Semiconductor News 20251211

Main News

1. NVIDIA H200 Export Approval to China and Geopolitical Competition
   President Trump has conditionally approved Nvidia H200 exports to China in response to Huawei’s Ascend chip breakthrough. This deregulation renews the composition of the AI arms race, but China has reacted coldly by adding domestically produced chips to its procurement list.
2. TSMC Reserves More Than Half of CoWoS Capacity for NVIDIA
   TSMC is expanding capacity for CoWoS, its advanced packaging technology, particularly with Nvidia reportedly having reserved more than half of its production capacity for 2026-2027.Against the backdrop of surging AI demand, TSMC’s monthly sales reached the third highest level on record.
3. NAND Flash Inventory Shortage Risk Hits PC Market
   The NAND flash memory market is facing the risk of inventory shortages, with reports of a “bad year” looming. This tight supply is forcing PC manufacturers (OEMs) to reduce SSD specifications.
4. Taiwan’s Semiconductor R&D Plans Threatened by Budget Stagnation
   Budget stagnation is reportedly occurring in the Taiwanese government, which is threatening its semiconductor and technology research and development (R&D) plans for FY2026. As global competition in technology intensifies, this could affect Taiwan’s ability to maintain its technological capabilities over the long term.
5. Intel and Microsoft Commit to Promoting Semiconductors in India
   Microsoft and Intel made major commitments to semiconductor manufacturing and workforce enhancement in the country during a meeting with India’s Prime Minister.Intel is working with Tata to advance India’s semiconductor manufacturing ambitions. Group in a strategic alliance.
6. NVIDIA Introduces Chip Tracking Technology in Response to US$160 Million GPU Smuggling Ring Caught
   Following the uncovering of a GPU smuggling ring worth US$160 million in the US, NVIDIA is reportedly trialing location-identification technology (chip tracking technology) on its chips to combat illicit distribution. This indicates a situation where supply constraints on AI chips are causing illicit trade on the black market.
7. Qualcomm Acquires Ventana to Enhance RISC-V CPU Expertise
   Qualcomm has acquired Ventana Micro Systems to deepen its expertise in RISC-V CPU development. This strategic move is intended to help Qualcomm strengthen its custom silicon strategy and increase its competitiveness in the high-performance computing and edge AI markets.
8. Demand for Advanced Packaging Equipment Forecast to H2 2026
   Scientech, a provider of semiconductor manufacturing equipment, reported sales in excess of NT$10 billion in 11 months, with order visibility extending into H2 2026. This indicates that demand for ultra-large packaging for AI chips is a long-term driver of the related manufacturing equipment market.
9. Kyocera, Toray Focus on Overcoming Dif ficulties in Photoelectric F usion Technology
   Kyocera, Toray, and other Japanese companies are working to overcome the difficulties of joining light and electricity at high speeds and with precision in photoelectric fusion technology, which is essential for faster AI data centers. Fujitsu’s Monaka MPU for AI servers is also scheduled to adopt a 3D structurein 2027.
10. Google TPUs Challenge Nvidia, but GPU Ecosystem Still Dominates
    Google’s Tensor Processing Units (TPUs) are challenging Nvidia’s lead in the AI market, but Nvidia’s GPU ecosystem still dominates the market at the moment Nvidia’s GPU ecosystem still dominates the market at the moment. Meanwhile, AMD has also joined the competition with its server platform featuring the Pensando Pollara 400 AI-enabled NIC.

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