Europe Launches New Chip/Packaging R&D Projects
The European Union has launched two flagship semiconductor R&D programs, Moore4Power and RESOLVE, backed by roughly $106 million and a broader EU funding package. Moore4Power, led by Infineon, brings together 62 partners from 15 countries to develop heterogeneous‑integration packaging for next‑generation power chips. RESOLVE, coordinated by CEA‑Leti, Fraunhofer and Imec, aims to improve electronic energy efficiency by a factor of 1,000 by 2032 and accelerate industrial adoption of 15 key technologies. Additional EU initiatives include €288 million for Zeiss EUV lithography, a quantum‑computing consortium, and UK‑funded 2D semiconductor research.
ASE Launches Panel-Level Packaging Line
Taiwan’s Advanced Semiconductor Engineering (ASE), the world’s largest OSAT, has commissioned an automated 310 mm × 310 mm panel‑level packaging (PLP) production line. The line supports ASE’s FOCoS and FOCoS‑Bridge platforms, offering fine line/space capabilities of 2 µm/2 µm and 8 µm/8 µm respectively, and is slated for...
CPO, Hybrid Bonding, PLP Featured At ECTC
The IEEE Electronic Components and Technology Conference (ECTC) in Orlando will showcase cutting‑edge advances in semiconductor packaging, featuring papers from industry leaders such as Applied Materials, ASML, GlobalFoundries, and Resonac. Highlights include Applied Materials’ 450 nm hybrid‑bonding demonstration with 98% yield...
Amkor Secures More Land For U.S. Packaging Site
Amkor Technology, the world’s second‑largest OSAT, has acquired an additional 67‑acre parcel adjacent to its 104‑acre advanced packaging and test campus in Peoria, Arizona. The expanded 171‑acre site will host the first high‑volume advanced packaging OSAT facility in the United...
More Q1 '26 Foundry/OSAT Earnings
The first‑quarter 2026 earnings for major foundry and OSAT players show mixed performance across the semiconductor supply chain. SMIC posted $2.505 billion in sales with $197 million profit and 93% fab utilization, while Hua Hong reported $660.9 million revenue, $20.9 million profit and near‑full...
Foundryecosystem Report: Terafab; Capacity, EUV, GaN
Semiecosystem’s latest Foundryecosystem Report highlights a series of pivotal developments across the semiconductor sector. Elon Musk’s Texas “Terafab” is projected to require $55 billion for its first phase and up to $119 billion overall, while 3nm capacity remains scarce and TSMC dominates...
Canadian Government To Spin-Off III-V Foundry Unit
The Canadian government is preparing to spin off the Canadian Photonics Fabrication Center (CPFC) into a stand‑alone commercial entity. CPFC, the nation’s only pure‑play III‑V compound semiconductor foundry, operates a 40,000‑square‑foot facility with an additional 8,000 square feet of clean‑room...
The Latest News In Metrology
Park Systems has acquired Utah‑based Rocky Mountain Nanotechnology, marking its first foray into AFM probe manufacturing and enabling a dedicated production line in South Korea while keeping its U.S. facility operational. The company also unveiled the NX1, a compact AFM...
Q1 '26 Foundry Earnings: Hit Or Miss?
Intel posted Q1 2026 revenue of $13.6 billion, up 7% year‑over‑year, but recorded a net loss of $4.28 billion, driven largely by its foundry arm. Intel Foundry Services generated $5.4 billion in sales yet posted a $2.4 billion operating loss, marking another quarter of...
TSMC Releases New Roadmap, Rolls Out A13 Process
At its North America Technology Symposium, TSMC unveiled a roadmap extending to 2029, highlighting new process nodes such as N2, A12 and the flagship A13. The A13 node is a 6% area‑shrunk version of A14, marking the most advanced technology...
Onto Innovation Acquires Stake in Rigaku for $710M
Onto Innovation agreed to purchase a 27% stake in Japan’s Rigaku Holdings for $710 million, gaining a board seat while keeping Rigaku’s management independent. The investment builds on an existing collaboration that integrates Onto’s AI‑driven Ai Diffract software with Rigaku’s CD‑SAXS...
Samsung Foundry VP Joins Intel Foundry
Samsung Foundry executive vice president Shawn (Seung Hoon) Han will join Intel Foundry Services as senior vice president and general manager in May, succeeding Kevin O’Buckley. Han will report to Intel’s EVP Naga Chandrasekaran and brings three decades of Samsung...
The Latest News In IC Packaging & Test
The semiconductor packaging and test ecosystem saw a wave of strategic investments and acquisitions in early 2026. Morocco’s RifSol Corp. announced a $1.7 billion 200 mm fab aimed at automotive‑grade legacy nodes, while India’s Kaynes Semicon opened an OSAT campus in Gujarat...
Rapidus: Will It Succeed Or Not?
Japanese foundry startup Rapidus secured a ¥631.5 billion ($3.97 billion) government subsidy, part of a broader $16 billion financing plan. The company has opened a chip‑characterization lab and a packaging/chiplet R&D line at its Chitose fab, aiming to ship 2nm gate‑all‑around (GAA) chips...
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....