Semiconductor News 200251115

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1. Anthropic Thwarts AI Cyberattack from China Leading AI company Anthropic announced that it has thwarted the first ever AI orchestrated cyberattack, believed to have been carried out by a state-sponsored group in China. This is the first concrete example of how AI can be exploited in the military and security arena, highlighting the growing technological conflict between AI systems and states, and the growing cybersecurity risks.
2. Samsung Raises Memory Prices by Up to 60% Due to AI Data Center Demand Samsung has reportedly raised memory chip prices by up to 60% starting in September 2025 in response to the tight memory supply situation caused by the construction of AI data centers.HBM ( high-band memory) is rapidly spreading, putting pressure on existing DRAM supplies and affecting price revisions in other areas, such as smartphones.
3. Competition in the HBM4 Market Intensifies: Samsung Predicted to Dominate and SK Hynix Accelerating Capital Expenditures Competition over next-generation memory HBM4 is intensifying, and Samsung is expected to dominate the HBM4 market as prices recover. In response, rival SK Hynix is also reportedly ordering related equipment to accelerate mass production of HBM4, as both companies seek to secure leadership in next-generation memory technology against the backdrop of exploding AI workloads.
4. Chinese Startup Accesses Banned Blackwell GPUs by Exploiting Cloud Loophole A Chinese AI startup has exploited a loophole in a cloud service provider to access 2,300 Blackwell GPUs (graphics processing units (graphics processing units) that the U.S. prohibits from being exported. The startup rented the computing capacity via an Indonesian company’s server racks, indicating that China’s attempts to build AI infrastructure continue even as U.S. restrictions are set.
5. Applied Materials Forecasts Significant Decline in Investment in China in 2026 Due to Tighter U.S. Export Restrictions Semiconductor equipment giant Applied Materials has announced that it expects a significant decline in fab investment in China in 2026 due to stricter U.S. export restrictions. Despite the inevitable exit from the Chinese market, the company’s analysis indicates that the upgrade cycle driven by AI workloads will continue to support the global semiconductor equipment market.
6. SMIC Warns of Tight Memory Supply in 2026, Urges Customers to Act Cautiously Chinese foundry SMIC (中芯国際) warned that memory supply could tighten again in 2026 due to surging AI demand, urging customers to act cautiously SMIC itself was driven by AI We expect a rebound in the third quarter to result in annual earnings of $9 billion, but face the risk of margin erosion in the fourth quarter.
7. Nexperia Issue: China Expresses “Extreme Disappointment” with Netherlands, Automakers Seek Alternatives On the issue surrounding the Netherlands (Ansei Semiconductor/Nexperia), China’s Ministry of Commerce has expressed “extreme disappointment” and “strong dissatisfaction” with the words and actions of the Dutch Minister of Economy Nexperia China. wafer inventories may be depleted by mid-December, forcing automakers to seek alternative components.
8. DDR5 to Become Standard in 2026; Radical Reform of Power Control to Boost Passive Component Market DDR5 (5th generation DDR) memory is expected to become the industry standard by 2026. This transition will bring fundamental design changes to power control systems, which is expected to significantly boost the market for power management technology and passive components (e.g., capacitors).
9. Tesla Targets AI Data Centers with Megapack Batteries to Address Power Grid Load Concerns Tesla has announced plans to target the AI data center market with its massive Megapack battery system amid growing concerns that AI data center operations will increase the load on the power grid. Tesla has announced plans to target the AI data center market with its massive Megapack battery system. This is being touted as an infrastructure solution to distribute and stabilize the huge power demands of AI computing.
10. SK Key Foundry to Start SiC Power Chip Production in H1 2026 to Enter EV/Energy Market SK Key Foundry plans to start SiC (silicon carbide) power chip production in the first half of 2026, with the electric vehicle (EV) and energy markets as key The acquisition of SK powertech is the company’s first step toward entering the electric vehicle (EV) and energy markets. The company is strengthening its SiC technology capabilities through the acquisition of SK powertech and aims to establish a position in this high-growth market through production at its 8-inch wafer fab.

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