Semiconductor News 20260307

Main News

1. Denso Makes 1.3 Trillion Yen Takeover Proposal to ROHM
   Toyota Group’s Denso has made an approximately 1.3 trillion yen (up to US$8 billion) takeover proposal to leading semiconductor manufacturer ROHM. It is believed to be a first step toward stable procurement of power semiconductors, which are indispensable for electric vehicles and automated driving. Rohm faces a difficult choice between Toshiba and Denso, and this massive acquisition proposal marks the start of a major realignment in the Japanese power semiconductor industry.
2. U.S. Government Considers Draft Global Controls on AI Semiconductor Exports
   The U.S. government is considering a new draft for global control of AI semiconductor exports. According to press reports, tiered regulations are envisioned that would require investment and government guarantees for large exports of 200,000 units or more, and allied countries are expected to be included in the permit system. This is a hard-line measure to prevent the outflow of cutting-edge AI chips and could cause further restrictions and ripples in the global semiconductor supply chain.
3. NVIDIA ‘s LPU Push and the Restructuring of the AI Inference Market
   NVIDIA’s push to deploy LPUs focused on inference processing, coupled with signals of major buying by giant AI companies such as OpenAI, is raising the possibility of a major restructuring in the economic structure of the AI inference market. The rapidly growing demand for inference semiconductors not only for learning but also for real-world applications suggests that NVIDIA’s dominance in the market is entering a new phase.
4. Global Semiconductor Firms Post Record Profits ; Memory Giants Close in on NVIDIA
   The world’s leading semiconductor companies are posting record profits as AI priorities and oligopolies drive PC parts prices higher and DRAM prices more than triple in a year, exacerbating product shortages. In response to this memory market super-cycle, the profitability of the three major memory companies, including Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix, is rapidly increasing, and they are closing in on the earning power of NVIDIA, which has been the dominant player in the AI semiconductor market.
5. Google Envisions Space Data Center Using Proprietary Semiconductors
   Google has revealed that it is working on a plan to build a “space data center” by sending satellites equipped with its proprietary semiconductors on formation flights. The IT giant’s infrastructure investment is expanding into space.
6. Chinese Semiconductor Giants Call for National Effort to Build China’s Version of ASML
   The heads of major Chinese semiconductor companies such as SMIC and Naura have called for a national effort to build “China’s version of ASML,” in which cutting-edge lithography equipment will be manufactured at home by 2030. As strict U.S. export controls make it difficult to obtain state-of-the-art manufacturing equipment made overseas, this demonstrates China’s strong will to become completely self-sufficient in its supply chain and technological independence.
7. Tensions in the Middle East Spill Over into Global Supply Chains
   One week after the Iranian attack, tensions in the Middle East, including the Strait of Hormuz, are beginning to have a serious impact on the global supply chain. In automobile production, the risk of plant shutdowns has been pointed out if delays in parts supply continue for several weeks. In addition, while the Taiwanese government moves to protect energy security and the chip industry, companies such as Samsung SDS are being forced to respond by offering alternative logistics routes.
8. Samsung Targets 2nm Yield Improvement and 3x HBM Revenue Expansion
   Samsung Electronics reported that yields are improving at a faster pace than originally expected in its state-of-the-art 2nm manufacturing process. In addition, the company has set an ambitious goal of tripling HBM revenue, which is essential for AI chips. While overcoming technological challenges in the foundry business, Samsung Electronics is poised to dramatically increase its competitiveness by expanding its share of the high-value-added memory market.
9. Tesla’s Doubling of AI6 Chip Order Increases Capacity Utilization at Samsung Texas Plant
   Tesla has reportedly doubled its order for the AI6 chip, which is responsible for next-generation automated driving and AI processing, from its original plan. This large additional order is expected to significantly increase the utilization rate of Samsung’s Texas plant in the U.S., which is contracted to manufacture the chips. The surge in demand for AI semiconductors in the automotive industry is stimulating the production lines of advanced foundries.
10. Apple to Use A18 Pro in MacBook Neo under TSMC Supply Constraints
    Apple will use the A18 Pro chip with 8GB of RAM in its new MacBook Neo notebook computer under global semiconductor supply constraints and tight production capacity at TSMC The company will reportedly adopt the A18 Pro chip with 8GB of RAM for the new MacBook Neo notebook. By efficiently transferring the architecture of its mobile chips to the Mac lineup, the company’s strategy appears to be to maintain product supply and market share while securing components.

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