Semiconductor News 20260206

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1. TSMC Upgrades Kumamoto Fab 2 to State-of-the-Art 3nm Process
   TSMC has notified the Japanese government that it has changed the production plan for its Kumamoto Fab 2 (JASM Fab 2) to upgrade from the originally planned 6/7nm process to the state-of-the-art 3nm process. This will significantly increase the company’s high-performance chip manufacturing capacity in Japan, and is intended to meet the rapidly growing demand for AI and HPC (High Performance Computing) applications. This is a major boost for the Japanese semiconductor industry.
2. Nvidia Demands Early Delivery of HBM4 from Samsung as Memory War Intensifies
   As the global memory shortage worsens, Nvidia is demanding that Samsung accelerate its delivery schedule for its next-generation broadband memory, HBM4. In response, Samsung plans to expand its Pyeongtaek P4 plant, increasing production capacity by 20%, in an increasingly competitive race to procure memory to compete with SK Hynix, the leader in the HBM market, and to eliminate supply bottlenecks for GPUs used in AI servers.
3. Google to Nearly Double CapEx in 2026 on Cloud Strength
   Google reportedly plans to nearly double its capital expenditures (CapEx) in 2026 year over year, following a nearly 48% surge in revenue from its cloud business. The company is poised to spend a huge amount of money to build its AI platform and expand its data centers. The company is also accelerating hardware investments to improve the power efficiency of its AI infrastructure, such as by leveraging Innoscience’s 8-inch GaN manufacturing capacity, which is a strong driver of semiconductor demand.
4. TI Acquires Silicon Labs for $7.5 Billion to Expand Wireless Business
   Analog semiconductor giant Texas Instruments (TI) has agreed to acquire Silicon Labs, a fabless semiconductor manufacturer, for $7.5 billion. With this acquisition, TI aims to strengthen its portfolio in IoT and wireless communications and increase its presence in the wireless connectivity market. Consolidation is gaining momentum in the semiconductor industry, with a number of large mergers and acquisitions aimed at expanding product lines and increasing market share.
5. Renesas Posts First Final Loss in Six Years but Reorganizes by Selling Business to SiTime
   Renesas Electronics posted a 51.8 billion yen loss in its full-year 2025 financial results, its first final loss in six years, mainly due to its support for Wolfspeed. Meanwhile, in order to optimize its business portfolio, the company decided to sell its timing device business to SiTime of the US for $3 billion. As a result, we expect the profit margin to recover to 32% in the first quarter of 2026, and we are focusing on our core businesses.
6. MediaTek Targets $1 Billion in Revenue by 2026 in Cloud ASIC Market
   Taiwan’s MediaTek has announced that it will accelerate growth in the cloud ASIC (application-specific integrated circuits) market, targeting $1 billion in revenue in this area by 2026. Driven by growing demand for custom AI chips, the market is expected to grow to account for 20% of the company’s total revenue by 2027. The company is shifting away from its dependence on smartphones and making a clear shift to the highly profitable AI and data center markets.
7. Qualcomm Reports Record Earnings, but Concerns Memory Shortages and Slowdown in Smartphone Market
   Qualcomm reported record earnings in the first quarter of fiscal year 2026, but cited memory supply constraints as a risk factor for its near-term outlook. In addition to slowing sales of chips for smartphones, the company is also concerned about rising costs and component shortages, as it expects DRAM contract prices to rise by up to 95% in the first quarter of 2026. arm and others are similarly affected by the slowdown in the smartphone market.
8. Infineon to Raise Prices from April 2026 on the Background of AI Power IC Shortage
   German power semiconductor giant Infineon plans to raise product prices from April 2026 on the back of a supply shortage caused by a surge in demand for power management ICs (PMICs) and other products for AI data centers.AI servers consume enormous amounts of power, which has led to a tight supply and demand for power control semiconductors. This price increase could be a factor in the rising cost of building AI infrastructure, indicating a tight power semiconductor market.
9. Rapidus to Collaborate with IBM on 1.4nm Technology, Utilizing NY-based Engineers
   Rapidus, Japan’s next-generation semiconductor manufacturing company, plans to deepen its partnership with IBM to develop 1.4-nanometer (nm) generation processes. Half of the engineers dispatched to IBM’s research base in New York will remain there to learn cutting-edge technologies and accelerate development for mass production. 2nm mass production preparations are being paralleled by enhanced technology collaboration between Japan and the U.S. with an eye to even further miniaturization technologies ahead.
10. Apple Plans Entry-Level MacBooks to Counteract Rising Memory Prices
    Apple is reportedly planning to introduce entry-level MacBooks to mitigate rising memory costs. The strategy is to absorb the increased hardware costs through the use of in-house chips and revenue from its services division. as DRAM prices continue to rise, Apple is attempting to maintain profit margins and secure market share by adjusting its product lineup, and the semiconductor market conditions are affecting its end-product strategy.

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