ASML reported Q2 2026 net sales of EUR9.3 billion, beating guidance. Customers are accelerating capacity expansion plans driven by AI demand for advanced logic and memory chips.
UMC and SILITH have delivered the first mass-production wafers of silicon photonics ICs. This collaboration leverages UMC's 12-inch fab and SILITH's 1.6T platform for AI data center optical interconnects. Neutral signal as this indicates capacity expansion and production readiness rather than a shortage.
Samsung Electronics will discontinue free double-storage upgrades for the Z Fold 8 and Flip 8, shifting to a 50% subsidy model due to rising memory costs. This pricing adjustment signals upward pressure on NAND Flash component prices driven by cost inflation.
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.
Korean and Japanese researchers presented two novel memory architectures, V-Die and MOSAIC, at the 2026 IEEE symposium to address HBM thermal limits by vertically arranging DRAM dies. V-Die utilizes edge I/O and liquid cooling to achieve four times the interconnects and 37% lower latency, while MOSAIC uses inductive coupling to improve manufacturability and thermal conductivity. Neutral: These technologies remain in the prototype stage and do not impact current spot prices.
Samsung's Taylor, Texas fab will mass-produce Tesla's AI5 SoC on the SF2 2nm node, utilizing CHIPS Act funding. This marks a significant expansion of Samsung's US capacity and validates its advanced node. The move is bullish for Samsung's capacity utilization and LPDDR5X demand.
JEDEC announced the JESD330-4 standard for SPHBM4, utilizing 4:1 serialization to reduce data signals from 2048 to 512 while maintaining HBM4 throughput. This allows mounting on standard organic substrates instead of expensive silicon ones. Bullish: Lowers cost and enables higher stack counts for AI accelerators.
Saelig Company, Inc. launched the 4th generation AIM-TTi PSA Series 4 handheld spectrum analyzers featuring real-time FFT analysis and a 2.7GHz frequency range. Designed for RF design and field testing, these devices offer improved transient signal capture and faster sweep speeds compared to traditional models. Neutral: New product launch typically does not immediately impact existing inventory prices.
NexiGO secured €2M in pre-seed funding to develop 4-inch Gallium Oxide (Ga2O3) wafers for EV charging. This new capacity expansion plan signals potential future supply growth, which is bearish for current spot prices.
Dongfang Suanxin launched a 14nm AI chip with 6.4 TB/s bandwidth, claiming it exceeds H200 by 33% without advanced nodes or HBM. This new product launch introduces a potential competitor to NVIDIA's H200, warranting attention for demand shifts.
Intel is developing XBM and ZAM memory architectures to challenge HBM dominance, targeting commercialization around 2030 despite ecosystem barriers.
GigaDevice director outlines a three-year outlook for the memory market, emphasizing AI demand and capacity expansion.
Tesla's AI5 chip taped out at Samsung Foundry using 2nm-class technology and will enter mass production soon, months after TSMC. The chip integrates 12 SK hynix memory packages (GDDR6/GDDR7) with a 384-bit bus. Bullish for Samsung Foundry and SK hynix due to high-volume production expectations.
Micron committed up to $500 million to GlobalWafers' Texas plant to secure 300mm wafer supply, while raising its total US spending to over $250 billion by 2035 to manufacture 40% of its DRAM domestically. This strategic move addresses critical input shortages and secures a long-term supply chain for advanced manufacturing. The investment signals a major shift in US semiconductor production capacity.
TrendForce forecasts SLC NAND prices to surge 120-170% in 2H26 due to MLC NAND shortages caused by capacity constraints on mature nodes.
Apple's M7 Ultra chip targets 1.5TB of unified memory and Blackwell-class AI performance, but its 2028 release depends on easing memory shortages. The high memory requirement highlights ongoing supply constraints in the DRAM market, which already forced Apple to cancel a 128GB Mac Studio.
SK hynix shares suffered their steepest-ever decline on Monday, just one day after a strong Nasdaq ADR debut. Profit-taking and earnings concerns weighed on the stock.
CMI reported a June revenue rebound with Q2 revenue reaching NT$597 million, up 3.6% sequentially, driven by AI-led device demand and increased consumer electronics shipments despite ongoing shortages in automotive and notebook memory.
Georgia Tech researchers introduced an 'Open DRAM Model' to analyze DRAM operations in 3D architectures including 3-D DRAM and PIM. This tool enables circuit-level analysis across various DRAM structures. The development represents a technical milestone for future memory architecture research.
STMicroelectronics launched the STM32C5 series of cost-effective microcontrollers featuring an Arm Cortex-M33 core. Mouser Electronics is currently shipping these parts, targeting entry-level smart home and consumer applications. The launch introduces a new performance standard but does not immediately impact existing component prices.
Whose chips are really inside the hottest new products? We open them up and show you, one part at a time.
iPhone DuoFirst-pass chip map: 12 modules, 37 checkable identifiers (31 A / 6 B) and 19 public MPNs (16 externally searchable); A20 Pro, C2, N1 and the power/RF chains are located, while the NAND brand stays unconfirmed.All teardowns| Analog | $0.68 | −5.9% |
|---|---|---|
| Connector | $0.75 | +0.2% |
| CPU | $386.74 | −21.3% |
| DDR4 | $88.40 | −0.2% |
| DDR52026-W13 | $14.89 | −11.2% |
| GPU | $478.20 | +8.2% |
| MCU | $0.68 | −61.7%Unusual |
| MLCC | $0.01 | +54.0%Unusual |
| MOSFET | $0.12 | −82.8%Unusual |
| PMIC2026-W13 | $0.44 | −12.5% |
| SSD/HDD | $288.43 | n/a |