Semiconductor News 20251106

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1. TSMC on Path to 10X Power Efficiency Optoelectronic Fusion and In-memory Computing TSMC is promoting next-generation computing technologies to solve the power consumption challenges associated with the growing demand for AI and high-performance computing (HPC). The company is paving the way for a 10X increase in power efficiency compared to current technologies, key to which is the adoption of optoelectronic fusion technology to eliminate data communication bottlenecks and in-memory computation to increase computing efficiency. This is attracting attention as a technological innovation that will support the performance of future data centers and advanced devices.
2. Memory Price Spikes Due to AI Demand and Market Impact As a result of the AI boom, the memory market has been hit by a price spike. In particular, DDR5 spot prices have spiked 30% amid tight supply, causing a rush of DRAM buyers. This sharp price increase is causing cost shock to manufacturers like Xiaomi, while memory-related companies like GigaDevice are profiting. The market turmoil highlights the dilemma for memory giants: allocation of production capacity between HBM and standard DRAM (DDR5), which is essential for AI chips.
3. Nvidia $10 Billion Deal Moves South Korea to World’s Third Largest GPU Stock pile Nvidia has struck a $10 billion GPU deal with South Korea, moving the country to third place globally in GPU stockpiling for physical AI promotion. CEO Jensen Hwang’s aggressive activity in Korea is seen as part of Nvidia’s “Asia Transformation” strategy, which focuses on the Asian market. Nvidia is also accelerating the building of AI infrastructure in Asia, including participation in a billion-dollar deep-tech alliance in India with Qualcomm.
4. SK Hynix Unveils “Full Stack” AI Memory Architecture to 2031 SK Hynix has unveiled its “Full Stack” vision as a long-term roadmap to 2031, revealing plans to redefine memory architecture for the AI era. This vision includes **HBM5 (High Bandwidth Memory 5)** for next-generation high-performance computing, DRAM, and the evolution of NAND flash technology to over 400 layers. Through this innovation, the company seeks to secure an edge in meeting future AI computing and data storage demands.
5. Nexperia Warns of Supply Disruption Risk at Chinese Factory Due to Dispute Dutch semiconductor company Nexperia has warned about the possibility of supply disruptions to its customers from its Chinese factory and the quality risks associated with such disruptions due to an ongoing dispute. Furthermore, the Chinese side has reportedly associated its negotiations with Nexperia with the reinstatement of the company’s CEO and the unfreezing of its assets as conditions. This situation is an example of the direct impact of geopolitical tensions in the international technology supply chain.
6. Intel’s shaky recovery hinges on next-generation 18A process Intel is counting on its next-generation “18A” process technology** to help the company regain its competitive edge in a CPU market where rival AMD is closing in on market share. Information on the yield of the most advanced node has been the focus of Intel’s efforts to regain market competitiveness, and the latest information on the frequency of the 16-core SKU of its unannounced next-generation CPU “Panther Lake” reaching 5.1 GHz has been leaked, showing the progress of the technology development.
7. Musk Highlights Specification Differences in Tesla AI5 Chip, Suggests Postponement of Mass Production Elon Musk has clarified that there are specification differences between the AI5 chip used by Tesla, which is made by TSMC and Samsung. Furthermore, Mr. Musk has suggested that the start of mass production of the AI5 may be delayed to 2027, creating uncertainty for Samsung, one of the major suppliers of the chip, regarding its future supply plans.
8. Innovation in AI Server Cooling: Lenovo/Nidec Alliance and Membrane Evaporative Cooling Technology Innovations in cooling technology are accelerating to address the heat generation issues associated with the rapidly growing demand for AI computing resources. Lenovo and Nidec are collaborating in AI cooling technology, primarily targeting the enterprise server market. It has been reported that membrane evaporative cooling technology, a potential cooling solution for the next generation of AI servers, has achieved record results and can handle high heat fluxes of 800 watts per square centimeter.
9. Price Stabilization Trend in Mature Process Markets In the mature semiconductor process market, foundry companies report that average selling prices (ASPs) are stabilizing as the intense price competition that had been continuing has slowly subsided. In particular, VIS, a TSMC affiliate, forecasts a 4% to 6% increase in wafer ASPs in the fourth quarter of 2025, as aggressive price reductions have subsided, indicating an improvement in the supply-demand balance and price recovery in some semiconductor market sectors.
10. GaN Power Device Market Expected to Grow Rapidly to $2.9 Billion by 2030 The GaN (gallium nitride) power device market is expected to grow rapidly, with Yole forecasting that the market size will expand significantly from $350 million in 2024 to $2.9 billion by 2030. Yole forecasts that the market will grow from $350 million in 2024 to $2.9 billion by 2030. In response to this growth, there is increased technology development and market competition among major companies, including onsemi’s completion of its acquisition of Aura Semiconductor’s Vcore power supply technology and its development of GaN-on-GaN-based vertical GaN semiconductors.

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