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Monday 17 August 2026
Samsung weighs Giheung R&D line for 2nm HBM foundry capacity
Samsung Electronics is reportedly considering repurposing the second line at its next-generation semiconductor R&D complex in Giheung into a foundry send-fab, a shift that would add advanced-node capacity as demand for AI memory strains leading-edge capacity.
LATEST STORIES
Tuesday 18 August 2026
China's Horizon Robotics sets J7 against Nvidia, Tesla

Horizon Robotics is preparing its next-generation Journey 7 (J7) automotive AI chip family for mass production in 2027, aiming to extend its lead in China's L2+ assisted-driving market into the higher end of autonomous-driving computing.

Tuesday 18 August 2026
MicroLED still lacks key LTPO TFT tech

MicroLED remains a promising next-generation display technology, but industry analysts say its commercial breakthrough still hinges on thin-film transistor (TFT) technology and the participation of South Korean panel makers Samsung Display (SDC) and LG Display (LGD). Yet SDC is reportedly taking a cautious stance on microLED TV applications.

Tuesday 18 August 2026
Samsung faces tougher HBM4E test after HBM4 comeback

Samsung Electronics' semiconductor chief has told executives not to treat the company's HBM4 comeback as proof that its recovery is complete, according to Seoul Economic Daily. The caution comes as the memory industry shifts to a generation that will be harder to manufacture at scale.

Tuesday 18 August 2026
Humanoid robots expose the limits of chasing higher TOPS

Humanoid robots are moving from demonstrations toward mass production, changing the priorities of chip design. Instead of simply chasing higher AI compute and TOPS, or trillions of operations per second, the industry is increasingly focused on how efficiently perception, computing, decision-making, and control can work together within tight power, cost, and latency constraints.

Tuesday 18 August 2026
South Korea-India venture Indichem targets semiconductor materials supply chain without China
A new joint venture between South Korean and Indian chemical firms is betting that semiconductor materials can be made without touching China at any stage, positioning itself as an alternative supply route just as the US-China conflict pushes chipmakers to rethink where their raw materials come from.
Tuesday 18 August 2026
H3 launch ramp pushes Mitsubishi Electric toward a new era of parallel satellite production

The expansion of Mitsubishi Electric's satellite manufacturing business is converging with the higher launch cadence targeted for Japan's H3 program, developed jointly by JAXA and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI).

Tuesday 18 August 2026
Tech blocs of the new Cold War: US pushes allies to pick a side

The intensifying US-China technology rivalry is moving beyond export controls and semiconductor restrictions. What comes next could matter more: the formation of competing international AI ecosystems.

Tuesday 18 August 2026
AI server demand pushes high-end MLCC lead times toward 40 weeks
Multilayer ceramic capacitor (MLCC) supply is increasingly diverging by product specification, with mainstream components remaining relatively stable while lead times for some high-capacitance, high-specification parts used in AI servers stretch toward 40 weeks.
Monday 17 August 2026
SK keyfoundry expands 8-inch capacity as China demand strains supply

SK keyfoundry has approved KRW90 billion (approx. US$64 million) in capital spending to expand its 8-inch foundry capacity, a rare move for a company that has long prioritized maintaining existing production lines.

Monday 17 August 2026
China's Vertilite commits US$741M to InP laser chips for AI optical interconnects
Chinese optical chipmaker Jiangsu Vertilite Semiconductor Technology is investing CNY5 billion (approx. US$741 million) in a new communications chip and device R&D and manufacturing base in Changzhou, expanding beyond VCSELs into high-end indium phosphide, or InP, laser chips for AI optical interconnects.
Monday 17 August 2026
LG, Nvidia step up humanoid push with robot data factory

Nvidia's Madison Huang is set to visit LG Electronics' Yangjae R&D campus in Seoul on August 18 to inspect the company's robot data factory and hold closed-door talks with senior LG executives on robotics cooperation, according to Yonhap and Chosun Biz.

Monday 17 August 2026
China battery makers rework costs as lithium prices fall and taxes rise
China's lithium battery industry is entering a new phase of cost restructuring as falling lithium carbonate prices, uncertain supply conditions and higher taxes squeeze manufacturers' margins, according to Chinese media reports.
Monday 17 August 2026
Fallout from Wingtech's Nexperia rupture: the price of rebuilding China's chip supply chain

Wingtech is entering a sharply different phase after dismantling much of its product-integration business and losing effective control over parts of Nexperia's overseas operations. The Chinese technology group posted a steep first-half revenue contraction and swung to a loss, while legal disputes in the Netherlands and Singapore now complicate its effort to rebuild around semiconductors and a more China-centered supply chain.

Monday 17 August 2026
Samsung Electro-Mechanics, LG Innotek substrate lines near full capacity as AI demand rises

Samsung Electro-Mechanics (SEMCO) and LG Innotek pushed their semiconductor package substrate operations close to full capacity in the first half of 2026 as shipments of high-value substrates for AI accelerators, server CPUs, memory and data center networking climbed, company filings and earnings materials show.

Monday 17 August 2026
Apple reportedly builds China-specific AI model with Alibaba as Qwen partnership deepens
Apple has trained a large language model (LLM) specifically for the Chinese market with support from Alibaba, according to Reuters, marking a shift from its previous reliance on third-party Chinese models for Apple Intelligence.