Semiconductor News 20251216

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1. Samsung Approaching AMD for 2nm Chip Manufacturing Contract, Decision Likely in Early 2026
   Samsung Electronics is reportedly lobbying AMD for a 2nm process manufacturing contract, betting on a recovery in its foundry business A final decision by AMD could come in early 2026. Samsung has an urgent need to acquire large customers to compete with TSMC, and the deal, if finalized, would be a major boost to the company’s competitiveness in cutting-edge processes.
2. Samsung Chairman and Elon Musk Meet at Texas Plant
   Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong and Tesla CEO Elon Musk reportedly met at the Samsung Semiconductor Plant in Texas. The meeting took place amidst an impending increase in chip production and is believed to have discussed strengthening cooperation (the Samtae Alliance) regarding the manufacture of Tesla’s self-driving chips and other products. This move represents a strategic collaboration between the two companies in the areas of AI and automotive semiconductors.
3. SK Hynix Takes 3-4 Months Lead over Samsung in HBM4 Samples
   SK Hynix is 3-4 months ahead of competitor Samsung Electronics in the development of its next-generation memory HBM4 and has reportedly already begun supplying paid samples to customers. The company has made technological milestones in the manufacturing of HBM4, including the use of ASMPT’s TC bonder, in an effort to maintain its leadership in the field of high-bandwidth memory, which is essential for the AI market.
4. South Korea Plans 700 Trillion Won of Public-Private Investment in Semiconductor Industry
   The South Korean government plans to invest a total of 700 trillion won in the public and private sectors to strengthen the competitiveness of the semiconductor industry. In particular, the government will focus on fostering fabless (design) companies, and the plan includes the establishment of a public-private joint foundry. This is a large-scale national project to establish a global position in the field of system semiconductors while maintaining its superiority in the field of memory.
5. Global Semiconductor Sales Surpass $70 Billion in October 2025
   Global semiconductor sales surpassed $70 billion in October 2025, as AI-related demand continues to drive the market, with strong sales of GPUs and memory for data centers. Some estimates are calling for full-year sales to exceed $800 billion by 2025, a record number that confirms that the semiconductor market is entering a super-cycle.
6. NVIDIA Seeks to Expand Production of H200 Chips in Response to Surging Chinese Demand
   NVIDIA is reportedly considering expanding production of its H200 AI chip to meet surging demand in the Chinese market. Despite the challenges of U.S. export restrictions, the Chinese market remains huge, and NVIDIA is looking for ways to increase supply capacity while complying with regulations. On the other hand, there has been some analysis of the possibility that the Chinese side may be less willing to purchase than the U.S. expects.
7. STMicro to Supply 10 Billion Chips to SpaceX by 2027
   STMicroelectronics reportedly could deliver as many as 10 billion chips to SpaceX, led by Elon Musk, by 2027. This suggests exploding demand for semiconductors in the space industry and satellite communication networks (e.g. Starlink), and indicates that the aerospace sector is becoming a huge new market for semiconductor manufacturers.
8. Dell to raise commercial PC prices by up to 30% due to soaring memory prices
   Dell reportedly plans to raise commercial PC prices by 10% to 30% starting December 17 in response to soaring memory prices. The increase in demand for DRAM and NAND due to the AI boom is pushing up component costs, and the impact is beginning to hit hardware manufacturers and their corporate customers directly in the form of price increases on end products.
9. HDD Prices Rise Largest in Eight Quarters, Demand Surges in China and U.S.
   HDD (hard disk drive) prices have recorded the largest percentage increase in the past eight quarters. This is due to surging demand in the Chinese and U.S. markets, which is also raising concerns about supply shortages, against the backdrop of a return to high-capacity storage demand in AI data centers and the end of inventory adjustments, indicating that the HDD market, as well as the SSD market, is back in full swing.
10. Kioxia Develops Oxide Semiconductor Transistors for 3D DRAM
    Kioxia reported at IEDM 2025 the results of its development of oxide semiconductor channel transistors for 3D DRAM that can be highly stacked. This technology is expected to dramatically increase the capacity of DRAM, which is approaching the limits of miniaturization, and demonstrates that Kioxia is conducting important R&D not only in NAND flash, but also in next-generation memory technology.

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