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Sunday 17 August 2025
Future Science Prize 2025 honors Macronix International president Chih-Yuan Lu for semiconductor memory innovation
The 2025 Future Science Prize winners were announced, with Chih-Yuan Lu, president of Macronix International, receiving the Mathematics and Computer Science Prize for his contributions to non-volatile semiconductor memory technology.
Saturday 16 August 2025
SK Hynix expands EUV in 1c DRAM, launches faster low-power chips for AI PCs

SK Hynix is stepping up its use of extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography in next-generation DRAM, increasing the number of EUV layers in its upcoming sixth-generation 10nm-class (1c) products to more than five. The plan was revealed at the Next Generation Lithography + Patterning Academic Conference in Suwon, South Korea.

Friday 15 August 2025
China's CXMT resumes big-ticket chip investments to expand DDR5, fast-track HBM3 output
ChangXin Memory Technologies (CXMT) has restarted major facility investments to ramp up DRAM output and fast-track high-bandwidth memory (HBM) development, highlighting Beijing's drive to secure advanced AI memory under ongoing US export curbs.
Friday 15 August 2025
Samsung plays the long game on DDR4 as rivals exit for DDR5
Samsung Electronics is again at the center of speculation over a potential end to DDR4 DRAM production, as fresh industry reports indicate it may keep the older-generation memory in its lineup longer than anticipated. While leading DRAM makers are shifting to higher-performance DDR5, DDR4 continues to deliver reliable profits in specific markets, making it a potential hold for Samsung.
Friday 15 August 2025
ChipMOS rebounds after first loss, raises memory chip prices in 3Q25
Memory packaging and testing company ChipMOS faced a net loss of NT$533 million (US$17.8 million) after tax in the second quarter of 2025, impacted by rising overall costs and New Taiwan dollar appreciation. Chairman Shih-Jye Cheng stated that starting from the third quarter, ChipMOS will increase prices for memory-related packaging and testing services by 5-18%.
Friday 15 August 2025
Samsung chair tipped to court Nvidia as 12-high HBM3E deal nears
Samsung Electronics is expected to supply Nvidia with its newest 12-high HBM3E memory chips, as multiple industry sources say the companies are in advanced talks over shipment volumes and delivery timelines. The potential agreement could see Samsung provide between 30,000 and 50,000 units.
Friday 15 August 2025
Taiwan gains competitive edge as China faces steep US tariffs
On July 31, 2025, US President Donald Trump signed an executive order to adjust reciprocal tariff rates, setting the provisional tariff for Taiwan at 20%, effective from August 7, 2025. According to senior government officials in Taiwan, relief measures have been initiated, and affected businesses are urged to apply within the stipulated timeframe. For traditional industries, China faces tariffs exceeding 50% on related goods, which provides Taiwan with a competitive opportunity to gain market recognition.
Thursday 14 August 2025
Taiwan's Fitipower eyes PMIC expansion as DDI market softens
Taiwanese IC design house Fitipower Integrated Technology expressed cautious optimism for the remainder of 2025 during its earnings call on Thursday, pointing to continued strength in its power management IC (PMIC) business despite mounting macroeconomic and geopolitical challenges.
Thursday 14 August 2025
GMT warns of slower 2H25 growth as tariff uncertainty persists
Global Mixed-mode Technology (GMT) expects the traditional second-half sales surge to be subdued this year, as early order pull-ins by clients in the first half could leave little room for seasonal growth. The Taiwan-based power management IC supplier said it remains determined to deliver peak-season performance but noted that tariff uncertainty, particularly on US-bound goods, is clouding the supply chain outlook.
Thursday 14 August 2025
ADATA reports triple growth in 2Q25, profit doubles; optimistic outlook for 2H25
ADATA posted strong second-quarter 2025 results, driven by rising DDR4 prices and increased customer stocking. Operating profit nearly doubled from the previous quarter, with pre-tax net profit up over 70%, despite a strong New Taiwan dollar. Quarterly revenue hit NT$12.824 billion (US$427 million), the highest in over 15 years and up 29% from the first quarter. Gross and operating margins both improved by more than 5% to 18.98% and 9.58%, respectively.
Thursday 14 August 2025
Global DDR5 market pressured by CXMT's ramp-up
After a strong showing in the first half of 2025, driven by AI infrastructure investments and data center expansion, prices for DDR5 DRAM are projected to fall significantly in early 2026, according to new market forecasts.
Wednesday 13 August 2025
Samsung, SK Hynix eye HBM boost as Nvidia gets China AI chip approval, 15% tariff threatens margins
Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix are poised to benefit from Washington's reported decision to allow Nvidia to resume exports of its lower-tier H20 artificial intelligence chips to China, which contain the South Korean companies' high-bandwidth memory (HBM) components.
Wednesday 13 August 2025
China to start mass production of domestic HBM3 chips, paving way for Huawei AI integration

China's domestic high-bandwidth memory (HBM) technology has reportedly reached a major milestone, with one of the nation's top DRAM manufacturers beginning mass production of HBM3 chips using a homegrown 16nm G4 process. Industry sources say sample shipments to Huawei are already in progress, and the product is undergoing final verification.

Wednesday 13 August 2025
Huawei unveils AI software to boost inference and curb China’s reliance on foreign memory chips

Huawei has launched its Unified Cache Manager (UCM), a software framework designed to speed up inference in large AI models. The company says the tool could lower costs and reduce China's dependence on costly high-bandwidth memory (HBM) chips.

Wednesday 13 August 2025
Micron walks away from China's mobile NAND market, opening doors for rivals
Micron Technology is retreating from the mobile NAND flash market and cutting its China footprint, a shift set to benefit Samsung Electronics and Yangtze Memory Technologies Co. (YMTC). The US chipmaker is riding a surge in high-bandwidth memory (HBM) demand from AI, but continues to face profitability challenges in mobile storage.
Wednesday 13 August 2025
Samsung bets big on DRAM overhaul to reclaim HBM crown
Samsung Electronics is doubling down on its bet to regain leadership in high-bandwidth memory (HBM), the ultra-fast chip architecture powering next-generation artificial intelligence. The company has begun major equipment investments to mass-produce sixth-generation 10-nanometer-class DRAM (1c DRAM) — the core component of its upcoming HBM4 chips.
Tuesday 12 August 2025
Micron reportedly trims China workforce, focusing on R&D and support functions
Micron Technology has reportedly launched a new round of layoffs in its China operations, starting August 11, 2025, affecting embedded research and development, testing, and technical support teams — including field application engineers (FAE) and application engineers (AE) — in major hubs such as Shanghai and Shenzhen. Industry observers view the move as a strong signal that Micron is scaling back its presence in the mainland market, even as the company reports record global revenue.
Tuesday 12 August 2025
Samsung partners with Acro in India's SSD market, tapping rapidly growing storage demand
Samsung Electronics has named Acro Engineering Company as its national distributor for solid-state drives (SSDs) in India. The partnership will see Acro distribute Samsung's latest Gen 4 and Gen 5 SSDs nationwide, leveraging its extensive sales network to tap into booming demand across gaming, enterprise, and data center sectors.
Tuesday 12 August 2025
DDR4 contract prices surge in 3Q25 as Nanya and Winbond lead the rally
Tight supply of DDR4 DRAM has pushed contract prices into a sharp upward trajectory starting in the third quarter of 2025. Recently, senior procurement executives from major US-based communications companies have made visits to Taiwan seeking samples, underscoring the intense market demand.
Tuesday 12 August 2025
Samsung DDR4 EOL uncertainty clears, tariffs threaten 2H25 momentum
Contract prices for memory chips have strengthened in the third quarter of 2025, but rumors have swirled surrounding Samsung Electronics slowing down the end-of-life (EOL) for DDR4 DRAM. The newly announced 100% US semiconductor tariffs pose significant uncertainties for the industry's growth in the second half of the year, especially in consumer electronics, which could be hit hardest.
Tuesday 12 August 2025
Trump floats weakened Blackwell export to China in return for US revenue share
US President Donald Trump signaled on Monday that he'd be open to allowing Nvidia Corp. to sell a scaled-back version of its most advanced AI chip to China.
Tuesday 12 August 2025
Micron raises outlook on strong DRAM pricing, AI demand
Micron Technology has lifted its guidance for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2025, citing improved memory pricing and robust execution, particularly in its DRAM business. The revised forecast suggests the US memory maker is benefiting from sustained AI-driven demand, including high-bandwidth memory (HBM) products for Nvidia's latest chips.
Tuesday 12 August 2025
Samsung's potential US$50 billion US chip expansion puts pressure on TSMC
Samsung Electronics is reportedly weighing a major expansion of its semiconductor investments in the US, a move that could push total spending to US$50 billion after securing multibillion-dollar orders from Tesla and Apple, according to people familiar with the matter. The timing coincides with the August 25, 2025 Korea–US summit, where AI semiconductors are expected to be a top agenda item, giving Seoul a stronger hand in trade and technology talks.
Monday 11 August 2025
AI memory revolution: Sandisk and SK Hynix define new standard for HBF
SK Hynix is partnering with flash memory manufacturer Sandisk to jointly promote the standardization of High Bandwidth Flash (HBF) technology. The two companies plan to leverage synergies with High Bandwidth Memory (HBM) businesses and tailor solutions specifically for AI applications, aiming to capture the next-generation memory market.
Monday 11 August 2025
Kioxia net profit drops 74% annually in 2Q25 due to slow NAND flash market recovery
Kioxia announced a substantial drop in revenue and profits for the second quarter of 2025, primarily driven by sluggish sales of NAND flash memory for smartphones and PCs, as well as the strengthening Japanese yen. The company reported revenue of JPY342.7 billion (US$2.32 billion), down 20% year-on-year, while operating profit fell 64% to JPY44.8 billion. Net profit plunged sharply by 74% to JPY18.2 billion.