DIGITIMES Semiconductors news

May 13

Samsung Foundry comeback takes shape—AI chips, HBM4 lift 4nm demand

Samsung Electronics' foundry business is showing signs of recovery after a prolonged downturn, as AI chip projects and HBM4-related demand begin to raise utilization at its advanced-process lines.

Intel's preliminary Apple deal puts Samsung's foundry ambitions under pressure

May 13

Hanwha Semitech to supply FO-PLP equipment for SpaceX-linked chip production

May 13

SMIC lands nearly US$6bn mega deal to deepen China AI push

May 13

TSMC adds four executives in latest reshuffle as US investment and succession push accelerate

May 13

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IC DESIGN, DISTRIBUTIONAnalysis: How OpenAI is playing the Cerebras card to reshape its AI supply chain

May 14, 09:53

OpenAI's deep partnership with chipmaker Cerebras has taken a public turn as Cerebras prepares to list in the US, a development that underscores OpenAI's effort to restructure its compute supply chain without abandoning existing suppliers. The listing arrives amid OpenAI's ongoing legal dispute with Elon Musk.

IC DESIGN, DISTRIBUTIONMediaTek courts Intel as Google pushes for alternatives to CoWoS

May 14, 09:41

MediaTek's decision to pursue advanced packaging partnerships with both TSMC's CoWoS ecosystem and Intel's EMIB platform has become one of the semiconductor industry's most closely watched strategic moves.

IC DESIGN, DISTRIBUTIONLam Research to hire 1,000-plus engineers in Taiwan on AI chip demand

May 14, 09:33

Lam Research said it will hire more than 1,000 professional engineers in Taiwan in 2026 as customer demand mounts and the company expands technical support services for foundry, memory and assembly and test customers.

IC MANUFACTURINGChina's semiconductor godfather warns against 2nm fixation

May 14, 07:45

While the global semiconductor industry remains fixated on 3nm, 2nm, and the AI GPU arms race, SMIC founder and "China's semiconductor godfather" Zhang Rujing is pushing a sharply different message: the future of China's chip industry may depend less on chasing the world's most advanced nodes and more on dominating the vast market still built on mature processes.

PASSIVE, PCB, OTHER IC COMPONENTSKorea races to narrow chip packaging gap with Taiwan and China

May 14, 07:44

AI server demand is pushing semiconductor packaging into a new growth cycle, but the market remains heavily concentrated among a small group of global outsourced semiconductor assembly and test leaders and Taiwanese and Chinese companies, sharpening the challenge for South Korea's back-end chip industry.

MEMORY CHIPSAP Memory profit nearly doubles as S-SiCap shipments and IoTRAM ramp drive revenue

May 14, 07:43

AP Memory reported that net profit for the first quarter of 2026 rose 91% to NT$660 million (US$20.93 million) as the company scaled mass production of its S-SiCap silicon capacitor and benefited from strong demand for its IoTRAM customized memory. The Taiwan-based chip packaging and memory supplier said silicon capacitor shipments entered a ramp-up phase in the first quarter of 2026 as AI and high-performance computing accelerators drove up power demands, placing greater emphasis on advanced packaging, power delivery, and signal integrity.

IC MANUFACTURINGGlobalWafers gains SBTi approval for 1.5°C-aligned emissions cuts and net-zero plan

May 14, 07:42

GlobalWafers announced that its greenhouse gas reduction targets passed review by the Science Based Targets initiative, signaling the wafer maker has aligned its decarbonization pathway with the global 1.5°C climate goal and committed to achieving net-zero emissions across its full value chain by 2050. The approval covers both near-term and long-term targets, and the company said the moves will shape its operational and supplier strategies through the 2030s and beyond.

PASSIVE, PCB, OTHER IC COMPONENTSAjinomoto raises ABF substrate film prices 30%

May 13

Ajinomoto has informed IC substrate makers that it will raise prices for its key ABF build-up film by 30%, with the new pricing expected to take effect in the third quarter of 2026. Taiwanese package substrate makers confirmed they have received the official notice, as cost pressure in the IC substrate supply chain remains elevated.

PASSIVE, PCB, OTHER IC COMPONENTSAI demand lifts Zhen Ding as server and chip substrate sales surge

May 13

Taiwanese printed circuit board maker Zhen Ding Technology Holding reported first-quarter 2026 revenue that reached a record for the period, as booming demand for artificial intelligence infrastructure helped offset the seasonal slowdown typically associated with consumer electronics.

MEMORY CHIPSCommentary: AI server ODMs face margin squeeze as memory costs soar

May 13

As AI server orders surge, system assembly makers are finding that more business does not always mean better profits. High-priced GPUs and soaring memory costs are pushing up revenue without lifting manufacturing fees at the same pace, leaving original design manufacturers (ODMs) facing lower gross margins as assembly orders grow.

PASSIVE, PCB, OTHER IC COMPONENTSTaiwan capacitor maker Chinsan locks in Thailand AI server capacity through 2026

May 13

Taiwan Chinsan Electronic Industrial said strong demand from cloud and server customers pushed related revenue contribution to 35% in the first quarter of 2026, with high-margin AI server applications accounting for roughly half of the segment.

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