Semiconductor News 20251230

Main News

1. Taiwan M7.0 Earthquake, TSMC and Other Major Makers Maintain Operations with Minor Damage
   The 7.0 magnitude earthquake in Taiwan has caused concern about the impact on semiconductor factories, but TSMC, Nanya Technology and other major companies have announced that operations have not been significantly affected. Nanya has also completed inspections and is up and running. While industry losses are estimated to be in the tens of billions of Taiwan dollars, the earthquake has proven to be highly resilient compared to past major earthquakes, and a serious hit to the global supply chain appears to have been averted.
2. Japanese Government to Provide Over 1 Trillion Yen in New Support for Domestically Produced AI Semiconductor Program
   The Japanese government has decided to provide over 1 trillion yen in new support to strengthen the domestic production base for AI semiconductors. This brings the cumulative total of related budgets to 7 trillion yen. Projects involving Rapidus, Softbank, Sharp (under the umbrella of Hon Hai), and others will be targeted to accelerate the development of data centers and manufacturing bases. From the perspective of economic security, the national strategy for building a self-sufficient AI infrastructure is reaching a major turning point.
3. Nvidia Sets 16-Layer HBM Supply Target for Q4 2026
   Nvidia has reportedly set a target to have 16-layer stacked HBM (high-bandwidth memory) supply ready by Q4 2026 for next-generation AI accelerators. This will require memory partners such as SK Hynix to accelerate development and mass production as AI models grow in size and the demand for memory bandwidth and capacity increases without end, intensifying the race toward the HBM4 generation.
4. Soaring Memory Prices Lead AMD and Nvidia to Raise GPU Prices in Early 2026
   AMD and Nvidia reportedly plan to raise the prices of their GPU products in early 2026. The background is the rising cost of memory, such as HBM and GDDR; memory shortages due to AI server demand are pushing up component prices, which will be passed on to the price of the final product. Inflationary pressures from the “AI supercycle” are beginning to affect the pricing structure of the broader GPU market, not just for data centers.
5. Samsung, Nvidia’s second foundry candidate after Groq deal
   Samsung Electronics is reportedly emerging as Nvidia’s “second foundry partner” after TSMC, using a licensing agreement and contract manufacturing contract with AI chip startup Groq as a springboard. tsmc’s production capacity and concerns about geopolitical risk, Nvidia may be seeking to diversify its suppliers. If realized, this could lead to a major change in the foundry market power structure.
6. SK Hynix Expands Advanced Packaging in the U.S. and Beats TSMC
   SK Hynix is considering building an advanced chip packaging (2.5D) line in the U.S. and is trying to compete with TSMC with a “turnkey” strategy that offers HBM and packaging in one package. The company aims to take advantage of U.S. subsidies and to close the physical distance with its customer Nvidia. This is a move to go beyond the boundaries of a memory manufacturer and challenge for leadership in total solutions, including back-end process technologies.
7. TSMC to raise process prices below 3nm continuously until 2029
   TSMC reportedly plans to raise prices for cutting-edge process manufacturing below 3nm by 3% to 10% in 2026, with further intermittent price increases through 2029 Demand from the AI and HPC (high performance computing) sectors Demand from the AI and HPC (high performance computing) sectors continues to outstrip supply capacity, and the company maintains pricing power due to its overwhelming technological advantage. For clients, the rising cost of procuring cutting-edge chips is a long-term challenge.
8. Samsung to Adopt In-house CPUs and GPUs in Exynos 2800 and Become Independent
   Samsung Electronics is reportedly strengthening its policy to reduce its dependence on Qualcomm and AMD and adopt in-house developed CPUs and GPUs in its next mobile processor, Exynos 2800. The company aims to reduce and optimize costs by leveraging the strength of its vertically integrated model. In order to regain competitiveness in the mobile market, the company is making a strategic shift to increase the ratio of in-house production of key intellectual property (IP).
9. ROHM Partners with Nvidia to Expand Power Semiconductor Opportunities
   Japan’s ROHM has joined forces with Nvidia to expand business opportunities in the power semiconductor field. With the focus on the power consumption challenges of AI infrastructure, ROHM’s power electronics technology, which is one of the strengths of Japanese companies, will be integrated into the ecosystem. technology will be integrated into the ecosystem.
10. “Foundry 2.0” Market to Reach $85 Billion by 2025, Led by TSMC
    The “Foundry 2.0” market, which adds advanced packaging to traditional wafer fabrication, is expected to reach $85 billion by the third quarter of 2025. This growth is being driven by TSMC and packaging technologies for AI. It is not just about miniaturization, but packaging technologies such as chiplets and 3D packaging are becoming a source of added value, indicating that the very definition of the semiconductor manufacturing business is currently expanding and evolving.

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