United Microelectronics Corporation (UMC) expects wafer foundry pricing to continue rising in 2027, with CEO Jason Wang projecting approximately 10% year-over-year growth in the company's full-year average selling price (ASP) for 2027. This is a forward-looking projection, not an achieved result; the source does not state the cause. The title additionally mentions AI revenue share heading toward 25% within three years.
wafer foundry average selling price (ASP)UMCDigiTimes AsiaPrice Movement
UMC CEO Jason Wang said at the Q3 earnings call that he expects 2027 to 'mark a turning point in our blended ASP trajectory,' with Foundry blended ASP expected to rise about 10% YoY; he also said AI exposure would 'probably see a quarter' of revenue in three years. These are management expectations/forecasts, not achieved results, and the source does not state the cause of the expected ASP turning point.
Foundry blended ASPAI-related revenueUMCTrendForce Official (Market Data)Price Movement
PSMC's third-quarter revenue rose 23% sequentially and 80% annually to NT$21.3 billion, while net profit surged 98% and 338%, respectively, to NT$6.5 billion, with gross margin climbing 20 percentage points to 48%, driven by rising memory prices and tight foundry capacity. According to Liberty Times, PSMC President Martin Chu expects fourth-quarter revenue to grow by double digits sequentially as ASPs continue to rise; in the third quarter, completed memory wafers had ASPs more than 30% below those entering production during the same period, meaning recent price increases have yet to be fully reflected in revenue, with higher-priced wafers expected to contribute more in the fourth quarter. According to TechNews, global DRAM supply remains tight as major manufacturers shift capacity toward HBM and gradually exit specialty DRAM, keeping PSMC's specialty DRAM foundry prices elevated; PSMC is advancing its 1p DRAM collaboration with Micron, with a PDK due by the end of 2026, equipment arriving in 1Q27, and trial production starting in 2Q27. PSMC notes tight MLC NAND supply is driving demand for high-capacity SLC NAND, with the company shifting its SLC foundry platform to 24nm; AI servers require three to five times as much NOR Flash per system as conventional servers, and PSMC is the only NOR Flash foundry outside China. According to PSMC's earnings presentation, wafer input ASPs for its 8-inch and 12-inch logic foundry services rose 8–10% in the third quarter; with capacity constraints persisting, the company plans further price hikes of 10–20% in 2027 and is negotiating long-term agreements (LTAs) to secure pricing and volumes. PSMC has begun shipping 55nm BCD products with customers seeking three-year contracts; fully utilized 2026 foundry capacity is squeezing smartphone PMIC production, prompting major handset makers to seek 2027 capacity; 80% of 2027 MOSFET and IGBT capacity is already covered by LTAs; GaN products have entered small-volume wafer production pending final customer validation. IPD order visibility extends into 2028 with mass production underway on 8-inch and 12-inch wafers; WoW hybrid bonding small-scale trial production is underway with mass production targeted for 1H27. The Micron PWF project remains on schedule, with pilot line construction expected to finish by the end of 2026 and mass production planned for 4Q27.
memoryspecialty DRAMNAND FlashPowerchip Semiconductor Manufacturing Corporation (PSMC), MicronTrendForcePrice Movement
TSMC plans to raise baseline prices on advanced nodes (7nm and below) by 5-10% and mature nodes by up to 10%, effective early 2027. Additional HPC capacity demand will incur a 10-15% premium, potentially totaling a 25% increase. Bullish for foundry pricing power driven by AI demand and rising tool costs.
Advanced Process NodesMature Process NodesHPC ChipsTSMC, Vanguard International Semiconductor and 3 totalTom's HardwarePrice Movement
PSMC reported a 27% QoQ revenue increase to NT$17.29 billion and a 28% gross margin, driven by a 45% DRAM price hike in July. The company secured Intel EMIB certification for silicon capacitors and targets 10k 12-inch wafers/month by 2027, while collaborating with Micron on HBM and advanced memory processes.
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ASUS, Lenovo, and Dell are raising PC prices, with ASUS expecting a 5% Q3 increase and Lenovo raising prices from July. This follows a 30% cumulative rise since end-2025, driven by shortages and rising costs in memory, CPUs, and SSDs. Bullish for component suppliers; bearish for OEMs and end-users.
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UMC CFO Liu announced selective wafer price increases of approximately 10% starting in July 2026, driven by rising raw material and expansion costs. This move follows a similar trend from TSMC, which is rumored to raise 3nm pricing by up to 15% in the same period. The price hikes are expected to apply to new orders and processes, signaling a bullish outlook for foundry pricing in the near term.
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UMC has notified customers of proposed price increases in H2, following TSMC's announcement of multi-year hikes. TSMC expects 3-10% price increases for its advanced nodes (3nm, 4nm, 5nm). Bullish: Direct price pressure on foundry services, likely to cascade to downstream chip costs.
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UMC has notified clients of wafer price adjustments for the second half of 2026, following similar moves by TSMC and Samsung to scale back mature-node production. This action is part of a broader industry trend of foundries reducing output in mature nodes, leading to supply constraints. Bullish: Direct price increase notification for future periods signals tightening supply and upward pricing pressure for mature-node wafers.
Mature-node WafersUnited Microelectronics CorporationTrendForce Official (Market Data)Price Movement
UMC plans wafer price adjustments in 2H26, with earlier reports suggesting a ~10% hike from July, driven by resilient demand and rising input costs. TSMC and Samsung are scaling down 8-inch capacity, tightening supply, with VIS already implementing a ~10% price increase in April. Bullish: Direct price pressure on mature-node foundry services, with confirmed hikes from multiple suppliers indicating sustained supply constraints.
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UMC, VIS, and Nexchip have raised quotes for mature-node wafer production, signaling a direct price increase in the supply chain. This move is attributed to tightening capacity utilization and sustained demand in sectors like automotive and industrial. Bullish: The confirmed price hikes by multiple foundries indicate upward pressure on costs for downstream buyers and traders.
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Helium spot prices surge over 50% following Iran's reported attack on Qatar's Ras Laffan LNG complex, a key helium source. The conflict also drives up prices for petrochemical-based materials PGME/PGMEA by 40-50%, with downstream chip material suppliers planning 20% price hikes. Bullish: Direct supply shock and confirmed price increases for critical semiconductor fabrication materials.
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UMC, VIS, Powerchip, and Nexchip are reportedly planning to raise quotes for mature-node wafers by up to 10% or more, potentially as early as April. This move signals tightening supply and sustained demand in the mature-node segment. Bullish: Direct upward pressure on foundry pricing for a broad range of components.
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UMC, VIS, PSMC, and Nexchip are reportedly planning to raise mature-node foundry prices by up to 10% starting as early as April 2026, with Powerchip already implementing increases this quarter. This move is driven by tightening supply-demand dynamics as TSMC shifts capacity to advanced nodes and demand from automotive, industrial, and server applications recovers.
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Direct upward pressure on wafer costs for IC designers, likely to be passed through the supply chain, impacting component pricing.
Mature-Node WafersDriver ICsPower Management ICsUnited Microelectronics Corporation (UMC), Vanguard International Semiconductor (VIS) and 4 totalTrendForcePrice Movement
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TSMC is leading a round of price increases for mature node foundry services, with quotes rising 5-10% in Q1 2024. Second-tier foundries like UMC, SMIC, and PSMC are also raising prices, signaling a rebound from previous lows driven by AI-related demand and capacity constraints. Bullish: Direct upward pressure on wafer costs for a broad range of ICs, impacting procurement and spot market pricing.
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