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Jul 2
Micron and GM strike long-term memory supply deal for vehicles
Micron Technology and General Motors (GM) have signed a strategic customer agreement to secure a long-term supply of memory and storage products for vehicle production. The deal underscores how automakers and suppliers are trying to stabilize global semiconductor access as cars become more software-driven, connected, and reliant on advanced electronics worldwide.
As transistor density scaling slows, chipmakers are leaning on advanced packaging to keep improving accelerator performance. A SemiAnalysis roundup of this year's IEEE Electronic Components and Technology Conference described a shift in which Intel, Marvell, TSMC, and others detailed new packaging approaches as packages themselves begin hitting limits.

TSMC has accelerated efforts to localize its supply chain in recent years, using joint development, joint validation, and long-term partnerships to help Taiwanese equipment, materials, and chemical suppliers enter the advanced semiconductor supply chain. The move is steadily building a more resilient and complete local supply system, with both CoWoS and panel-level advanced packaging (CoPoS) now spawning a "second fleet."

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi held her first summit with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on July 2, during a three-day visit that both governments framed as the next step in a long-running partnership.

China's AI chip sector has a heavyweight new entrant: veteran semiconductor figure Shaojun Wei has formally unveiled Shanghai Orient Computing Core Technology Co., a 3D AI compute chip startup now valued at CNY12.2 billion (approx. US$1.8 billion), just two years after it was founded.

Taiwanese power management IC (PMIC) design houses have been expanding into new applications and broadening their product portfolios in recent years, aiming to move beyond consumer electronics into higher-spec, more stable markets as the AI boom accelerates.

Samsung Group detailed plans on July 2 to invest KRW140 trillion (US$90 billion) in display panels, batteries, chips, and chip materials in South Korea's central Chungcheong region.

SK Hynix plans to invest KRW100 trillion (approx. US$64.38 billion) to build new NAND memory chip and advanced packaging facilities in Cheongju, betting that AI demand will keep tightening supply for storage and server memory.
Infineon has opened its new Smart Power Fab in Dresden ahead of schedule, adding capacity for chips used in AI data centers, electric vehicles, renewable energy, and industrial systems. The move expands Europe's semiconductor base, strengthens supply chains, and could affect technology markets far beyond Germany and the continent.

Anthropic is exploring a custom AI chip and has held talks with Samsung Electronics as a potential manufacturing partner, joining OpenAI, Google, Amazon, Microsoft and Meta in the race to control AI infrastructure.

A rare gallium nitride (GaN) patent clash dominated the opening day of electronica Shanghai 2026, after China's Innoscience accused Infineon of displaying GaN power products covered by a Chinese court injunction.
Kioxia has begun sample shipments of 1Tb triple-level-cell memory devices built with its 10th-generation BiCS FLASH 3D flash memory technology. The move underscores the race to supply higher-capacity, lower-power storage for AI systems, data centers, and enterprise customers worldwide as demand for advanced memory continues to rise.