Semiconductor industry news, chip shortage updates, manufacturing developments, TSMC and Intel announcements, and analysis of the global chip market.
TSMC is evaluating a manufacturing expansion in Texas to supplement its Arizona facilities, driven by surging artificial intelligence chip demand. The company highlighted its dominant position in CoWoS packaging technology, claiming unmatched yield and market preference over competitors like Intel.
TSMC reported its sixth consecutive record quarterly profit driven by robust AI demand, though it issued a cautious outlook for 2027. Chief Executive C.C. Wei cited macroeconomic uncertainties and rising component prices as challenges for consumer and price-sensitive markets.
GlobalFoundries secured up to $21 billion in funding from Japan to operate new chip plants in New York, with President Trump announcing $10 billion each for projects aimed at completion by 2029. The U.S. government is reallocating $955 million from CHIPS Act funds and taking a 4 percent stake in the company as part of the joint agreement.
ASML reported record Q3 net sales of €11.7 billion and raised its full-year forecast to €44-45 billion. Net income more than doubled to €5 billion, supported by a €510 million gain on stakes in other companies and strong servicing sales. The company warned that current production plans will fall short of customer demand in 2027 and 2028, prompting investigations into increasing capacity beyond the previously communicated 30% rise for 2028.
ByteDance is in advanced talks to purchase bespoke application-specific integrated circuits from MediaTek Inc. for its data centers. The deal would make ByteDance MediaTek's second major customer after Google, aiming to support TikTok operations while helping MediaTek compete with Qualcomm in the data center semiconductor market. This follows an agreement earlier this year to purchase millions of AI chips from Qualcomm.
President Donald Trump announced plans for a new defense super range in Montana during a Kalispell rally to test autonomous weapons, space systems, electronic warfare, and hypersonic weapons. He credited persistent lobbying from Senator Tim Sheehy for securing the project.
China's integrated circuit exports surged 136% year-on-year to US$45 billion in September, driven by exploding global demand for AI services. Trade partners have demanded Beijing address alleged domestic overproduction contributing to global imbalances as the country approaches a record trade surplus.
Taiwan President Lai Ching-te inaugurated Micron Technology's second advanced assembly and test facility in Taichung on October 15. The new plant aims to enhance high-bandwidth memory production for global AI demand, supported by government incentives extended through 2027. Micron has invested over US$43 billion in Taiwan over three decades.
Samsung Electronics debuted the V10 BV-NAND at the GMIF2026 summit in Shenzhen, marking the industry's first V-NAND chip with over 400 layers. The company also showcased new server SSDs and zNAND-O technology designed to support agentic AI systems and on-device processing, highlighting advancements in storage density and efficiency.
ASML projects that demand for its chipmaking equipment will outstrip supply through 2028 due to AI growth, reporting bumper profits that far exceeded analyst expectations. The company raised its full-year sales forecast to between 44 billion and 45 billion euros and is constructing a second industrial campus in the Netherlands to expand production capacity.