Demand from Nvidia and Apple has intensified shortages of high-end glass fiber cloth used in IC substrates, driving broad price increases for related materials and squeezing profit margins for copper clad laminate (CCL) suppliers. Japanese materials makers have recently taken the lead in raising prices, shifting rising costs downstream to customers and end markets

Samsung Electronics is accelerating the expansion of its Pyeongtaek semiconductor campus in South Korea, aiming to establish the site as a core production base for next-generation AI memory. The company's fifth fabrication plant, P5, is scheduled to begin operations in 2028 and will support the long-term supply of high-bandwidth memory (HBM) and advanced DRAM used in AI servers and data-center infrastructure, according to Yonhap and Munhwa

China-based CMOS image sensor (CIS) supplier SmartSens Technology has notified customers of price increases, stating that from March 1, 2026, prices for its smart security and AIoT product lines will rise by 10% or 20%, depending on the upstream wafer foundry manufacturing the products