All posts tagged: semiconductor

Commentary: Vietnam wants to be a global semiconductor hub, and America is all in

Commentary: Vietnam wants to be a global semiconductor hub, and America is all in

Published by Sam Flores

For any small or middle power looking to emerge as a strong contender within the complex global semiconductor value chain evolving around the US-China tech rivalry, four central prescripts from Vietnam’s approach are noteworthy. 1. Build the basics Over the past decade, Vietnam has focused on building a strong base in assembly, testing and packaging (ATP), the last stage of the semiconductor value chain before chips are shipped to customers. Vietnam made its name as a “reliable backend” by attracting investments from global leaders such as Intel, while also encouraging foreign investments in local companies for ATP.  This strong backend is the fundamental enabler fuelling Vietnam’s bid to move up the value chain into design and fabrication. 2. Clustering and agglomeration Vietnam has further sought to build a local supplier base in the country in a manner that has made it indispensable to the global high-tech supply chain. Leading chipmakers such as Samsung procure their components from Vietnam-based suppliers. This clustering has also been facilitated by infrastructure and skill development. 3. A comprehensive approach Vietnam’s …

Taiwan Semiconductor April Sales Grow At Slowest Pace In 6 Months

Taiwan Semiconductor April Sales Grow At Slowest Pace In 6 Months

Published by Jenni Sidey

Taiwan Semiconductor, world’s largest dedicated independent semiconductor foundry, posted its slowest pace of monthly revenue expansion since October, highlighting the challenges of sustaining torrid AI-fueled pace of growth. Sales in April rose 17.5% to NT$410.7 billion ($13.1 billion), their smallest rise in about six months. While the rise reflects just 30 days of business and its revenue can fluctuate month-to-month, the drop was notable; analysts expect the company’s June-quarter revenue to grow almost twice as fast, or at about 35% which means that May and June sales will have to be gangbusters to compensate for April’s slowness.  Taiwan’s largest company has become an essential player in the global AI industry by making cutting-edge semiconductors for the likes of Nvidia and AMD. That’s as Alphabet, Amazon.com, Meta and Microsoft said they are setting aside $725 billion for AI this year, significantly more than previously anticipated. The question of where all this money will come from will be the next big hurdle for the market (we discussed it here “”Banks Are Choking”: The AI Debt Bubble Has …

Introducing the world’s first AI semiconductor that thinks with hydrogen

Introducing the world’s first AI semiconductor that thinks with hydrogen

Published by Jenni Sidey

Computers have always kept thinking and remembering in separate rooms. The processor works over here; the memory sits over there. Every time one needs to talk to the other, data travels back and forth across that gap, burning time and energy at a scale that has become one of the central bottlenecks of modern AI. A research team at DGIST in South Korea has built something that collapses that gap, and they did it using one of the smallest, most mobile elements in the periodic table. The device, developed by Senior Researcher Lee Hyun Jun and Associate Researcher Noh Hee Yeon from DGIST’s Division of Nanotechnology, is an artificial synapse that uses electrically controlled hydrogen movement to simultaneously perform computation and store results. The team describes it as the world’s first two-terminal AI semiconductor to achieve this using hydrogen as its active switching mechanism. The findings were published in ACS Nano. (a) Schematic of the proposed stacked structure of the memory device with hydrogen injection and control, (b) cross-sectional TEM image and EDS color mapping …

Tesla’s Terafab chip fab ambitions ignore its total lack of semiconductor experience

Tesla’s Terafab chip fab ambitions ignore its total lack of semiconductor experience

Published by skeptic

Elon Musk announced on Saturday that Tesla’s “Terafab Project”, a plan to build what he envisions as the world’s largest semiconductor fabrication plant, will launch within seven days. The problem is that Tesla has absolutely zero experience manufacturing semiconductors, and its track record in the closest comparable venture, building its own battery cells, should give anyone pause. From battery cells to chips: Tesla’s manufacturing track record Tesla’s decision to get into chip manufacturing echoes a similar strategic move from six years ago, when the company unveiled its 4680 battery cell at Battery Day in September 2020. Back then, Musk made bold promises: Tesla would build 100 GWh of in-house cell production capacity by 2022, cut battery costs by 56%, and use the savings to deliver a $25,000 electric vehicle. None of that happened on schedule. The 100 GWh target for 2022 was missed by a wide margin. By early 2025, Tesla’s actual 4680 production was estimated at roughly 20 GWh per year — five years after the announcement and still a fraction of the original …

Semiconductor boom brings PFAS waste challenge into focus

Semiconductor boom brings PFAS waste challenge into focus

Published by skeptic

As chipmakers race to keep up with soaring demand for generative AI and next-generation electronics, a less visible issue is gaining urgency: PFAS waste. A new review analyses how the semiconductor industry handles per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), the forever chemicals that are deeply embedded in modern manufacturing. PFAS are prized in chip fabrication because they can withstand extreme heat and harsh chemical conditions. They are essential in processes such as photolithography and etching, which allow engineers to carve microscopic circuits onto silicon wafers. But their chemical stability, which makes them so useful on the factory floor, also makes PFAS waste incredibly persistent in the environment. A complex industrial stream Managing PFAS waste from semiconductor manufacturing facilities is far from straightforward. A single large fabrication plant can generate thousands of cubic meters of wastewater every day. That wastewater is not just contaminated with one compound. It typically contains a complicated mixture of PFAS, solvents, metals and salts, all interacting in ways that are difficult to predict. The review emerged from a 2024 workshop funded by …

Building a shared operating model in the semiconductor industry

Building a shared operating model in the semiconductor industry

Published by skeptic

Krish Dharma, Strategic Advisor for the SEMI Supply Chain Management (SCM) Initiative, explains how the semiconductor industry is moving from fragmented insight to coordinated resilience – by building a capability-led blueprint that allows companies to anticipate disruption, improve capital efficiency, and respond faster without compromising competitive advantage. The global semiconductor supply chain has entered a new phase. Disruption is no longer an occasional shock, but a structural condition shaped by geopolitical realignment, AI-driven demand growth, climate risk, and unprecedented capital intensity. While individual companies have invested heavily in digital tools and internal resilience, the broader ecosystem still struggles to respond coherently to systemic risk. Data remains fragmented across tiers, trust is limited, and decisions are often made in isolation. Coordination typically begins only once a disruption is already unfolding, leading to amplified volatility, misaligned capacity investments, slow response times, and inefficient use of capital. The challenge is not a lack of capability at the company level. It is the absence of a neutral, global industry-level operating model that enables companies to anticipate disruption and act …

EU launches €2.5bn NanoIC semiconductor manufacturing facility

EU launches €2.5bn NanoIC semiconductor manufacturing facility

Published by skeptic

Europe has taken a decisive step to secure its place in the global chip race with the launch of NanoIC, the largest pilot line created under the European Chips Act. Opened at IMEC in Leuven, the €2.5bn facility is set to transform semiconductor manufacturing in Europe by enabling the development of chips beyond the two-nanometre node and accelerating the journey from research to industrial production. A strategic boost for Europe’s chip ambitions NanoIC represents one of the most significant public-private investments ever made in European semiconductor manufacturing. Of the total funding, €700m comes from the EU, a further €700m from national and regional governments, and the remaining investment from industry partners, including ASML. The facility will focus on developing cutting-edge chip technologies that underpin artificial intelligence, autonomous vehicles, advanced healthcare systems and future 6G mobile networks. The opening comes at a pivotal moment for Europe’s digital strategy. Almost four years after European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen first announced the Chips Act, NanoIC is now operational as the EU simultaneously consults industry on a …

UK-Bulgaria partnership set to boost semiconductor innovation

UK-Bulgaria partnership set to boost semiconductor innovation

Published by skeptic

A new UK-Bulgaria partnership is boosting semiconductor innovation, investment, and skills across the tech sector. The collaboration is creating opportunities for innovation, investment, and skills development, strengthening bilateral ties and supporting Bulgaria’s efforts to position itself as a competitive player in Europe’s semiconductor innovation landscape. Under the UK-Bulgaria Strategic Partnership, the Science and Technology Network (STN) and Department for Business and Trade (DBT) have connected UK expertise with Bulgaria’s ambitions under the EU Chips Act 2023 and its fast-growing auto electronics sector. The importance of semiconductors in a growing digital world Semiconductors underpin everything – from smartphones to electric vehicles and renewable energy systems. Their ability to act as switches and amplifiers allows for miniaturisation, increased power, and lower costs, driving technological progress across nearly every industry. Secure and diverse supply chains are essential for economic resilience and technological leadership. Bulgaria as a growing hub for semiconductor innovation Bulgaria is a gateway to Eastern markets and a key manufacturing hub in Southeast Europe. The country now produces about 80% of sensors used in European cars …

A timeline of the US semiconductor market in 2025

A timeline of the US semiconductor market in 2025

Published by skeptic

Last year was a tumultuous one for the U.S. semiconductor industry.   From leadership changes at legacy companies to continuously changing dialogue around AI chip export controls, a lot has happened. If the first few weeks of 2026, which saw new chip tariffs and international semiconductor deals, are any indicator — this year will be as unexpected as the last.   But before we get too deep into 2026, here is a final look at everything that happened in the U.S. semiconductor industry in 2025:   December Nvidia finds gold with Groq  December 24: Nvidia announced that it struck a non-exclusive licensing deal with chip maker Groq. While this wasn’t an acquisition, Nvidia hired Groq’s founder and president, in addition to other employees. The company also bought $20 billion worth of Groq’s assets.   Chips to China  December 8: The U.S. Department of Commerce decided that Nvidia and AMD can send AI chips to China after all, a stark reversal to past messaging. The U.S. government specifically said Nvidia could sell its H200 chips, which are much more advanced than …