Semiconductor News 20260131

Main News

1. Chinese Government to Conditionally Approve DeepSeek’s Purchase of NVIDIA’s H200
   The Chinese government has indicated that it will approve the purchase of NVIDIA’s H200 high-performance AI chip by domestic AI company DeepSeek. In addition to DeepSeek, ByteDance and Alibaba are also preparing to launch new models in February, highlighting the accelerating competition for AI development and hardware procurement in China, even under US export controls. …
2. SK Hynix and Samsung Electronics record record quarterly results on AI demand
   South Korea’s SK Hynix posted record sales of about 33 trillion won in the fourth quarter of 2025, up 66% from the same period last year. Samsung Electronics’ semiconductor business also posted record highs in both sales and operating profit, as demand for broadband memory (HBM) and high-capacity enterprise SSDs for AI infrastructure strongly drove results, indicating that Korean memory makers are among the biggest beneficiaries of the AI boom.
3. Rising Memory Prices May Cause Apple to Change Strategy, Prioritize High-End iPhones
   Rising memory costs and tight supply of TSMC’s 3nm process may cause Apple to prioritize production of high-end iPhone models in 2H2026 DRAM and NAND prices have skyrocketed due to supply shortages and are expected to rise by up to 50% in the first quarter of 2026. Major memory manufacturers are limiting orders to prevent inventory hoarding, and soaring component costs are hitting end-product strategies.
4. Kioxia and SanDisk Extend Manufacturing Joint Venture to 2034
   Kioxia and SanDisk, a subsidiary of Western Digital, have agreed to extend their joint venture agreement at the Yokkaichi and Kitakami factories through 2034. SanDisk is strengthening its long-term partnership on the back of strong performance, with a seven-fold surge in profits in the second quarter of FY2026. anticipating growing demand for flash memory for AI and data centers, the two companies’ strategy is to maintain technology development and manufacturing capacity through Japan-US collaboration.
5. ASML Chooses to Reduce Workforce in Europe and the U.S. and Maintain China Base While Demand for EUV Incre ases
   Semiconductor equipment giant ASML, which is benefiting from increased demand for EUV and chip spending in the U.S., is making a contrasting move by reducing its workforce in the U.S. and Europe while maintaining its China base. The Chinese market remains an important source of revenue for the company, and the analysis suggests that a business decision is being made to strike a balance between geopolitical pressures and business pragmatism.
6. Meta’s next-generation AI chip, MTIA-3, to debut in late 2026 on TSMC 3 nm process
   Meta’s next-generation AI chip, MTIA-3, to debut in late 2026 on TSMC’s 3nm process technology, with support from GUC (Global Unichip Corp.) The company expects to debut in the second half of 2026 with the support of the Global Unichip Corp. As hyperscaler companies accelerate the development of their own chips, securing a state-of-the-art process is key to competitiveness, and the planned launch comes amid concerns of tight production lines at TSMC, which is increasingly bringing its AI infrastructure in-house.
7. Taiwan’s 2025 Economic Growth Rate Reaches 8.6% , Highest in 15 Years on AI Boom
   Taiwan’s 2025 economic growth rate reached 8.6%, the highest level in 15 years, benefiting from the AI boom. Symbolic of this booming economy, TSMC founder Morris Chang is back in public and NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang is also back in Taipei. The semiconductor industry is a strong driver of the overall national economy, and Taiwan’s central position in the AI supply chain was once again confirmed.
8. Alibaba and Baidu Advance IPO Plans for AI Chip Subsidiaries
   Chinese tech giants Alibaba and Baidu are moving forward with IPO (initial public offering) plans for their respective AI chip subsidiaries. With U.S. sanctions making it difficult to obtain advanced chips, the companies aim to raise funds from the market to develop their own chips and increase their competitiveness. IPOs and M&As of semiconductor companies are becoming more active in China, and the strengthening of the domestically produced semiconductor ecosystem utilizing the capital market is progressing at a rapid pace.
9. Automotive Semiconductor Market to Reach $100 Billion by 2029 with Electrification and Smart Vehicles
   The automotive semiconductor market is expected to reach approximately $100 billion by 2029, as electrification and smart vehicles accelerate. Especially in the field of power semiconductors, process innovations such as SiC (silicon carbide) substrate manufacturing with reduced environmental impact are progressing. In China, the rate of in-house production of power semiconductors is heading toward 60%, and structural changes in the supply chain and market expansion are continuing in line with the spread of EVs.
10. Japanese Companies Deploying Proprietary Technologies in Photoelectric Fusion and Edge AI Semiconductors
    Japanese QD Laser is on the offensive with its photoelectric fusion technology using quantum dots, and Seiko Epson is participating in a national project for next-generation edge AI semiconductors. Photoelectric fusion is an advanced technology that only a limited number of companies can manufacture, and Japan is challenging the demand for power saving in AI data centers by competing with its strengths in niche-top technologies.

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