Semiconductor News 20251202

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1. Severely Rising Memory Prices and Changes in Contract Structure Prices for DRAM and NAND flash memory have skyrocketed on the back of tight wafer supplies, with NAND in particular expected to rise up to 60% or more, and warnings that “real tough times” are coming. In response to this price spike, Samsung’s internal team has switched from long-term annual contracts to quarterly DRAM deals that are more responsive to price fluctuations. It was also reported that Samsung Semiconductor refused to sign a long-term DRAM contract with the cell phone sector, indicating market instability and risk aversion on the part of suppliers.
2. Establishing Samsung as a Major HBM Supplier for Google TPUs Samsung has improved its performance in HBM3E, a high-performance AI memory, and has become a major supplier for Google’s Ironwood TPUs (Tensor Processing Units). According to press reports, Samsung supplies more than 60% of HBM3E for Google TPUs and is expected to maintain this dominance into 2026. This achievement demonstrates that Samsung is strengthening its relationships with key customers and establishing a competitive edge in the HBM market, a critical component of AI infrastructure.
3. NVIDIA Invests 310Billion Yenin Design Support Synopsys and Possibility of TSMC A16 Node Exclusivity NVIDIA has invested 310 billion yen in Synopsys, a leading semiconductor design support software company, in a move to strengthen collaboration in AI chip design. NVIDIA is also reportedly the sole customer of TSMC’s next-generation state-of-the-art A16 node, highlighting NVIDIA’s strategy to maintain strong leadership in both the technology roadmap and design environment in the AI era.
4. Intel Targets Apple with 18A Node, Outsources EMIB Packaging to Amkor Intel is reportedly targeting Apple’s M-series chip order with its cutting-edge 18A node to expand its foundry business. The company also plans to use Amkor’s Songdo facility as its first outsourcing to expand production of its advanced packaging technology, EMIB, which has reportedly been used by Google and MediaTek for their TPUs. This indicates that Intel is fully embracing its IDM 2.0 strategy and increasing its competitiveness in the foundry and packaging arena.
5. AI Chip Supply Constraints Drive China’s Strategic Sh ift to Baidu ‘s Kunlun Chip Amid intensifying supply constraints on AI chips due to tighter export controls by the US, China is strategically turning to Baidu ‘s Kunlun chip (Kunlun core) in order to accelerate domestic production. This move is an important response to maintain the building of China’s domestic AI infrastructure in the face of increasing difficulty in obtaining high-performance NVIDIA chips, and reflects the Chinese AI ecosystem’s commitment to self-reliance.
6. Micron Plans $9.6 Billion HBM Plant in Japan (Hiroshima) to Reduce Dependence on Taiwan Micron Technology is reportedly planning to build a new$9.6 billionHBM (high bandwidth memory) plant in Japan, particularly in Hiroshima, to reduce its dependence on Taiwan for production. This investment is expected to be a core component of AI demand. This investment is positioned as part of a global supply chain restructuring to diversify the supply capacity of HBM, which is core to AI demand, and to address geopolitical risks.
7. Changes in the Competitive Structure of the AI Market: OpenAI St alls and Funds Shift to Google’s Camp It was reported that the AI market is experiencing a “downswing” in which OpenAI is stalling due to increased competition and rising costs, while funds are shifting to Google’s camp, where Google is promoting in-house technologies such as TPU. This move suggests that vertically integrated solutions that avoid reliance on NVIDIA GPUs and optimize cost efficiency and performance are becoming competitive in the AI infrastructure market.
8. TSMC to take over base die production in HBM4E generation, aiming to double efficiency with N3P TSMC reportedly plans to take over production of the base die, the logic die, in the next generation HBM, HBM4E TSMC has disclosed details of its custom C-HBM4E, aiming to double efficiency withN3P logic die to improve efficiency by 2X compared to previous models. This demonstrates TSMC’s intention to take the lead in advanced packaging technology to support performance improvements in the AI era.
9. Rapidus Potential Customers Revealed: Concrete Moves to Revive Japan’s Semiconductor Industry A senior METI official has revealed that specific potential customers attended an event organized by Rapidus, a Japanese next-generation semiconductor manufacturing company. This fact suggests that Rapidus is not merely in the technology development stage, but is actively building a concrete customer base and securing business opportunities in the domestic and international markets as it prepares to launch its 2nm chip prototype line.
10. South Korea’s Semiconductor Exports Set New Single-Month Record and Long-Term Boom Forecast South Korea’s semiconductor sector continues to perform well, with exports reaching a record $17.26 billion in a single month in November 2025. In addition, cumulative exports through November have already surpassed those of the previous full year. This export growth indicates the continuation of the semiconductor boom cycle, supported by global AI demand, and reaffirms the strong traction of the semiconductor industry in the Korean economy.

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