ASE To Build $3B IC Test Facility
Taiwan's Advanced Semiconductor Engineering (ASE) broke ground on a new IC test facility in Kaohsiung, investing NT$108.3 billion (about US$3.41 billion). The plant, part of a broader high‑tech testing cluster with WinWay Technology and Horng Terng Automation, will begin operations in April 2027. ASE’s testing business grew 36% in 2025, and the company lifted its 2026 capital budget to $7 billion to meet AI‑driven demand. Advanced‑packaging sales are projected to double to $3.2 billion in 2026, with testing accounting for a quarter of that revenue.
Foundryecosystem Report: Nvidia GPU Delays; Tools; IC Prices
The latest Foundryecosystem Report highlights several critical shifts in the semiconductor sector. Nvidia’s new Rubin GPU ramp is trimmed to 1.5 million units after HBM4 qualification setbacks at SK Hynix and low yields at Micron, delaying mass production to September. Applied Materials...
Intel Joins Elon Musk’s Fab Project
Intel announced on April 7 that it will serve as the manufacturing and packaging partner for Elon Musk’s Terafab project, a $20‑$25 billion semiconductor fab planned for Austin, Texas. The partnership positions Intel to help deliver 1 terawatt of compute power annually...
The Latest News In Lithography
The U.S. Congress introduced the MATCH Act to tighten export controls on critical semiconductor manufacturing equipment, targeting entity‑based loopholes and allied asymmetry. Meanwhile, the Blue‑X consortium announced a shift to 3.1nm wavelength lithography, aiming to demonstrate a micro‑exposure tool within...
Musk’s Terafab: Is It Real Or Not?
Elon Musk unveiled a joint Tesla‑SpaceX semiconductor fab, dubbed Terafab, slated for Austin, Texas with an estimated $20‑$25 billion investment. The plant would integrate logic, memory, and radiation‑hard chip production, targeting a 2nm process and on‑site packaging. No concrete timeline was...
Foundryecosystem Report: Capacity Shortages, Fabs, ASE, ATE
The latest Foundryecosystem Report highlights a severe shortage of leading‑edge foundry capacity for AI chips, as AMD, Nvidia and others scramble for wafers. Rising costs are also pressuring mature‑node display driver IC (DDIC) suppliers, prompting potential price hikes. Meanwhile, major...
Mitsubishi, Rohm, Toshiba To Merge Power Semi Businesses
Mitsubishi Electric, Rohm and Toshiba Electronic Devices & Storage have signed a memorandum of understanding with Japan Industrial Partners and TBJ Holdings to explore merging their power‑semiconductor businesses. The proposed joint venture would combine silicon, gallium‑nitride (GaN) and silicon‑carbide (SiC)...
Which Foundries Are Making Which AI Chips?
Jon Peddie Research tracks 133 active AI processor suppliers, with major players like Nvidia, AMD, Broadcom, Google and a host of startups operating fabless. Nvidia’s newest Rubin GPU is manufactured by TSMC using its N3P process, while its Groq 3...
GlobalFoundries Files Patent Suit Against Tower
GlobalFoundries has initiated legal actions against Tower Semiconductor in both the U.S. International Trade Commission and the Western District of Texas. The complaints allege that Tower is infringing on eleven of GF’s U.S. patents covering high‑performance analog, RF, and silicon‑photonics...
Cisco, Kioxia, Sandisk, Solidigm Invest $2.5B in Nanya
Cisco, Kioxia, Sandisk and Solidigm have collectively invested about $2.5 billion in Taiwan’s Nanya Technology through a private‑placement share offering. The capital will fund expansion of Nanya’s DRAM fabrication capacity, addressing a global memory shortage. Each investor also signed separate DRAM...
Tower Acquires 300mm Fab From JV Partner in Japan
Tower Semiconductor will acquire full ownership and operational control of the 300mm Fab 7 in Uozu, Japan, from its joint‑venture partner Nuvoton. The 65nm facility produces RF‑SOI, power‑management ICs, sensors and silicon‑photonics chips, and Tower aims to quadruple its capacity...
