Qualcomm Expands Strategic Advanced Driver Assistance Systems, Immersive Eyewear Collaborations
Qualcomm Technologies announced expanded collaborations with Bosch and Snap’s Specs Inc to advance advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) and immersive eyewear using Snapdragon platforms. Bosch has already shipped more than 10 million Snapdragon Cockpit computers and will now integrate Snapdragon Ride Flex SoCs for mixed‑criticality ADAS and cockpit functions, targeting production‑ready vehicles by 2028. The partnership also brings Snap’s next‑generation Specs AR glasses, powered by Snapdragon XR, to market with on‑device AI and advanced graphics. Both initiatives aim to simplify vehicle computing architecture while accelerating consumer adoption of immersive experiences.
Qualcomm Expands Snap and Bosch Partnerships
Qualcomm announced expanded collaborations with Snap and Bosch, aiming to broaden its footprint beyond traditional mobile chips. The company will provide Snapdragon XR solutions to Snap's newly formed Specs Inc, powering its next‑generation smart glasses. Simultaneously, Qualcomm deepened its partnership...
TSMC: The AI Silicon Shortage Is About To Get Worse
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) has become the primary bottleneck in the AI semiconductor supply chain, with its 2 nm and 3 nm production lines fully booked through 2027. The company's advanced‑node and CoWoS packaging capacity are already operating at or above...
Researchers Created a Computer Chip That Can Survive the Heat of a Volcano
Researchers at the University of Southern California have unveiled a memristor‑based computer chip that can operate at temperatures above 700 °C, far surpassing the 200 °C limit of conventional processors. The device retains data for more than 50 hours without refresh and...
Aehr’s Quarterly Revenue Rebounds to $10.3m
Aehr Test Systems posted third‑quarter 2026 revenue of $10.3 million, up from $9.9 million last quarter but down from $18.3 million a year earlier. Non‑GAAP operating expenses rose to $6.31 million and the company recorded a net loss of $1.52 million. Cash and equivalents increased...
NearLink’s Next Phase: From Smartphones to Peripherals, but Still China-Centric
NearLink, branded as SparkLink, is gaining traction in China’s IoT market, anchored by an estimated 12 million NearLink‑enabled smartphones slated for 2026, primarily within Huawei’s ecosystem. Peripheral categories such as earbuds, smartwatches and PC accessories are projected to add another 11 million...
Startup Funding: Q1 2026
Q1 2026 saw private semiconductor startups raise over $8 billion across 80 companies, with 18 rounds exceeding $100 million and two mega‑rounds—Cerebras and Rapidus—reaching $1 billion each. AI‑centric chip designs for inference and high‑bandwidth interconnects dominated the capital, while photonics and agentic EDA...
Why Hardware Monitoring Needs Infrastructure, Not Just Sensors
Chipmakers are turning to comprehensive hardware monitoring infrastructures to handle the growing complexity of modern SoCs, which now contain billions of transistors and multiple power and clock domains. Traditional test and guard‑banding methods no longer provide sufficient visibility, prompting a...
ASRock Introduces Intel Arc Pro B65 Creator and Passive GPUs
ASRock has unveiled two professional graphics cards built on Intel’s Arc Pro B65 GPU: the Arc Pro B65 Creator with active turbine‑style cooling and a fanless Passive model for chassis‑cooled deployments. Both cards share a dual‑slot design, a large heatsink, reinforced backplate, and use...
Intel Nova Lake S Leak Points to 52-Core Desktop CPUs
Intel’s upcoming Core Ultra 400 “Nova Lake S” desktop line is rumored to span from 6‑core entry models to a flagship 52‑core configuration, extending the company’s hybrid architecture to unprecedented scale. The leak shows DDR5‑8000 memory support and a massive 144 MB–288 MB big...
ONEXStation Mini PC Packs Ryzen AI Max+ 395 Into Compact Chassis
OneXPlayer unveiled the ONEXStation Mini PC, a compact high‑performance system built around AMD’s Ryzen AI Max+ 395 APU. It pairs the processor with a Radeon 8060S iGPU, 128 GB of LPDDR5X memory, and a 1 TB PCIe Gen4 SSD, expandable to 8 TB. The...
How Good Is Windows on Arm With Snapdragon X?
Qualcomm has introduced the Snapdragon X2 chipset, the first high‑performance ARM processor certified for Windows 11 on ARM. Microsoft has invested heavily in compatibility layers, allowing most users to spend 90% of their time in native ARM applications. The Prism...
STMicroelectronics Unveils Lower-Cost PMICs With Reduced Power Rails
STMicroelectronics introduced two lower‑cost power‑management ICs, the STPMIC1L and STPMIC2L, aimed at STM32 microprocessor families. Both chips trim the number of power rails and shrink the package footprint, cutting the STPMIC1 price by about 21% to $1.34 and the STPMIC2L...
Yeah, Nah to Gallium as a Side Hustle: Alumina Route Shortchanges Recoveries
Gallium, a critical metal for semiconductors and defence, is overwhelmingly supplied by China, exposing U.S. security interests. Australia is positioning its alumina industry as a low‑risk source, with projects at Alcoa's Wagerup refinery and emerging miners like Mount Ridley, Nimy...
One Tiny Diode Could Shrink Image Sensors by Adding Memory and Processing
Researchers at the University of Science and Technology of China and McGill University have created a nanowire‑based p‑n diode that simultaneously performs photosensing, memory storage, and data processing. Built from GaN and AlGaN nanowires, the device achieves a responsivity of...
EU Approves €211 Million Funding for Graphene Chip Technology Project in Italy
The European Commission has approved a €211 million (approximately $230 million) state‑aid grant for Italy’s CamGraPhIC to develop graphene‑based photonic optical transceivers. The project will be split between research sites in Pisa and Bergamo, partnering with local universities and technology institutes. The...
Terahertz Waves Spy on a Chip’s Internal Activity
Researchers at Adelaide University demonstrated a terahertz‑based system that can remotely monitor the electrical activity of transistors inside packaged chips. The setup uses a vector network analyzer, a terahertz frequency extender, and a homodyne quadrature receiver to detect minute changes...
Semiconductor Leap: China Looks to Next-Gen ‘2D Chip’ with 1,000-Fold Growth Speed
Chinese researchers have unveiled a wafer‑scale growth technique for two‑dimensional (2D) semiconductors that accelerates crystal formation by a factor of 1,000 compared with existing processes. The method promises to move 2D materials from laboratory samples to mass‑manufactured chips, enabling faster,...
China Still Gorges on U.S. Chips in Trump Era as Huawei Struggles
U.S. semiconductor exports to China remained robust during the Trump administration, generating about $104 billion for 15 major chip makers, only a modest 4% decline from the prior year and a 17% rise over two years earlier. Meanwhile, Huawei’s ICT infrastructure...
Study of EUV Nanostructures Using AFM With High-Aspect Ratio Tip (Purdue, Intel, Bruker)
Researchers from Purdue, Intel and Bruker published a paper showing that atomic force microscopy (AFM) with high‑aspect‑ratio diamond‑like carbon tips can map 40 nm‑pitch extreme ultraviolet (EUV) photoresist patterns, but the measurements are distorted by complex tip‑sample dynamics. By applying force‑mapping...
Photonic Packaging Resistant to Extreme Environments (NIST, Johns Hopkins, U. Of Maryland)
Researchers from NIST, Johns Hopkins and the University of Maryland have unveiled a new photonic chip packaging technique that uses direct hydroxide catalysis bonding of a V‑groove fiber array to the chip. The method tolerates extreme conditions—from cryogenic 3.8 K to...
PDN Challenges In DRAM-Based Compute-In-Memory Systems (UT Austin)
Researchers at the University of Texas at Austin released a technical paper analyzing power delivery network (PDN) challenges in DRAM‑based compute‑in‑memory (PIM) systems. The study introduces a unified taxonomy that classifies PIM‑induced current behavior by temporal (burst versus sustained) and...
Cadence (CDNS), Nvidia (NVDA) Expand Agentic AI Collaboration
Cadence Design Systems announced an expanded partnership with Nvidia to deliver a suite of agentic AI and physical AI‑accelerated tools for electronic design automation. The offerings, optimized for Nvidia Grace CPUs and Blackwell GPUs, will run on Cadence’s Millennium M2000...
The AI RAM Shortage Is Also Driving Up SSD Prices
AI‑driven demand for RAM is spilling over into the SSD market, creating a sharp supply crunch. Consumer NVMe drives have surged in price since late 2025, with the WD Black 2TB jumping from $173 to $649 and Samsung’s 4TB 990 Pro...
Reshore Semiconductor Manufacturing to UK and US to Meet Sustainability Goals, Study Says
A University of Sheffield study examined 80 global supply‑chain scenarios for InGaN and InGaP semiconductors and found that manufacturing in the United Kingdom and the United States yields the lowest environmental impact. Shifting production to these low‑carbon regions could cut...
A Little Known Semiconductor Packaging and Testing Stock Is Poised to Gain in AI Boom. Why Analysts Like It
Amkor Technology, a specialist in semiconductor packaging and testing, has surged 47% this year and is up nearly four‑fold over the past twelve months as AI‑driven demand spikes. The company benefits from $7 trillion in projected global data‑center spending by 2030...
PowerCube Semi Supplies Gallium Oxide Sensors to HL Mando
PowerCube Semi has begun mass‑producing gallium‑oxide (Ga₂O₃) sensors for HL Mando, supplying the components since December 2023 under a 2023 development agreement. The sensors power HL Mando’s electric spark detection device, HAECHIE, which was unveiled at CES 2025 and can interrupt...
Dylan James Scientific Signed as K-Space European Representative
k‑Space has appointed Dylan James Scientific as its new European sales and service representative for thin‑film semiconductor metrology tools. The partnership follows the retirement of long‑time distributor RTA and includes on‑site technical training for DJS engineers. k‑Space’s tools are deployed...
Benchmarking Nvidia's RTX Neural Texture Compression Tech that Can Reduce VRAM Usage by over 80%
Nvidia’s RTX Neural Texture Compression (NTC) uses Tensor‑core AI inference to compress textures, delivering up to an 85% reduction in VRAM usage. The technology supports three DirectX 12 modes—Inference on Load, Sample, and Feedback—each balancing memory savings against runtime cost. Benchmarks...
Armenia Pushes Semiconductor Ambitions as Part of High-Tech Growth Strategy
Armenia announced draft state programmes to build a semiconductor ecosystem by the early 2030s, aiming to boost R&D, engineering capacity and talent pipelines. The plan follows a 2025 cooperation agreement with the United States that includes support for chips, robotics...
Samsung's Next SoC Continues, as Alleged Exynos 2700 Performance Data Surfaces
Samsung’s upcoming Exynos 2700 SoC, built on a 2 nm process, surfaced in a leaked Geekbench test showing a 10‑core CPU with a peak clock of roughly 2.88 GHz and an Xclipse 970 GPU. Rumors suggest a 12% overall performance gain over the Exynos 2600,...
Specs Inc. Partners with Qualcomm for Next-Generation Smart Glasses
Specs Inc., the Snap subsidiary, announced a multi‑year strategic partnership with Qualcomm to power its next‑generation, standalone see‑through smart glasses using Snapdragon XR system‑on‑chip technology. The collaboration promises edge‑AI processing, low‑power computing and a predictable roadmap for developers, with a...
Japan Approves Additional 631.5 Billion Yen for Chipmaker Rapidus
Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry approved an additional 631.5 billion yen (about $4.2 bn) for chipmaker Rapidus, bringing total government R&D support to 2.354 trillion yen (~$15.7 bn). The funding is aimed at accelerating Rapidus’s development of 2‑nanometre logic semiconductors, with mass...
Governor Hochul Announces NY Creates Begins Installation of the First Major Tool for High NA EUV Lithography Center at Albany...
Governor Kathy Hochul announced the start of installation of Tokyo Electron’s 300 mm wafer coater/developer, the LITHIUS Pro DICE, at NY Creates’ Albany NanoTech Complex. The tool is the first major piece for the upcoming High NA EUV Lithography Center, North America’s only publicly owned...
Japan Bets $16 Billion to Propel Rapidus in Global AI Chip Race
Japan approved an additional $4 billion in subsidies for Rapidus Corp., raising total government support to $16.3 billion through March 2027. The funding is earmarked to accelerate Rapidus’s AI chip production for early client Fujitsu and follows a positive review of its Hokkaido...
AI Demand Is so High, AWS Customers Are Trying to Buy Out Its Entire Capacity
Amazon Web Services’ AI chip business is experiencing unprecedented demand, with customers attempting to purchase all of the 2026 Graviton capacity. AWS added 3.9 GW of power in 2025 and plans to double its total power capacity by 2027, yet it...
Thailand: Tripartite Collaboration Strengthens Semiconductor Ambitions
Thailand has signed a Memorandum of Understanding linking a leading semiconductor firm, the National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA) and Mahanakorn University of Technology. The agreement, witnessed by senior officials from the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and...
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (TSM): The Best Under-The-Radar AI Stock in Billionaire Ken Fisher’s Portfolio?
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (TSM) dominates roughly 70% of the global foundry market and leads advanced‑node production at 7 nm and below. Its $5.51 billion stake in billionaire Ken Fisher’s portfolio highlights the chipmaker’s appeal as an AI‑related play, even though it designs...
US Lawmakers Seek to Block China’s DUV Lithography Access
Bipartisan U.S. lawmakers introduced the MATCH Act to block Chinese chipmakers from acquiring deep‑ultraviolet (DUV) immersion lithography systems, related parts, and servicing. The bill coordinates export controls with allies, targeting firms such as SMIC, CXMT, Huawei, Hua Hong and YMTC,...
Intel Secures Google Cloud and AI Infrastructure Deal
Intel and Google have sealed a multi‑year deal to power Google Cloud’s next‑generation AI and general‑purpose workloads with Intel’s upcoming Xeon CPUs and co‑designed infrastructure processing units (IPUs). The partnership extends Google’s deployment of Xeon‑based C4 and N4 instances while...
Tech Bills of the Week: Boosting Export Controls; AI-Focused Workforce Development; and More
Congress introduced a suite of technology‑focused bills aimed at tightening export controls, modernizing workforce training, and bolstering critical research. The MATCH Act would align U.S. and allied semiconductor export rules to block adversaries, while a bipartisan measure extends the statute...
South Korea Moves to Curb the Meteoritic Rise of DRAM and PC Hardware Prices
South Korea is rolling out policies to soften the surge in DRAM and PC hardware prices driven by the AI boom. The government aims to expand recycling programs that will refurbish roughly 22,000 computers in 2025 for distribution to vulnerable...
5 IT Funding Deals to Watch: April 6 – 10, 2026
Nvidia deployed $2 billion into Marvell and took a seat on SiFive’s cap table, cementing its strategy to own every layer of the AI hardware stack. SiFive closed a $400 million Series G, valuing the RISC‑V chip designer at $3.65 billion and accelerating data‑center...
AI Chip Export Drive Stalls Inside Commerce Department
The Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) is struggling to keep pace with President Trump’s push to expand U.S. AI‑chip exports. Turnover has hit roughly 20% of rulemaking and licensing staff, and tighter, hands‑on license reviews have stretched...
AI Chips Could Get Faster with 30-Nanometer Embedded Memory that Cuts Data Shuttling
Researchers at the Institute of Science Tokyo have demonstrated a 30‑nanometer logic‑embedded memory stack using aluminum scandium nitride (AlScN) and ultra‑thin platinum electrodes. By heat‑treating the lower electrode, they preserved crystal alignment, allowing the memory to retain high performance even...
Intel Foundry Achieves Breakthrough with World’s Thinnest GaN Chiplet Technology
Intel Foundry unveiled the world’s thinnest gallium‑nitride (GaN) chiplet, featuring a 19 µm silicon base harvested from a 300 mm GaN‑on‑silicon wafer. The chiplet integrates GaN power transistors with silicon digital logic on a single die, eliminating the need for separate companion...
Google Just Tapped Intel for a Massive AI Infrastructure Play
Intel announced an expanded partnership with Google to embed its latest Xeon 6 CPUs into the search and cloud giant’s data‑center infrastructure. The deal aims to balance general‑purpose processors with AI accelerators, improving efficiency for large‑scale inference workloads. Intel is simultaneously...
ST Launches GaN Gate Drivers with Smart Protection
STMicroelectronics has unveiled two high‑speed half‑bridge gate drivers, the STDRIVEG212 and STDRIVEG612, aimed at enhanced‑mode GaN HEMTs for motion‑control and power‑conversion markets. The drivers support up to 220 V and 600 V on the high side, respectively, and integrate linear regulators, a...
Where $1bn Is Entry-Level
ADD Partners’ Rupesh Chatwani is urging UK integrated‑circuit startups to aim for billion‑dollar IPOs rather than modest $100 million exits. He argues that semiconductor ventures now require roughly $30 million of seed funding, and only a handful need to achieve $1 bn valuations...
The Case for GaN HEMTs in Class-D Audio
Class‑D audio amplifiers are overtaking linear topologies as efficiency demands rise across consumer, professional, and automotive markets. While silicon MOSFETs have traditionally handled the high‑speed switching, their parasitic capacitances and body‑diode recovery limit performance at higher frequencies. Gallium‑nitride (GaN) high‑electron‑mobility...