Semiconductor News 20260124

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1. Intel Scales Back Manufacturing Node Plans, Turning to Packaging and Licensing
   Intel posted a net loss of about $600 million in its fourth-quarter results, sending its stock plummeting. The company is slowing the pace of production of its most ambitious manufacturing nodes, while shifting the focus of its strategy to consider licensing technology to UMC. 2026 demand is expected to outstrip supply, but memory supply constraints cast a pall over the company’s “AI PC” strategy, making it imperative to strengthen packaging capabilities. The company’s “AI PC” strategy is under threat from memory supply constraints, and the need to strengthen its packaging capabilities is becoming urgent.
2. Konoha and Sharp to Produce AI Servers Domestically, Rapidus to Join Forces to “Rise and Fall”
   It has been learned that Konoha Seimitsu Kogyo and Sharp are working on a plan to produce AI servers domestically with support from the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. Rapidus, which aims to mass produce next-generation semiconductors, is expected to join this plan. In response to Softbank’s Masayoshi Son’s move to invest a record 10 trillion yen in AI hegemony, Japanese companies are accelerating large-scale public-private sector investment and collaboration to build AI infrastructure and revive the semiconductor industry.
3. Alibaba’s Semiconductor Division T-Head Considers Spin-off and IPO
   T-Head, the semiconductor division of Alibaba Group, is reportedly considering a spin-off and IPO. The AI chip developed by the company is said to have performance comparable to NVIDIA’s H20. The semiconductor boom continues in China, and the company is believed to be aiming to secure funds to develop its own technology and increase its competitiveness in the market in response to stricter regulations by the United States.
4. U.S. Tariff Policies Rewrite Map of Memory Market, Pressure Korean Firms
   The policies of U.S. President Howard Lutnick are reshaping the structure of the global memory chip market. It has been suggested that high tariffs may be imposed on companies that do not invest in the U.S., forcing Korean manufacturers such as Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix to respond. The U.S. has made clear its commitment to balancing economic interests and security through corporate reshoring in building the AI ecosystem.
5. Micron to Begin Commercial Production at Gujarat Plant in India
   Micron is expected to begin commercial production at its ATMP (Assembly, Test, Marking, and Packaging) plant in Gujarat, India. The Indian government is strongly promoting the development of the semiconductor industry, and SEALSQ and others are establishing post-quantum semiconductor centers. While facing the same challenges as Southeast Asia, India is emerging as a new hub in the global semiconductor supply chain.
6. Samsung’s Foundry Operating Rate Recovers, Tesla Orders and HBM4E Development
   Samsung’s foundry division is increasing its operating rate in response to an upcoming order from Tesla. It is also competing with SK Hynix and Micron with the goal of completing the design of its next-generation memory, HBM4E, by mid-2026. Meanwhile, the company has officially denied rumors that it will raise the prices of all memory products by 80%, in an effort to dispel market concerns.
7. TSMC to Expand Factories in Chiayi and Yunlin to Boost Advanced Packaging
   TSMC has revealed the “dual purpose” of its capacity expansion at its AP7 plant in Chiayi and its imminent expansion plans in Yunlin, primarily to enhance advanced packaging technologies such as CoWoS to meet the surging demand for AI chips. At the same time, it is reducing its 8-inch wafer production capacity along with Samsung, but there is still an oversupply of legacy processes.
8. Rising Memory Prices Put Pressure on Smartphone Market, Forecasting Decline in AMOLED Shipments in 2026
   Omdia forecasts that shipments of AMOLEDs for smartphones are expected to decline in 2026. This is because rising memory prices are putting pressure on smartphone makers’ cost plans, as memory shortages caused by AI demand are spilling over into the consumer electronics market, including smartphones, where “chipflation” is hampering end-product production plans and market growth.
9. ASML , a leading semiconductor lithography equipment manufacturer, is leading the way in the field of advanced packaging equipment.
   ASML, a leading semiconductor lithography equipment manufacturer, is leading the way in the field of advanced packaging equipment. The focus of competition among manufacturing equipment makers is expanding from front-end to back-end process sophistication against the backdrop of growing demand for HBM (High-Bandwidth Memory).
10. KDDI and the University of Tokyo Set World Record in Deciphering “Quantum Computer Resistant Cryptography”
    KDDI Research Institute and the University of Tokyo have set a world record in deciphering “quantum computer resistant cryptography”. This is an important achievement to counter security threats posed by quantum computers, which are expected to be put to practical use in the future. With the establishment of a post-quantum semiconductor center in India, the race to develop quantum technology and associated security technology is accelerating on a global scale.

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