Semiconductor News 20260212

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1. Rapidus to Launch 2nm Process in FY2027, Quadrupling Manufacturing Capacity
   Japan’s Rapidus has announced plans to quadruple its manufacturing capacity to meet the rapidly growing demand for advanced semiconductors for AI and HPC (high performance computing) applications. In order to meet the rapidly increasing demand for advanced semiconductors for AI and HPC (High Performance Computing), the production line at the plant in Chitose City, Hokkaido, will be significantly strengthened. With the support of IBM, with whom we have a technology partnership, and the Japanese government, we are rapidly building a mass production system for cutting-edge logic semiconductors.
2. SoftBank G in talks to invest up to 4.7 trillion yen in OpenAI
   SoftBank Group (SBG) is reportedly in talks to invest up to $30 billion (4.7 trillion yen) in OpenAI, a US company that develops the interactive AI “ChatGPT”. Chairman and CEO Masayoshi Son has been calling for an “AI revolution,” and this massive investment is intended to deepen cooperation in building AI infrastructure and securing semiconductors. If realized, SBG’s presence in the global battle for AI supremacy will increase dramatically.
3. Nvidia to Establish First Overseas Headquarters in Taipei, Construction to Begin June 2026
   Nvidia has completed an agreement to establish the company’s first overseas headquarters in Taipei. Construction is scheduled to begin in June 2026. CEO Jensen Huang emphasizes the importance of collaboration with the Taiwanese semiconductor supply chain, and the new location is expected to serve as a research and development (R&D) hub, physically strengthening ties with Taiwan, where major partners such as TSMC are concentrated, and accelerating the stable supply of AI chips and development of next-generation technologies. The strategy is to accelerate the stable supply of AI chips and the development of next-generation technologies.
4. Winbond predicts DRAM prices to quadruple by June 2026
   Taiwanese memory maker Winbond predicts DRAM prices will soar to about four times current prices by June 2026.In addition to exploding demand for AI data centers, major manufacturers’ production capacity is concentrated in HBM (High-Bandwidth Memory), resulting in extremely tight supplies of commodity DRAM. In addition to exploding demand for AI data centers, major manufacturers’ production capacity is concentrated in HBM (High Bandwidth Memory), resulting in an extremely tight supply of general-purpose DRAM. The company states that production capacity is booked through 2027, and the memory market super-cycle continues to push prices higher.
5. ByteDance to jointly develop AI chips with Samsung to avoid Nvidia restrictions
   ByteDance, the operator of TikTok, is reportedly negotiating with Samsung Electronics to develop its own AI chips in partnership with Samsung, as U.S. export restrictions make it difficult to obtain advanced chips made by Nvidia. ByteDance aims to leverage Samsung’s manufacturing process and memory technology to secure chips specialized for its services. The Chinese tech giant’s move to “de-Nvidia” and become self-sufficient and seek collaboration with South Korean manufacturers is taking shape.
6. Intel “14A” Process Delays, Cracks in AI Infrastructure Plans
   Intel’s next-generation “14A” manufacturing process is experiencing delays that are affecting plans to build AI infrastructure worldwide, DIGITIMES has analyzed. The difficulties in launching cutting-edge nodes have been exposed, raising concerns about Intel’s credibility in the foundry business. The possibility of further dependence on competitor TSMC is spreading uncertainty in the market as a factor in prolonged supply constraints for AI chips.
7. SMIC Warns of Underutilization of Rapidly Built AI Data Centers
   The head of SMIC, China’s largest foundry, has warned that the capacity of rapidly built AI data centers in China may remain underutilized and unused. He pointed out that the development of practical AI applications has not kept pace with the overinvestment in hardware. The report also found that although the company’s 2025 sales were at an all-time high, yield issues with its 7nm process are weighing on profit margins.
8. Arm Shifts Focus to Data Center Business in Response to Sluggish Smartphone Market
   Arm is shifting its business focus largely to data center processors in response to slowing growth in the smartphone market. The company is also shifting its revenue structure as the demand for AI processing has led to increased adoption of the power efficient Arm architecture in the server market. The mobile champion is also trying to establish itself as a major player in the infrastructure market to compete with x86 architectures.
9. Samsung CTO: “We are the best in HBM4,” and Technology Offensive with SK Hynix
   Jae-hyuk Song, CTO of Samsung Electronics, stated that “our technology is the best and our customers are very satisfied” with the next-generation memory “HBM4” and revealed his rivalry with SK Hynix, the market leader. SK, on the other hand, emphasized the importance of “collaboration” with its customers, and the two companies are intensifying the battle over technological superiority and orders for next-generation products in the HBM market, which determines the performance of AI semiconductors.
10. New Memory Technology “ZAM” Announced, Proposes Thermal Problem Solution at Intel Event
    SAIMEMORY announced a new memory architecture, ZAM (Z-Alignment Memory), at an event held by Intel in Japan. This is a vertical memory technology designed to address the critical thermal issues in AI data centers. It is proposed as a next-generation solution to solve the heat generation and power consumption issues faced by current HBM, and has attracted attention as an example of the diversification and evolution of memory technology.

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