Looking beyond advanced logic nodes, compound semiconductors have emerged as a strategic priority for applications ranging from power electronics and RF to optoelectronics.

Samsung Electronics' foundry utilization exceeded 80% in the first quarter of 2026, its highest level in over a year, increasing the probability of a quarterly profit turnaround this year.

Nvidia is returning to the consumer PC market with AI-focused laptop processors designed to power next-generation Windows systems. According to The Wall Street Journal, Nvidia's system-on-chip (SoC) processors are expected to debut this year in laptops from Dell and Lenovo. Analysts do not expect a near-term earnings impact, but the move secures Nvidia a role in the emerging AI PC upgrade cycle.

Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) is making a bold pivot by guaranteeing a US$300 million loan for cloud startup Crusoe, signaling a shift from pure hardware competition to financial engineering in the AI chip market. The loan, arranged by Goldman Sachs, will allow Crusoe to purchase AMD AI accelerators — including the Instinct MI450 series — for installation in a new Ohio data center being built by Canadian firm 5C, backed by Brookfield.

Samsung Electronics has accelerated cleanroom construction at its Pyeongtaek Fab 5 (P5), pushing forward capacity expansion for high-bandwidth memory and advanced-node semiconductor production under its "Shell First" strategy.

Below are the most-read DIGITIMES stories from the week of February 16-22, 2026.

Powerchip Semiconductor Manufacturing Corp. (PSMC) is emerging as a central manufacturing partner in a new initiative to develop next-generation AI memory, marking a strategic shift for the Taiwanese foundry from mature-node contract manufacturing toward advanced 3D integration for artificial intelligence infrastructure.

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang's absence from India's AI Impact Summit and his appearance at a late-night engineer gathering in California have drawn attention to the chipmaker's strategic priorities amid intensifying competition over next-generation memory and artificial intelligence hardware.

In a dramatic escalation of global trade tensions, President Donald Trump abruptly raised his newly announced global tariff to 15% on Saturday, effective immediately.

India's semiconductor drive is advancing unevenly, with quicker momentum in packaging and testing but mounting timeline risks in wafer fabrication, underscoring both progress and structural gaps as New Delhi seeks a larger role in global chip supply chains.