market capitalization briefly hit CNY330 billion (US$46.9 billion)—a striking number for a business generating just CNY1.5–2 billion in annual revenue, and one that would raise eyebrows even by global semiconductor standards.