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Friday 21 November 2025

South Korean tech giants rush into glass substrates despite mounting fears of overinvestment

South Korea's largest conglomerates are pouring resources into glass substrates, a next-generation semiconductor packaging material that promises better thermal stability and power efficiency. Samsung, SK, and LG have each launched aggressive commercialization plans, but industry experts warn that technical hurdles and uncertain customer demand may signal early signs of overinvestment.

Friday 21 November 2025

Japan's Nittobo and Mitsui expand capacity amid AI server material shortages

Japan's leading glass fiber manufacturer Nittobo has announced plans to triple its T-Glass production capacity starting in early 2027 in response to surging demand for AI servers. Similarly, Mitsui Mining & Smelting has raised its output expansion for high-frequency substrate electrolytic copper foil, VSP, three times within the past year, reflecting intensifying pressure on critical upstream materials. Industry experts predict severe supply constraints for key materials between 2024 and 2027 that could affect AI hardware supply chains globally.

Thursday 20 November 2025

China's top passive-component maker ignites 30% price surge

Price hikes are spreading across the passive component sector again. Following increases by several Taiwan-based suppliers, Guangdong Fenghua Advanced Technology (Fenghua Hi-Tech) has raised prices for distributors and direct customers, with new rates taking effect immediately and certain products rising by up to 30%. The move has sparked debate over whether the passive component sector is approaching a rare "once-in-a-decade" cyclical peak.

Thursday 20 November 2025

Silver prices spike, but King Core holds off on hikes as Japan-Europe orders strengthen into 2026

King Core Electronics said it is watching the passive-component industry's price-hike discussions as silver costs soar, acknowledging that its own chip beads, inductors, and coils also consume significant volumes of silver paste. But with a far smaller scale than Yageo and Tai-Tech Advanced Electronics, the company does not plan to raise prices in 2025, while leaving open the option to follow peers if raw-material costs continue to climb.

Thursday 20 November 2025

Pegatron's T.H. Tung says memory price surge will not directly impact downstream foundries

Concerns over consumer electronics demand are increasing because of the memory price surge. Analysts warn that this could hurt the profits of downstream foundries. However, Pegatron Chairman T.H. Tung emphasized in an interview that memory price fluctuations have no direct impact on foundry profitability, and that Taiwan's electronics industry is well-experienced in handling such cyclical trends.

Thursday 20 November 2025

IC substrate shortage to persist in 2026, AI and memory customers sign long-term contracts

Taiwan's IC substrate makers anticipate a 10-20% supply gap of T-Glass material in 2026, prompting AI and memory customers to pursue long-term contracts to ensure capacity and stabilize revenue amidst shortages.

Wednesday 19 November 2025

Ofuna Technology sees rising PCB and IC substrate demand amid AI growth, plans capacity expansion

Ofuna Technology, a provider of PCB laser drilling equipment and processing services, reported a surge in demand driven by the AI industry wave during an investor briefing on November 17, 2025. President Sun Yi-Min disclosed that the utilization rate of its subcontracted laser drilling business reached full capacity as of the fourth quarter of 2025, which the company anticipates will set a peak for 2025 operations and begin reducing losses recorded in the first three quarters.

Wednesday 19 November 2025

Gold Circuit Electronics approves NT$8.5 billion for factory rebuild and Thailand expansion

Gold Circuit Electronics (GCE), a major manufacturer of networking and server printed circuit boards (PCBs), announced the approval of two capex projects totaling NT$8.5 billion (approx. US$270 million). The investments include rebuilding an old factory in Taoyuan acquired from CMC Magnetics and expanding its plant in Thailand.

Wednesday 19 November 2025

Power chip startups drive vertical power delivery trend

Silicon Valley venture firm Playground recently showcased seven semiconductor startups at a media event in Taiwan. Beyond the well-known Ayar Labs, d-Matrix, and NextSilicon, two HPC power component startups—PowerLattice and Vertical Semiconductor—stood out.

Wednesday 19 November 2025

Nan Pao Resins bets on semiconductor adhesives as next major growth engine

Taiwan's Nan Pao Resins Chemical expects semiconductor adhesives to become a major growth driver and has elevated the segment to a top strategic priority. This shift follows the establishment of a new joint venture in August 2025 with Advanced Echem Materials (AEMC) and Trusval Technology, aimed at expanding into advanced adhesive materials for semiconductor packaging.

Wednesday 19 November 2025

Taiwan suppliers will determine silicon photonics breakout

Silicon Valley venture firm Playground recently held a media event in Taiwan featuring a fireside chat with Ayar Labs, a silicon photonics startup backed by leading chipmakers including Nvidia and AMD. Founder and CEO Mark Wade and former Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger discussed the future of silicon photonics.

Tuesday 18 November 2025

Panjit acquires Torex Vietnam to boost global packaging and testing capacity

Panjit International has approved the use of US$10.03 million of internal funds to acquire a 95% stake in Torex Vietnam Semiconductor (Torex Vietnam), a subsidiary of Torex Semiconductor, on November 17. The acquisition aims to expand product lines and introduce automotive-grade power semiconductor packaging and testing production lines, further strengthening Panjit's presence in the artificial intelligence (AI), automotive, power supply, and green energy sectors.

Tuesday 18 November 2025

Panjit's MOSFET becomes top 3Q25 revenue contributor

Power semiconductor integrated device manufacturer (IDM) Panjit International has announced its consolidated financial results for the third quarter of 2025. Although quarterly revenue declined slightly, the company's profitability improved due to product mix optimization, specifically increased contributions from automotive electronics and MOSFET product lines.

Tuesday 18 November 2025

Samsung's glass substrate samples fall short of requirements

Samsung Electronics has been in active discussions with Samsung Electro-Mechanics (Semco), Japan's Ibiden, and Shinko Electric Industries regarding collaboration on semiconductor glass substrates. However, reports indicate that they have not yet advanced to formal sample evaluation because of Samsung's assessment of the technology and market potential of glass substrates.

Tuesday 18 November 2025

Dynamic Holding plans major expansion to tap AI demand in networking and server markets

Dynamic Holding, a leading producer of automotive printed circuit boards (PCBs), is gearing up for a surge in artificial intelligence (AI) computing demand from application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) customers anticipated in the second half of 2026. The company projects that AI-related revenues will exceed 20% of total sales for the first time, with contributions from both GPU and ASIC sectors balancing equally.

Monday 17 November 2025

Kinsus Interconnect races to expand AI server capacity amid surge in orders

Kinsus Interconnect Technology is rushing to implement emergency expansion plans as AI server orders surge, according to Pegatron chairman TH Tung.

Monday 17 November 2025

Silver spike triggers second wave of price hikes across Taiwan's passive-component supply chain

Since the Trump administration's return to the White House, precious-metal prices have become increasingly volatile. Taiwan's passive-component makers are now facing rising material costs and are following printed circuit board (PCB) and lead-frame suppliers in implementing broad-based price increases.

Monday 17 November 2025

ZDT and Compeq gain on strong iPhone 17 sales, eye AI server growth in 2026

Taiwanese PCB makers Zhen Ding Technology (ZDT) and Compeq Manufacturing posted solid third-quarter 2025 results, lifted by stronger-than-expected sales from Apple's iPhone 17 lineup and steady consumer electronics demand.

Sunday 16 November 2025

Semco eyes big tech deals in the glass substrate boom

Samsung Electro-Mechanics (Semco) is reportedly in supply talks with several Big Tech companies, two years after moving into glass substrates. Seen as a next-generation breakthrough for advanced packaging as AI workloads surge, glass substrates are projected by MarketsandMarkets to reach KRW12 trillion (approx. US$8.4 billion) in market value by 2028.

Saturday 15 November 2025

Yageo secures two deals to boost power component portfolio

Known as one of Taiwan's most aggressive dealmakers, Yageo chairman Pierre Chen, has secured two major acquisitions in rapid succession. This strengthens the company's push to build a broader portfolio in power-related active and passive components.

Friday 14 November 2025

Global Mixed-mode Technology eyes 2026 DDR5 and DDR4 demand crossover

Global Mixed-mode Technology (GMT) held its earnings call on November 12, 2025, revealing that early customer stocking in the first half of 2025 dampened the traditional peak season effect in the second half of 2025. GMT reported a significant gross margin decline in the third quarter due to reduced inventory write-back gains and currency headwinds.

Friday 14 November 2025

H2 peak season fuels Tricorntech 4Q25 performance

By accelerating customer orders, advanced semiconductor process Airborne Molecular Contamination (AMC) nano-monitoring equipment supplier Tricorntech reported third-quarter 2025 revenue of NT$120 million (US$3.9 million), up 38.61% from the previous quarter, turning profitable and reversing its losses from the first half of the year.

Friday 14 November 2025

Syrma SGS invests in India's largest PCB facility, eyes local laptop motherboard production

India-based EMS provider Syrma SGS is investing INR15.95 billion (approx. US$180 million) to set up a plant near Naidupeta, Andhra Pradesh. The facility is expected to create over 2,100 high-skill jobs and strengthen domestic PCB production, while the company also plans to produce laptop motherboards locally to increase value addition and qualify for government incentives, according to The New Indian Express.

Thursday 13 November 2025

Taiwan's materials suppliers ride AI and semiconductor boom into record revenue

Taiwan's major materials distributors — Niching Industrial, Wah Lee Industrial, Topco Scientific (TSC), and Chang Wah Electromaterials (CWE) — have released their latest earnings reports and outlooks for the fourth quarter of 2025. Many are benefiting from booming demand in semiconductor packaging and testing, with heat sinks and lead frames driving double-digit annual growth for Niching in October.

Thursday 13 November 2025

Samsung Galaxy S26 set for February 2026 launch with expanded Exynos use

Samsung Electronics is reportedly confirmed to officially launch its new flagship smartphone series, the Galaxy S26, in February 2026. Although earlier reports suggested a possible delay to March 2026 due to product line adjustments, the company is said to have coordinated across its divisions to shorten the timeline and proceed with the launch as scheduled.

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