Semiconductor News 20260409

In today’s semiconductor news, we report on the explosive growth of AI demand and the intense global market growth and supply chain restructuring that is underway, with global semiconductor sales in February 2026 growing an astounding 62% year over year and the market size heading toward $1.3 trillion, according to a new forecast The market size is expected to reach $1.3 trillion. Against this backdrop, there has been a flurry of activity in the area of next-generation supremacy, including a move by Elon Musk and Intel to collaborate to create an American version of TSMC and SK Hynix’s negotiations for a long-term contract with a giant IT company. At the same time, geopolitical and physical risks are emerging that are shaking the footing of rapid growth, such as the growing self-sufficiency of chips in China due to the intensifying conflict between the U.S. and China, and the helium shortage and soaring component prices.

Main News

1. Global Semiconductor Sales Increase 62% on AI Demand in February 2026
   Strong demand for semiconductors for AI strongly drove the market, with global semiconductor sales growing a whopping 62% in February 2026 compared to the same month last year. This growth was driven by the widespread adoption of generative AI and a surge in demand for data centers. Various statistical data shows that the semiconductor market as a whole is emerging from a long period of adjustment and entering a new growth cycle with a remarkable recovery.
2. Gartner Forecasts Semiconductor Market to Reach $1.3 Trillion by 2026
   The global semiconductor market is expected to reach $1.3 trillion by 2026, according to forecasts from research firm Gartner, with explosive growth in AI demand and the resulting surge in memory prices driving the overall market. The demand for high-capacity storage and fast processing power is dramatically improving the bottom line for memory manufacturers, and the industry as a whole is experiencing investment and market expansion on an unprecedented scale.
3. Intel and Musk’s Terafab to Collaborate to Create U.S. Version of TSMC
   It has been announced that Intel will join Terafab, the proprietary semiconductor project of Elon Musk, the leader of Tesla and other companies, to collaborate in the design, manufacturing and packaging of AI semiconductors. This is an ambitious effort to build a U.S. version of TSMC that will break away from dependence on overseas foundries and increase chip manufacturing capacity in the U.S. mainland, and the collaboration between the giant IT company and a major U.S. semiconductor manufacturer will affect the supply chain power structure.
4. SK Hynix negotiating long-term AI memory contracts with Microsoft and Google
   South Korea’s SK Hynix is reportedly negotiating long-term supply contracts for memory for AI with giant technology companies Microsoft and Google. As demand for high-performance memory explodes with the construction of generative AI infrastructure, the company aims to establish a stable revenue base and a dominant position in the AI memory market by securing giant cloud vendors as customers.
5. SK Hynix Begins Shipping Industry’s First 321-Layer QLC cSSD
   SK Hynix has begun supplying the industry’s first 321-layer QLC cSSD for the AI PC era, which is scheduled to ship to Dell in April. large capacity and high speed in processing AI models. With the growing demand for storage solutions, SK Hynix has demonstrated its technological superiority in the storage market by being the first to bring to market a next-generation NAND flash product with a dramatically increased layer count.
6. Asian Semiconductor Makers Face Helium Shortage, Call for Stockpiling
   Asian semiconductor manufacturers, including Taiwan and South Korea, are facing severe supply shortages of helium and LNG, which are essential for semiconductor manufacturing processes, and are calling on governments to stockpile strategic supplies. The risk of supply chain disruptions is rising against the backdrop of tensions in the Middle East and other factors, and there are growing concerns that physical material shortages, which threaten the stable operation of factories, will become a bottleneck in the production of a wide range of chips, including AI semiconductors.
7. As U.S.-China Technology Clash Intensifies, Chinese AI Firms Accelerate Adoption of Dom estically Made Chips
   The clash over semiconductor technology between the United States and China is intensifying ahead of the summit, with tighter U.S. export controls spilling over into the global supply chain. Against this backdrop, Chinese AI and cloud companies are reducing their reliance on foreign-made chips and accelerating the adoption of domestically-made chips at a rapid pace. With the support of the Chinese government, domestic semiconductor ecosystem building is progressing, leading to fragmentation and decoupling of global supply chains.
8. Prices rise across the entire semiconductor industry chain , with chip base materials also soaring sharply.
   The entire semiconductor industry chain is experiencing a series of product price hikes, with prices of base materials such as sputtering targets, the foundation for chip manufacturing, rising a whopping 60 to 70 percent. The tight supply of materials due to surging demand for AI and the rising cost of raw materials due to inflation are pushing up manufacturing costs dramatically, making it a challenge to pass on costs to everyone from set manufacturers to end consumers.
9. Kioxia Considers First Dividend , Memory Strategy Based on Long-Term Contract s
   Kioxia is considering paying its first dividend in its global memory strategy backed by long-term customer contracts, as the NAND flash market recovers due to AI demand and increasing need for high capacity storage. and the increasing need for high-capacity storage, the Company’s revenue base is stabilizing. This indicates that the company has overcome the difficult market conditions and is moving into a new growth phase in which it aims to achieve both aggressive investment and shareholder returns.
10. SEMI Reports Semiconductor Equipment Market to Reach $135 Billion in 2025
    A report by the International Semiconductor Equipment and Materials Institute reveals that global semiconductor equipment billings will reach $135 billion in 2025, up 15% from the previous year. strong demand for AI semiconductors and governments’ The overall equipment market is experiencing strong growth, especially in China and Taiwan, driven by massive subsidy policies for domestic semiconductor production, which is driving investment and brisk business for equipment manufacturers.

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