CONNECT WITH US
Dec 11
SK Hynix reaps largest benefits from H200 export approval
US President Donald Trump has allowed Nvidia's H200 chips to be exported to China, benefiting Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix. iNews24 and IT Chosun reported that with the high likelihood that Chinese AI companies will see increased chip demand, the US easing of restrictions is expected to boost H200 shipments. SK Hynix is reportedly the primary supplier of the fifth-generation high-bandwidth memory (HBM3E) used in the H200, meaning its supply volume will inevitably rise, making it the biggest beneficiary.
AI data centers are seeing rapidly increasing demand for HPC and big data processing. The shift from traditional copper wiring to fiber optics boosts data transfer rates while lowering power consumption. Gallium arsenide (GaAs) epitaxy maker Visual Photonics Epitaxy Co. (VPEC) stated that while the smartphone market in 2026 is expected to remain flat or show slight growth, rising transmission efficiency requirements in AI data centers will drive planned equipment purchases and expanded capacity, making data centers the company's main growth driver for 2026.
Taiwan firms tighten hold on AI-server PCB drilling supply chain
Dec 12, 15:24
Explosive AI infrastructure investment is driving a broad upgrade across the PCB value chain, pulling high-end AI server and materials demand sharply higher. PCB layer counts and CCL specifications are rising in tandem, lifting earnings for downstream suppliers. The same momentum is now pushing upstream drilling consumables and equipment into a tight supply, a sign of how quickly AI hardware cycles are compressing.
TSMC, through its Japanese subsidiary Japan Advanced Semiconductor Manufacturing (JASM), has halted construction on its second wafer fabrication facility in Kikuyo Town, Kumamoto Prefecture. The project, initially intended to produce 6-7nm and 40nm automotive and image sensor chips, saw a near-complete stoppage roughly two months after groundbreaking in October 2025.

Huawei is moving to capitalize on a tightening consumer solid-state drive (SSD) market in South Korea, introducing new products this month as established suppliers raise prices and Micron prepares to exit the segment. The shift, driven by surging demand for enterprise products supporting artificial intelligence (AI) data centers, is pushing South Korean PC makers to seek alternative suppliers, potentially opening the door for Chinese brands.

Cloud giants' aggressive procurement of high-capacity enterprise SSDs has triggered a structural shortage and price surge in the NAND Flash market. In China, spot prices for 512Gb and larger NAND chips rose more than 100% in fourth quarter 2025, with NAND manufacturers maintaining their stance on further price hikes.
Japanese semiconductor test equipment manufacturer Advantest has announced the launch of a next-generation memory handler, designed specifically for high-performance memory components used in artificial intelligence (AI) applications. The product has already attracted interest from several major memory makers and is slated to begin shipments in the second quarter of 2026, meeting customer demands for performance, automation, and cost efficiency.

China is accelerating its semiconductor capabilities through technical gains at Huawei and Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp.(SMIC) while simultaneously mandating the use of domestic processors across state sectors to circumvent US export controls.

Silicon photonics is emerging as the strongest growth engine within Taiwan's semiconductor manufacturing sector.
AI trends have fueled strong demand for data center chips and optical communications, pushing IC distributor WT Microelectronics' cumulative revenue for the first 11 months of 2025 to NT$1.08 trillion (US$34.64 billion), officially surpassing the trillion-dollar mark.

Samsung Electronics is reportedly accelerating construction at its Pyeongtaek semiconductor complex to expand production of next-generation high-bandwidth memory, aiming to secure supply for global cloud providers and AI chipmakers as demand intensifies. The company has reportedly approved plans to convert additional space in its P4 fab into dedicated 1c DRAM lines and has advanced completion dates for key production zones, according to Korean media reports.

Douglas Yu, former TSMC R&D vice president, highlighted the development of TSMC's 3D Fabric platform, including challenges in early adoption and the impact of founder Morris Chang's leadership.