Semiconductor News 20260331

Today’s semiconductor news highlights a situation in which the global semiconductor supply chain is undergoing violent tectonic shifts against the backdrop of exploding demand for AI. The Japanese semiconductor industry is undergoing a restructuring and technology revival, as evidenced by talks among Toshiba, Rohm, and Mitsubishi Electric to integrate their power semiconductor businesses, and Rapidus’ progress in developing 1-nanometer technology. On the other hand, physical and geopolitical vulnerabilities that could hinder the industry’s speed of growth have emerged, such as the U.S. security law’s clampdown on exports to China, the supply risk of helium and other specialty gases due to the Iranian conflict, and concerns of a strike at Samsung Electronics, making supply security and inflation control urgent issues. The industry is facing pressing issues of supply security and inflation control.

Main News

1. Toshiba, Rohm, Mitsubishi Electric and others begin talks to integrate their power semiconductor businesses
   In the Japanese power semiconductor industry, it has become clear that Toshiba, Rohm and Mitsubishi Electric have begun talks to integrate their businesses. In the power semiconductor market, where demand for power semiconductors for electric vehicles and renewable energy is rapidly increasing, the three companies aim to secure economies of scale and compete with giant overseas manufacturers by bringing together domestic players. This is an important step toward the establishment of a powerful supply chain as a major reorganization of the Japanese semiconductor industry begins in earnest.
2. Samsung Electronics aims for mass production of silicon photonics starting in 2028
   Samsung Electronics is reportedly targeting mass production of silicon photonics, a next-generation optical transmission technology, starting in 2028.The technology is expected to be a trump card for solving the enormous data processing and power consumption challenges in AI infrastructure and data centers. The technology is expected to be a trump card for solving the challenges of massive data processing and power consumption in AI infrastructure and data centers, and is attracting attention as a strategic move to promote the practical application of optoelectronic convergence technology ahead of competitors such as TSMC and to secure a leadership position in the next-generation semiconductor packaging market.
3. China’s share of semiconductor production capacity projected to reach 32 percent by 2030
   China’s share of global semiconductor production capacity is projected to expand to 32 percent by 2030, according to a new report. Despite strict U.S. export restrictions, China is rapidly building its own open RISC-V platform and expanding the scale of its chip equipment and supply chain to meet AI demand. The further shift to in-house semiconductor production in China, the world’s largest market, is expected to further accelerate the fragmentation of the global supply chain.
4. U.S. Semiconductor Security Law to End Supply of Certain AI Chips to China
   The U.S. government’s semiconductor security law is expected to end the supply of certain high-performance AI chips to China as a result of its impact. This tightened regulation, aimed at national security to prevent military diversion, will severely restrict U.S. semiconductor manufacturers’ access to the Chinese market. The conflict over technological hegemony between the U.S. and China has entered a decisive phase, a situation that will determine the blocking and decoupling of the global AI semiconductor supply chain.
5. AI-driven memory market to exceed US$600 billion; Sony raises PS5 price
   The global memory market size is expected to surpass US$600 billion as demand for storage surges with the expansion of AI infrastructure; rapid increases in component costs, including an expected continued NAND shortage, are spreading to end products Sony is also facing a sharp increase in the price of memory, which is expected to increase to US$600 billion. Sony has decided to raise the selling price of PlayStation 5 as a direct result of soaring memory prices. Strong inflationary pressures are reaching the consumer product market in earnest.
6. Iran Conflict Severely Affects Procurement of Helium and Other Gases and Chemicals for Semiconductor Manufacturing
   The intensifying conflict in the Middle East over Iran and other countries is affecting the procurement of helium and other specialty gases essential for the semiconductor manufacturing process. Disruptions in the supply chain and soaring raw material prices are hitting manufacturing sites, and physical risks that threaten the stable operation of factories are becoming apparent in foreign media reports. Combined with memory shortages and surging demand, this has further increased concerns about rising manufacturing costs and supply instability throughout the electronics industry.
7. Rapidus Accelerates 1-nanometer Technology Development, Aims to Close the Gap with TSMC to Six Months Rapidus, a leading Japanese semiconductor manufacturer, is significantly accelerating the development of its next generation 1-nanometer semiconductor technology. The company’s ambitious goal of closing the technological gap with TSMC, the world’s largest foundry, to just six months was reported. Japan’s national project to reinvigorate the semiconductor industry may have a major impact on the industry’s technology roadmap, as it brings the top runner to the forefront of the global miniaturization competition.
8. Samsung is pushing to switch to 236-layer NAND at its Xi’an plant
   Samsung Electronics is reportedly pushing to switch production lines to state-of-the-art 236-layer NAND at its Xi’an plant in China in order to strengthen its competitiveness in the NAND flash market, which continues to face tight supply. SK Hynix is also looking to upgrade in Dalian, and Kioxia emphasized that its new production capacity in 2027 will not upset the market equilibrium. to meet the high-capacity storage needs due to AI demand, companies are rapidly moving to the next-generation 3D NAND technology.
9. Arm Expands Beyond Licensing Business with New AI CPU Platform
   Semiconductor design giant Arm has announced a new CPU platform for AI, expanding its business beyond its existing design licensing offerings. The company aims to directly support the computational ecosystem dedicated to AI processing and to be deeply involved in building the infrastructure. This is a strategic shift that is expected to compete with existing AI chip makers and dramatically expand the company’s presence and revenue base in the rapidly growing data center market.
10. Samsung Workers May Go on Strike Starting May 21
    Samsung Electronics’ labor union reportedly may go on strike starting May 21. With supply already tight in the mature node market, there are concerns that if this strike becomes a reality, it will further push up the prices of display driver ICs and power management ICs. The labor-management conflict that has arisen amidst the urgent need to develop cutting-edge processes and increase production of AI memory could have a significant impact on the global supply chain.

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