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Tuesday 18 February 2025
Infineon ships first 8-inch SiC product to customers
According to Infineon's press release, the company is advancing its 8-inch silicon carbide (SiC) technology, having released its first products in the first quarter of 2025. These products, produced in Villach, Austria, will offer premium SiC power solutions for high-voltage applications such as renewable energy systems, trains, and electric vehicles.
Tuesday 18 February 2025
ASE opens fifth factory in Penang, embracing AI-driven smart manufacturing
With the global semiconductor market projected to exceed US$1 trillion within the next decade, IC packaging and testing leader ASE is accelerating its overseas expansion. The company's fifth factory in Penang, Malaysia, officially opened on February 18, 2025.
Tuesday 18 February 2025
Win Semiconductors targets SiPh CPO, expecting to increase share in optical communications
Win Semiconductors, the leading gallium arsenide (GaAs) foundry, sees signs of recovery after industry downturns. As demand for mobile phones and Wi-Fi power amplifiers stabilizes, growth in optical communications and Wi-Fi 7 is expected to drive a rebound, positioning the company for a stronger market presence.
Tuesday 18 February 2025
Former TSMC chairman Mark Liu launches new think tank to bolster US tech competitiveness
Mark Liu, the former executive chairman of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), is spearheading a bold initiative to enhance American technology leadership. According to a statement released by the University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley), Liu is establishing the Technology Competitiveness and Industrial Policy Center (TCIP) at the university, aiming to usher in a new era of advanced technology development and domestic production.
Tuesday 18 February 2025
Fujifilm expands CMP slurry and post-CMP cleaner production to target advanced processes
Fujifilm is rapidly expanding its production of semiconductor materials in Kyushu, Japan. In addition to increasing the production capacity of chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) slurries at its factory near TSMC's Kumamoto plant, the company will also expand production of post-CMP cleaners in Oita Prefecture by the spring of 2026.
Tuesday 18 February 2025
Commentary: Intel's 18A advantage undermines the case for a TSMC takeover
Pat Gelsinger's exit as Intel's chief executive has laid bare a fundamental clash between his vision and that of the board. Gelsinger pushed to ramp up capital spending, expand advanced chipmaking capacity, and reinforce Intel's "Made in America" ambitions. Reports even suggested he considered acquiring GlobalFoundries to create an end-to-end foundry service spanning both cutting-edge and mature process nodes.
Tuesday 18 February 2025
Taiwan dismisses Trump's TSMC claims, reaffirms win-win semiconductor partnership

After President Trump claimed that Taiwan has taken America's semiconductor chip business away, some speculate that the US government might regret its decision to provide a US$6.6 billion investment incentive to Taiwan's TSMC. Is it true that under Trump's policies, the US government can avoid spending a dime, while Taiwanese companies and other foreign businesses operating in the US are pressured by tariffs to invest and expand domestically? This prospect has raised significant concerns and challenges for Taiwan.

Tuesday 18 February 2025
ASE to increase spending in 2025 for expansion, new Malaysia plant reportedly set to open
Global packaging and testing leader ASE Technology Holdings (ASE) expects total capital expenditure (capex) for the year to grow significantly by over 60%, primarily allocated for expanding advanced packaging and testing capacities. Notably, ASE's new plant in Malaysia is set to officially commence operations soon, which is expected to further contribute to revenue growth in its packaging and testing business.
Tuesday 18 February 2025
SMIC and Hua Hong expand capacity despite US curbs and domestic oversupply
Despite technological restrictions from the US and its allies, SMIC and Hua Hong Semiconductor remain dedicated to investment and continue to expand their production capacity, highlighting China's resilience and adaptivity.
Tuesday 18 February 2025
GaAs foundry Win Semiconductors positive about RF chip demand
Win Semiconductors (WIN), a GaAs foundry, is reportedly one of the beneficiaries of Apple's in-house RF component initiative. Although the Taiwan-based company has declined to provide any information regarding customer status or orders, it stated that the demand for RF chips is expected to be strong.
Tuesday 18 February 2025
Taiwan 4Q24 IC output value increases
Taiwan's total IC industry output value—including IC design, IC manufacturing, IC packaging, and IC testing—was NT$1.49 trillion (US$45.5 billion) in the fourth quarter of 2024, up 8% quarter-over-quarter and 24.2% year-over-year, according to Taiwan's Industrial Technology Research Institute's Industrial Economics and Knowledge Center (IEK).
Tuesday 18 February 2025
ASE CEO optimistic about semiconductor industry hitting US$1 trillion scale no later than 2032
Tien Wu, CEO of ASE, stated that while Taiwan-based companies excel in developing the "brain" of robots, key sensor technologies such as those related to vision, hearing, speech, touch, and movement are still dominated by Western manufacturers. He emphasized the importance of forging global partnerships with leading intellectual property (IP) firms to secure next-generation business opportunities. He also projected that the global semiconductor market could reach a US$1 trillion scale between 2030 and 2032.
Tuesday 18 February 2025
Why SK Hynix is scrutinizing Chinese EDA: two key drivers behind strategic shift
SK Hynix has reportedly launched a review of its use of Chinese Electronic Design Automation (EDA) software in response to potential US restrictions targeting Chinese technology in South Korea.
Tuesday 18 February 2025
NEG expands glass substrate production amid HBM and semiconductor packaging boom
Nippon Electric Glass (NEG) is increasing its production of carrier glass for advanced memory and semiconductor packaging due to the growing demand for generative AI, which has boosted sales of glass materials used for support in semiconductor processes. The company plans to enhance capacity at its Shiga Prefecture factory in Japan.
Tuesday 18 February 2025
Intel reboots foundry business with UMC and MediaTek alliance amid restructuring rumors.
Collaborating with MediaTek and other UMC-affiliated IC design companies is opening up new opportunities for the money-losing Intel Foundry.
Monday 17 February 2025
TSMC and Rapidus: Monitoring PFAS emissions and water quality in Japan
After Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company's (TSMC) subsidiary JASM's first wafer fab began mass production at the end of 2024, the Kumamoto Prefectural Government initiated the collection of river and groundwater samples in January 2025 to evaluate the environmental impact following the start of production. A similar investigation will also target Rapidus, which is constructing its first plant in Hokkaido.
Monday 17 February 2025
Is the US following China's market-for-technology playbook as chip industry regionalizes?
The Donald Trump Administration reportedly may require TSMC to make tough choices to aid in rebuilding the US's chip manufacturing capabilities, including sharing technologies or establishing a joint venture with Intel. As the semiconductor industry transitions from global free trade to a regional trade system due to strategic and security concerns, the US is adopting China's market-for-technology strategies to secure its national security, reflecting a broader trend of protectionism in the chip industry, similar to developments in the automotive sector.
Monday 17 February 2025
India's AI ambitions face GPU supply and cost challenges
India's push to become a global AI powerhouse is facing a major hurdle — limited access to high-performance GPUs. While large enterprises are investing in AI, startups, businesses, and researchers struggle to secure the computing power needed to scale AI applications.
Monday 17 February 2025
AI boom propels Japanese manufacturing in 3Q24, while traditional sectors lag
Japan's manufacturing sector has received a significant boost from the AI boom, with companies in the materials, power infrastructure, and information system supply chains achieving particularly robust results. However, the automobile and steel industries continue to struggle due to market pressures and intensified competition.
Monday 17 February 2025
TSMC reportedly in talks with Intel board over potential foundry stake
Intel Corporation, the semiconductor giant founded in 1968, faces its most significant transformation in nearly six decades, potentially involving the transfer of its foundry operations to TSMC and a consortium of investors.
Monday 17 February 2025
Global semiconductor sales soar 19% in 2024, double-digit growth forecasted for 2025
The Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) has reported that global semiconductor sales reached US$627.6 billion in 2024, a 19.1% increase from the US$526.8 billion recorded in 2023.
Monday 17 February 2025
Black swan events could increase risks globally in 2025
Shifts in political power around the globe have caused the international trade and geopolitical landscapes to become increasingly complicated, rocking the stability of supply chains, according to Cheli Liaw, senior accountant at Deloitte.
Monday 17 February 2025
Weekly news roundup: Apple makes manufacturing pivot; Chinese IC firms may shift 14nm orders to SMIC
These are the most-read DIGITIMES Asia stories from the week of February 10 – February 14.
Monday 17 February 2025
GlobalWafers sees opportunity in new US plant amid trade tensions
Despite ongoing trade tensions and potential changes to chip subsidies under the Trump administration, GlobalWafers chairperson Doris Hsu has confirmed that tariffs have not impacted the silicon wafer manufacturer's operations, with previously approved US subsidies remaining secure.
Monday 17 February 2025
GlobalWafers sees 6-inch SiC substrate prices steady
GlobalWafers chairperson Doris Hsu reports that prices for mainstream 6-inch silicon carbide (SiC) substrates have stabilized, though a market rebound remains uncertain. She noted that Taiwanese manufacturers are maintaining their focus on developing 8-inch SiC substrates. While market expectations for SiC remain conservative for 2025, prospects appear more promising for 2026.
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Geopolitics may bring dramatic shifts in semiconductor industry
Samsung expands mobile phone production beyond Asian countries, says DIGITIMES Research
SLMs to increase presence in GenAI business opportunities, says DIGITIMES Research
Generative AI market to reach US$1.5 trillion by 2030 with Taiwan holds hardware advantage; software and services to see promising future, says DIGITIMES Research