MIDA Expands Malaysia’s Semiconductor Supply Chain Role Through Johor–Singapore SEZ Partnership
The Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA) partnered with Micron Technology and OCBC to host a Johor‑Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS‑SEZ) supplier event alongside SEMICON Southeast Asia 2026. The initiative aims to boost supply‑chain resilience, localisation and competitiveness in Malaysia’s semiconductor ecosystem. By linking global chip makers with local and Singaporean suppliers, the program seeks to deepen Malaysia‑Singapore integration and expand domestic participation across the value chain. MIDA emphasised that trust‑based strategic partnerships, rather than scale alone, will underpin the region’s future semiconductor leadership.
Customers Offer to Buy Manufacturing Equipment for Memory Makers
Customers of SK Hynix are proposing to finance the purchase of advanced ASML EUV lithography equipment or dedicated memory production lines to secure supply amid a system memory shortage. Hynix is evaluating the offers but worries about becoming beholden to...
APEC 2026 Multimedia Highlights: Bidirectional GaN, Multichip Modules, and Mini Regulators
Renesas showcased a 500‑W single‑stage solar micro‑inverter built around its new 650‑V bidirectional GaN switch, promising higher efficiency and simpler topology. Texas Instruments introduced IsoShield‑based isolated power modules that claim three‑times the power density of traditional discrete solutions. Ferric presented...
PCI Group Begins Work on New Spec to Support Bandwidth-Hungry Apps Like AI, HPC
PCI‑SIG has released the first draft of the PCIe 8.0 specification, targeting a 256 GT/s per‑lane rate and up to 1 TB/s bidirectional bandwidth in a 16‑lane configuration. The new standard, slated for final release in 2028, builds on PAM4 signaling and adds...
Infineon Expands XHP 2 CoolSiC MOSFET Power Module Portfolio
Infineon Technologies has added four new 2300 V CoolSiC MOSFET power modules to its XHP 2 portfolio, targeting high‑voltage renewable‑energy converters. The devices handle DC‑link voltages up to 1500 V, offer on‑resistance between 1 mΩ and 2 mΩ, and feature 4 kV or 6 kV isolation. Leveraging...
Accelerating Semiconductor/Electronic Systems with Comprehensive AI Digital Twins
Siemens EDA’s Vice President of Strategy, Craig Johnson, says AI‑powered comprehensive digital twins can halve semiconductor design cycles, shrinking development from 18‑36 months to 12‑18 months. The approach ties software‑defined design to hardware early, enabling multi‑domain engineering that merges mechanical,...
The Memory Wall Is Real, Here Is the Door
The global DRAM shortage, driven by AI‑centric demand, is expected to linger until 2030, with prices up 172% year‑over‑year and OpenAI alone consuming roughly 40% of output. New fabs from SK Hynix, Micron and Samsung won’t deliver relief until 2027‑2028,...
SOSV Deep Tech Live – The Atomic Architect: Rick Gottscho on Plasma’s Role in Semiconductor Fabrication & Physical AI Infrastructure
The SOSV Deep Tech Live event on June 2 will feature Rick Gottscho, former CTO of Lam Research, discussing how plasma technology is reshaping semiconductor fabrication as Moore's Law stalls. Gottscho will explore the physics behind plasma processing, its impact on...
The Private Cloud Crunch
AI‑driven workloads are straining global memory supplies, creating a private‑cloud crunch that raises costs and extends lead times. While hyperscale public providers have buffered the shock through long‑term component contracts, organizations that rely on private clouds face higher expenses, delayed...
Compute And Memory Price Hikes Drive IT Spending Way Higher
Gartner’s latest forecast shows global IT spending will hit $6.32 trillion in 2026, a 13.5% increase over 2025. The surge is driven by soaring demand for CPUs, GPUs, memory and flash, which are pushing component prices higher. Datacenter systems alone are...
Cyient Launches India’s First GaN Power IC Family Leveraging Navitas Technology
Cyient Semiconductor has introduced India’s first gallium‑nitride (GaN) power IC family, comprising seven devices built on Navitas Semiconductor’s GaNFast platform. The portfolio, rated up to 650 V, targets high‑efficiency applications in AI data centers, telecom, consumer fast‑charging, industrial power and e‑mobility....
GlobalFoundries Q1 Revenue Surpasses $1.6B, Beats Expectations
GlobalFoundries posted first‑quarter 2026 revenue of $1.6 billion, a 3.1% year‑over‑year increase but an 11% decline from the prior quarter. Manufacturing services drove 87% of the top line, shipping about 579,000 300‑mm‑equivalent wafers, up 7% YoY. The company highlighted progress in...
Micro-LED CPO Optical Transceiver Market to Reach $848m by 2030
TrendForce projects the micro‑LED CPO optical transceiver market to reach $848 million by 2030, driven by generative AI’s appetite for ultra‑fast data‑center links. The technology offers 1–2 pJ/bit power use and bit‑error rates below 10⁻¹⁰, positioning it alongside AEC and VCSEL solutions...
Fake DDR5 Sticks with Dummy Plastic Chips Are the Latest RAM Scam
A new DDR5 scam has emerged in Asia where counterfeit 16 GB SO‑DIMM modules are fitted with empty plastic chips that mimic real silicon. The fakes, spotted on Japanese second‑hand platforms such as Yahoo Auctions, bear Samsung branding but contain SK Hynix‑marked...
DRAM and Gloom-Glut Cyclicality
The DRAM market, dominated by Micron, Samsung and SK Hynix, is entering an AI‑driven super‑cycle that could extend to 2028. Customers are offering to underwrite fab expansion to lock in supply, while the three firms shift capacity toward high‑bandwidth memory...
Intel to Make Apple Chips: Report
Apple and Intel have reached a preliminary deal for Intel to manufacture certain Apple processors, including chips for the upcoming MacBook Neo and possibly entry‑level M‑series SoCs. Apple is looking to diversify its supply chain as TSMC faces capacity constraints...
Join Me at DVClub Austin — May 20, 2026
Harry Foster will present at DVClub Austin on May 20, 2026, discussing the “End of Orthogonalization” as verification moves into a convergence era. He argues that emerging chiplet, 3D‑IC, photonic and AI‑driven architectures are collapsing traditional hardware‑software boundaries, forcing verification engineers to...
From AI Momentum to Manufacturing Reality
AI’s rapid expansion is moving from hype to concrete pressure on manufacturing, especially in photonics and advanced packaging. Development cycles are tightening, forcing manufacturers to accelerate time‑to‑production while maintaining high precision, repeatability, and yield. Mycronic highlights its ability to partner...
At APEC 2026, Alpha and Omega Semiconductor to Showcase Advanced Solutions for AI Core Power, AI Factory, and Industrial Power
Alpha and Omega Semiconductor (AOS) will showcase a suite of new power‑management solutions at APEC 2026 in San Antonio, targeting AI core power, AI factory, and industrial power applications. The lineup includes a 16‑phase AI core controller, Type‑C protection switches...
Aeva Adopts Cadence Tensilica Vision DSP to Advance Lidar Performance and Efficiency
Cadence announced that Aeva has licensed its Tensilica Vision DSP IP to boost processing in its 4D LiDAR systems. The programmable, low‑power DSP will enable flexible, scalable solutions for industrial robotics and automotive autonomy, reducing latency and power consumption. The...
After the Power Crunch, AI Infrastructure Hits a Silicon Wall
A new Center for a New American Security report warns that semiconductor manufacturing – from advanced logic and high‑bandwidth memory to packaging – cannot keep pace with exploding AI demand, creating a near‑term silicon bottleneck. Hyperscalers such as Microsoft, Amazon,...
The Inference Shift
Cerebras Systems announced an IPO price lift to $150‑$160 per share, expanding its offering to 30 million shares amid surging demand for AI chips. The company’s wafer‑scale WSE‑3 delivers 44 GB of on‑chip SRAM with 21 PB/s bandwidth, positioning it for ultra‑fast inference...
Microchip Launches Automotive SPE PHYs with MACsec Security
Microchip Technology has unveiled the LAN878x and LAN888x families of single‑pair Ethernet (SPE) PHY transceivers, targeting automotive, industrial and high‑reliability networking. The devices support 100BASE‑T1, 1000BASE‑T1 and dual‑speed 100/1000BASE‑T1 links, with pin‑compatible designs across speed grades. A standout feature is...
AI Demand to Push Global Semiconductor Packaging Market to $618.9 Billion
Korea Printed Circuit Association forecasts the global semiconductor packaging market will reach $618.9 billion in 2025, propelled by surging AI infrastructure demand. AI servers are driving growth in high‑bandwidth memory, 2.5D/3D chiplet packaging, and advanced PCB substrates such as FC‑BGA. The...
TI to Raise Prices Across Product Portfolio
Texas Instruments announced a price increase across its analog and embedded semiconductor portfolio effective July 1 2026. The adjustments will apply to both new orders and shipments and are driven by rising material, technology and supply‑chain costs. TI did not disclose the...
AMD Develops HighestFreq CPPC Extension for More Accurate CPU Scheduling
AMD is developing a HighestFreq extension for its Collaborative Processor Performance Control (CPPC) framework that will let CPUs report each core’s exact maximum boost frequency via firmware. The current CPPC model provides abstract performance values, forcing operating systems to estimate...
Semiconductor Industry Heads for $1tn in 2026
The semiconductor market is on track to exceed $1 trillion in 2026, with Q1 sales reaching $298.5 billion—a 25% quarter‑on‑quarter jump. Forecasts from Future Horizons and IDC place 2026 revenue between $1.0 tn and $1.29 tn, while the most optimistic view sees $1.6 tn. Memory,...
Chips Have an Earnings Season of Their Own
The surge in artificial‑intelligence workloads has turned semiconductor manufacturers into the market’s hottest earnings drivers. Companies like Nvidia, AMD and Google’s TPU division posted Q1 revenue growth exceeding 30% year‑over‑year, shattering analysts’ expectations. Tight supply‑chain constraints have forced chip makers...
Founders of Semiconductor Materials Supplier Hubei Dinglong Become Billionaires
China's Hubei Dinglong, the sole domestic supplier of full‑range CMP materials, saw its shares surge 116% over the past year, propelling co‑founders Zhu Shuangquan and Zhu Shunquan into billionaire status with each now worth about $1.3 billion. The Wuhan‑based firm has...
Sub‐Nanometer Ferroelectric Tunnel Junctions With Record‐High On‐Current Density Through Synergistic Microwave Annealing and High‐Field Activation
Researchers have demonstrated a sub‑nanometer ferroelectric tunnel junction (FTJ) that delivers a record‑high on‑state current density exceeding 10⁵ A cm⁻² at just 0.4 V. By combining aggressive device area scaling with low‑temperature microwave annealing, the interfacial layer was thinned from 0.94 nm to 0.41 nm,...
Memory Godboxes Could Offer Relief From the RAMpocalypse
The next wave of datacenter servers will treat system memory as a disaggregated resource, using so‑called memory godboxes that connect via Compute Express Link (CXL). CXL 3.0, now supported by upcoming AMD and Intel CPUs, enables memory pooling and true...
TSMC to Remain Top Apple Chipmaker Despite Reported Intel Deal: Experts
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) is expected to stay Apple’s primary chip supplier despite recent reports of a preliminary deal between Apple and Intel. Experts cite TSMC’s advanced packaging technologies such as InFO and CoWoS, which are critical for the...
Memory Chip Makers Are Looking at a 'Supercycle' And 'Windfall Gains.' The Stocks Jumped 30% in One Week
Memory chip makers are riding an AI‑driven demand surge that analysts deem a multi‑year supercycle, pushing valuations and pricing power to new heights. Micron Technology’s stock surged 38% in a week, while the Roundhill Memory ETF rose over 30%, reflecting...
'Changing of the Guard'? AMD, Intel, and Micron Soar While Nvidia Lags
Nvidia has long dominated the AI infrastructure boom, but recent market moves suggest a shift. AMD, Intel and memory leader Micron posted gains of roughly 25% to 37% this week, with Intel up over 200% year‑to‑date and Micron’s market value...
The Memory Shortage Is Coming for Big Tech's Bottom Line. This Company Will Hold Up Better Than Anyone Else.
Memory chip prices surged 90% in Q1 2026 as AI‑driven demand outpaces supply, pressuring big‑tech CAPEX and margins. Meta, Alphabet and Microsoft flagged higher component costs as a earnings drag, while Samsung, the world’s largest memory maker, confirmed the price...
Prediction: The Helium Crunch Will Accelerate the Reshoring of Artificial Intelligence (AI) Chip Manufacturing. Here Are the Best Growth Stocks...
A recent Iranian drone strike on QatarEnergy’s helium plant has tightened supplies of semiconductor‑grade helium, a critical coolant for AI chip production. U.S. fabs, which source helium domestically and from Algeria, are less exposed, prompting a faster reshoring of AI...
The Hidden Atomic Gap that Could Break Next-Generation Computer Chips
Researchers at TU Wien discovered that a sub‑nanometer gap—about 0.14 nm—forms between 2D semiconductors and their insulating oxide layers, weakening capacitive coupling and limiting device scaling. The gap arises from weak van der Waals bonding, which persists even when the insulating layer is...
Wedbush Sends Blunt Message on Elon Musk's Tesla and Intel Deal
Elon Musk’s Terafab project, a joint semiconductor fab venture between Tesla, SpaceX and Intel, has filed a $55 billion Phase 1 investment with total costs potentially reaching $119 billion. The facility aims to produce 2‑nanometer AI and memory chips at a scale of...
Apple Dominated the 2026 Chip War. Google’s Partners Are Left to Buy Scraps
Apple secured over half of TSMC’s 2 nm capacity for 2026 and prepaid multi‑year HBM memory using its $123 B cash reserve, cementing a vertical hardware advantage. Google and partners are left fighting for limited 3 nm wafers and face spot memory prices...
Jensen Huang Just Made a Major Announcement. Here's What It Means for Nvidia Investors.
Nvidia announced Ising, the world’s first open‑source quantum AI model family, extending its AI leadership beyond GPUs. The move positions the company as the software architect for future quantum computers, complementing its $5.1 trillion market cap driven by the AI boom....
Nvidia Has Already Committed $40B to Equity AI Deals This Year
Nvidia has committed more than $40 billion to equity investments in AI companies during the first months of 2026, according to CNBC. The bulk of the sum—$30 billion—targets OpenAI, while the remaining funds cover multi‑billion‑dollar stakes in firms such as Corning ($3.2 billion)...
Broadcom Reportedly Won't Build OpenAI's Custom Chip Unless Microsoft Buys 40 Percent of Them
OpenAI is pursuing its own AI accelerator, codenamed Nexus, with Broadcom as the chip designer. The first‑phase development, dubbed "Jalapeno," carries an estimated price tag of $18 billion, but Broadcom will only fund production if Microsoft commits to buying roughly 40%...
Supermicro-Tied Execs Used Thailand Government Entity to Ship Nvidia AI GPUs to China — Report Alleges Chinese Web Giant Alibaba...
A Bloomberg investigation links Supermicro executives to a $2.5 billion scheme that diverted restricted Nvidia AI GPUs to China using a Thailand‑based entity. The intermediary, identified as Obon Corp., is alleged to have routed H200‑based servers to Chinese internet giant Alibaba,...
Intel Shares Jump on Reported Chip Production Deal with Apple
Intel Corp. saw its stock jump 13.9% after the Wall Street Journal reported a preliminary agreement with Apple to produce chips for future devices. The partnership is expected to leverage Intel’s new 18A manufacturing node, possibly the enhanced 18A‑P version...
Micron Ships Gigantic 245TB SSD
Micron announced the 6600 ION SSD, delivering a staggering 245 TB of storage in a single 2.5‑inch drive. The product targets AI infrastructure, hyperscalers and cloud providers, promising an 82 % reduction in rack count compared with equivalent HDD deployments. Power consumption...
Geopolitics Is Rewriting Memory Sourcing
Geopolitical tension, especially between the United States and China, is fragmenting the global memory supply chain, creating a two‑speed market where advanced DRAM and HBM are routed to politically aligned regions while legacy memory circulates more broadly. OEMs must now...
Organic Synaptic Transistors for Sustainable AI Developed
University of Missouri researchers have created organic synaptic transistors that merge memory and processing, mimicking brain‑like efficiency. The devices leverage a finely tuned semiconductor‑dielectric interface, allowing them to learn and adapt with far lower power than conventional chips. In prototype...
Ana Inês Inácio Designs the Future of Wireless
Ana Inês Inácio, a senior IEEE member and scientist at the Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research (TNO), designs integrated RF front‑end circuits that power next‑generation wireless systems, including 6G, satellite links, and IoT sensor networks. Her work focuses on...
Apple, Intel Have Reached Preliminary Chip-Making Agreement
Apple and Intel have reached a preliminary agreement for Intel to manufacture certain chips used in Apple devices, ending more than a year of negotiations spurred by pressure from the Trump administration. The specific product lines that will incorporate Intel‑made...
Canada Won’t Pursue National Semiconductor Strategy, AI Minister Says
Canada’s Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Innovation, Evan Solomon, confirmed that the government will not create a standalone national semiconductor strategy. Instead, semiconductor development will be folded into the broader AI strategy, which emphasizes building sovereign compute infrastructure and...