According to a repost from TrendForce, TSMC is buying AUO's Taichung plants for TWD 38.8B (US$1.2B), gaining existing cleanrooms and infrastructure, while the display maker AUO scraps a separate factory sale to Quanta. This is announcement information and does not by itself prove that the transaction has closed or taken effect. The source does not state the cause.
Taichung plantsexisting cleanrooms and infrastructureTSMC, AUO and 3 totalTrendForce Official (Market Data)Partnership/M&A
Reported on 2026-10-30, Intel's 3Q26 results were mixed: Data Center and AI (DCAI) revenue surged 78% to $7.3 billion and operating income more than tripled to $3.04 billion; however, according to Reuters, a fatal explosion in October at Intel's Kiryat Gat fab in Israel, which primarily produces data center processors using 10nm technology, is expected to cost roughly $600 million in revenue over two quarters, and sluggish PC demand could persist through 1H27. Reflecting these headwinds, Intel forecast fourth-quarter revenue of $15 billion to $16 billion, missing the $17.07 billion LSEG consensus, with adjusted earnings projected at 25 cents per share versus analysts' 43-cent expectation. CFO David Zinsner said the incident would reduce fourth-quarter revenue by roughly $300 million and shave 200 basis points off gross margin, with a similar revenue hit expected in 1Q27; after a two-week shutdown, Intel aims to begin restoring production at the Israeli facility by the end of this week. In the PC business, 3Q26 sales fell 5% to $8.10 billion, missing analysts' $8.98 billion estimate, and Zinsner expects fourth-quarter PC business revenue to plunge by a percentage in the mid-20s. CEO Lip-Bu Tan said he was disappointed the company could not meet strong customer demand, citing manufacturing supply shortages, an unprecedented memory crunch and resulting PC demand weakness as near-term challenges; he also noted that despite rapidly ramping Intel 3 wafer output, an industry-wide shortage of advanced organic substrates for EMIB packaging continues to limit production scaling. Zinsner also warned the chipmaker is unlikely to generate positive cash flow in 2026; Intel had raised its capital expenditure guidance from $18 billion to $20 billion in July, with a further substantial increase expected in 2027 to support its manufacturing buildout. On the positive side, Zinsner expects industry-wide server CPU unit shipments to grow more than 30% in both 2026 and 2027; Intel Foundry revenue surged 58% to $6.7 billion in 3Q26 including internal sales, with its operating loss narrowing to $1.85 billion from $2.32 billion a year earlier. Tan said a couple of customers will be ready to announce adoption of Intel's EMIB/EMIB-T advanced packaging over the next two quarters, and that in October Intel delivered its industry-standard 0.9 process design kit (PDK) for the 14A process to select customers as planned. TrendForce expects Google to adopt EMIB-T in 2027, while AWS is also testing EMIB technology; industry sources earlier suggested Google's TPU v9 lineup includes three variants: Broadcom-designed WhaleFish (expected to use TSMC's CoWoS-L with mass production slated for 2H27), MediaTek-designed HumuFish (set for 1H28 mass production relying exclusively on Intel's EMIB-T) and TriggerFish (also planned to use EMIB-T, targeted for 2H28 or later).
EMIBEMIB-Tadvanced organic substratesIntel, Google and 5 totalTrendForceDisaster/Disruption
Apple has unveiled its first OLED touchscreen MacBook Pro, reportedly built with TSMC-made M5 Pro/Max chips and Samsung Display panels. The source states the launch could boost orders for Taiwanese ODMs Foxconn and Quanta; this is stated as a possibility ('could boost'), and the Samsung Display panel supply is qualified as 'reportedly', not a confirmed fact.
OLED touchscreen MacBook ProM5 Pro/Max chipsSamsung Display panelsApple, TSMC and 5 totalTrendForce Official (Market Data)
AUO has approved the sale of its Taichung Plant Phase II facilities and related infrastructure to TSMC for NT$38.8 billion (US$1.2 billion), excluding taxes; AUO expects the transaction to generate approximately NT$18.5 billion in disposal gains after related transaction costs and estimated taxes. AUO has also terminated a planned NT$19.7 billion sale of its Huaya facilities to Quanta, after the two companies failed to agree on usage specifications and delivery schedules. The Taichung transaction is approved but the source does not state that it has been completed; the Huaya sale is terminated. The source does not state the cause beyond the stated failure to agree on usage specifications and delivery schedules.
Taichung Plant Phase II facilitiesHuaya facilitiesAUO, TSMC and 3 totalDigiTimes AsiaPartnership/M&A
SpaceX is expanding its AI computing infrastructure to meet rising demand for AI applications, and has secured US$40 billion in financing commitments for GPUs and equipment. The surge in neocloud orders is reshaping the order landscape for Taiwan original design manufacturers (ODMs), including Foxconn, Quanta, and Wistron, and could accelerate a move from traditional original equipment manufacturer (OEM) sales to direct ODM supply and, eventually, to the delivery of complete AI data-center systems. The source frames the shift with the conditional wording 'could accelerate', so it is not stated as an achieved outcome.
GPUsAI data-center systemsSpaceX, Foxconn and 4 totalDigiTimes Asia
Apple has unveiled a series of new products, including an OLED touchscreen MacBook Pro, an M6 MacBook Pro, an M6 iMac, and an OLED iPad mini; the OLED MacBook Pro is Apple's first Mac with an OLED touchscreen. According to MacRumors, the 14-inch and 16-inch models start at US$2,899 and US$3,399, respectively, representing a US$400 premium over comparable mini-LED versions, and both models are scheduled to go on sale November 6. Apple says the M6 marks its transition to 2nm and is expected to use TSMC's N2 process, delivering up to 30% faster graphics performance and 25% faster AI workloads than the M5, while the OLED touchscreen MacBook Pro uses the earlier M5 Pro and M5 Max chips built on TSMC's third-generation 3nm process. According to The Korea Herald, Samsung Display has reportedly secured exclusive OLED panel supply for Apple's 14-inch and 16-inch models, with industry estimates suggesting orders could reach approximately 2.5 million panels through 2027. Per Commercial Times, institutional investors expect the new lineup to drive high-end replacement demand and potentially boost fourth-quarter orders and shipments for Taiwanese ODM partners Foxconn and Quanta, while major PC ODMs remain cautious about the second-half market outlook, with persistently high memory and storage costs putting upward pressure on notebook ASPs and constraining overall PC shipment growth.
OLED touchscreen panelM6 chipM5 Pro chipApple, TSMC and 5 totalTrendForce
According to Nikkei, citing industry sources, rising component costs are reportedly prompting leading PC brands including HP, ASUS, and Acer to move part of their production from Thailand and Vietnam back to China, while Dell is also reportedly considering a similar move (reported move, not confirmed as implemented). The stated cause is that surging AI demand drives shortages of memory and storage chips, raising PC bills of materials: per TrendForce, CPU, DRAM, and SSD costs accounted for approximately 68% of a mainstream notebook's BOM in the third quarter of 2026, up from 45% in the first quarter of 2025. The development partially reverses the 'China+1' diversification strategy pursued amid U.S.-China tensions and trade restrictions. TrendForce estimates the share of global notebook production outside China will decline from approximately 24% in 2025 to 21% in 2026, potentially falling below 20% in 2027, and expects global notebook shipments to decline by a low-single-digit percentage in 2027, potentially widening to a high-single-digit rate if elevated DRAM and CPU prices are passed on to consumers. Separately, Quanta reportedly suspended HP notebook production for about a week in September amid a dispute over rising component costs, resuming after further negotiations; servers accounted for over 80% of Quanta's revenue in the second quarter of 2026, and supply chain sources suggest it has gained greater leverage in notebook pricing negotiations. Chinese ODMs (Luxshare, Huaqin Technology, Longcheer Technology) are reportedly offering lower upfront costs, including waiving engineering and tooling fees, and benefit from access to domestically produced memory chips.
memory chipsstorage chipsDRAMHP, ASUS and 11 totalTrendForceCapacity Change
Meta has become the first of the four major US hyperscale cloud providers to report its latest earnings, and supply chain players are closely monitoring changes in the company's capital expenditure plans and investment priorities. Per the title, Meta prioritizes high-margin AI inference, while Wiwynn and Quanta are eyeing CPU server demand. The source does not state the cause, and no specific figures or dates are provided.
AI inferenceCPU serversMeta, Wiwynn and 3 totalDigiTimes Asia
The 13th Criminal Division of the Seoul Southern District Court held the fourth hearing on Oct. 22 in the case against Fadu executives over alleged violations of the Capital Markets Act, with former CEO Lee Ji-hyo, current CEO Nam Yi-hyun and executive vice president Won Jong-taek attending as defendants. Prosecutors disclosed internal Microsoft Teams conversations from March 2023 — including 'If we can't go public, we'll have a funding hole' and 'So we'll just go under in July' — arguing Fadu pressed ahead with its IPO despite knowing revenue would plunge; Fadu went public in August 2023. Prosecutors also alleged Fadu used earlier order forecasts for its securities registration statement despite knowing major customers including SMART Modular, SpaceX and SK hynix had postponed or suspended orders for the second half of 2023, with Fadu having projected shipments of 3,200 SSDs for SpaceX satellite servers in Q4 2023. According to prosecutors, former CEO Lee Ji-hyo instructed staff on May 18, 2023 to 'assume no orders from SpaceX for now,' and the following day SpaceX informed Fadu there would be no additional POs before Q3 2024. EVP Won Jong-taek wrote in May 2023 that 'even if we lower the annual revenue target from 240 billion won to 150 billion won, actual results will likely be far lower.' Fadu's production plan from late May 2023 had removed H2 SpaceX orders, and contract manufacturer Quanta Storage demanded compensation for prolonged equipment downtime. The defense countered that the registration statement figures were conservative, worst-case estimates: Fadu included only about 50% of SMART Modular's anticipated order volume, excluded more than 30,000 additional units proposed by SMART Modular in late April 2023 and a 43,500-unit forecast from Hagiwara Solutions in May 2023; on the SpaceX suspension, the May 19 remark came from a SpaceX technical engineer rather than a purchasing official, and Lee Ji-hyo separately confirmed with SpaceX's sales organization the possibility of orders resuming within the year. Fadu resumed shipments toward the end of 2023, but supplied 2TB models for Falcon 9 rockets rather than the originally planned 8TB satellite models, with substantially smaller revenue contribution. Second witness Park Jong-hyun, head of Fadu's SoC business team, testified the sharp 2023 decline in SSD controller shipments for Meta stemmed from issues between SK hynix and Meta: SK hynix told Fadu in late 2022 it expected to supply about 900,000 controllers annually to Meta, but the forecast was abruptly cut to 350,000 units on Jan. 6 due to a dispute, and SK hynix discontinued the existing DRAM used in Meta SSDs and began redesigning. Fadu planned to cut the price of its third-generation SSD controllers from $43–$48 to around $30 to regain Meta's business, and included 434,000 controllers for Meta in its 2023 forecast — exceeding the 350,000-unit forecast — which appeared to contradict claims the estimates were conservative. Fadu ultimately failed to secure additional Meta orders through SK hynix; Meta switched its SSD supplier to SanDisk in 2024, and since 2024 Fadu has supplied SSD controllers to Meta through SanDisk.
SSD controllerssolid-state drives (SSDs)Fadu, SK hynix and 8 totalThe Elec
On Oct. 12, Nvidia unveiled its Vera CPU Rack specification, introducing a server rack design centered on central processing units (CPUs) for the first time, optimized for agentic artificial intelligence (AI) workloads. According to Nvidia, agentic AI relies heavily on CPU computing; under its architecture, the GPU-based Vera Rubin NVL72 rack handles traditional large language model (LLM) training and inference, while the Vera CPU Rack is designed to process agentic AI workloads. The Vera CPU Rack is based on Nvidia's third-generation MGX architecture; MGX is a modular reference specification for data center servers that Nvidia provides to server manufacturers, with partners including Dell, Supermicro and Quanta using it to design and manufacture their own server products. The rack integrates computing, networking, power and cooling systems into a common modular platform. Nvidia also said it submitted designs for the Vera Rubin rack and drawer-style compute trays based on MGX 1.2, an updated version of its third-generation MGX specification, to the Open Compute Project's (OCP) Open DC Initiative, intended to help server manufacturers develop next-generation AI factory infrastructure based on Vera Rubin and bring it to market more quickly. MGX 1.2 is compatible with 19-inch server rack equipment, supports up to 250 kilowatts (kW) per rack, and introduces rack-level liquid cooling; Nvidia said standardized interconnects, reconfigurable input/output (I/O) slots and fanless compute trays reduce assembly and maintenance time.
Vera CPU RackVera Rubin NVL72 rackMGX 1.2Nvidia, Dell and 4 totalThe Elec
According to Economic Daily News, NVIDIA announced plans for a 400Gb/s-per-lane optical module specification at the Open Compute Project (OCP) Global Summit in San Jose, California, and has partnered with Cisco to develop the Ultra-Dense Small Form Factor Pluggable (USFP) specification, designed to support 400Gb/s per lane. NVIDIA and Cisco say the new design is expected to deliver four times the bandwidth density and 1.3 times the power efficiency of existing 200Gb/s-per-lane optics, with a path to 12.8Tb/s of total capacity; the companies plan to establish an open industry specification, potentially encouraging adoption by major cloud providers and creating opportunities in the pluggable optical module market. Economic Daily News highlights Luxnet and PCL Technologies as potential beneficiaries. The 4x and 1.3x figures are company expectations, and the event remains at the planning/specification stage. The report also notes: Meta is adopting NVIDIA's Spectrum-6 switch chips for the IceCube platform in its next-generation IcePack liquid-cooled network racks; NVIDIA's standalone Vera CPU MGX racks have entered mass production and begun shipping, are manufactured on TSMC's 3nm node and, per the report, deliver 50% higher performance and twice the performance per watt compared with conventional x86 CPUs; Commercial Times identifies 12 Taiwanese Vera CPU MGX rack partners, including Foxconn, Quanta subsidiary QCT, Wistron, Wiwynn, Inventec, Compal, Pegatron, MiTAC, ASUS, GIGABYTE, MSI, and ASRock subsidiary ASRock Rack; and NVIDIA is opening up its Vera Rubin rack and compute tray designs under the third-generation MGX 1.2 specification, whose modular liquid-cooling design eliminates internal cables, hoses, and fans from compute trays, reducing assembly and maintenance times from hours to minutes, while supporting up to 5,000 amperes to increase power density.
Vicor Corporation is seeking a new US import ban that would bar AI server power hardware from Taiwan's largest server makers — Foxconn, Quanta and Delta — from the US market; this is the second time this year that Vicor has made such an attempt. Vicor has previously won such a ban. The request remains at the seeking/proposal stage and has not been approved or taken effect. Aside from the patent fight referenced in the title, the source does not state the cause.
AI server power hardwareVicor Corporation, Foxconn and 4 totalDigiTimes AsiaPolicy/Regulation
Toshiba launched a 3300V SiC MOSFET module rated at 800A for demanding power conversion. Vishay introduced 650V superjunction MOSFET modules with a wide operating temperature range. Skyworks qualified the Si829x automotive isolated gate driver for SiC and IGBT applications.
SiC MOSFETPower ModuleSuperjunction MOSFETToshiba, Vishay and 3 totalPower Electronics NewsProduct Launch
Navitas Semiconductor and Microchip Technology have developed an 800V DC-to-6V DC reference design for AI data center rack power systems, based on the Open Compute Project (OCP) 800 V DC architecture. The platform combines Navitas GaNFast™ gallium nitride power devices with Microchip digital power control and hardware security technologies. The primary power stage uses 16 NV6034 devices, each rated at 650 V with 17 mΩ on-resistance, in a stacked half-bridge configuration, with the GaN FETs in a DFN 8×8 mm dual-side-cooled package. Control uses Microchip's dsPIC33AK256MPS306 family digital signal controller (200 MHz 32-bit processor, double-precision floating-point unit, 78 ps high-resolution PWM, and 12-bit ADCs operating at up to 40 MSPS). The platform targets peak efficiency of up to 96% at full load while switching at 1 MHz, with a stated power density of 2,100 W/in³; the architecture directly converts 800 V DC to 6 V DC, combining the conventional 800 V-to-50 V and 50 V-to-6 V stages into a single converter, in an implementation approximately 20% thinner than a mobile phone and intended for close integration with GPU boards. Security is integrated through Microchip's TA100 CryptoAuthentication™ device, and the dsPIC33AK platform also supports cryptographic functions associated with CNSA Suite 2.0 post-quantum cryptography algorithms. The reference platform will include evaluation hardware, software, and design documentation, and will be showcased at Microchip's OCP Event in San Jose, California, from October 12 to 15, 2026.
GaNFast gallium nitride power devicesdsPIC33AK digital signal controllerTA100 CryptoAuthentication deviceNavitas Semiconductor, Microchip TechnologyPower Electronics News
VONK has launched the NEYA 3.0 Hydrogen Power Conversion Platform, the latest generation of its power-conversion platform for large-scale hydrogen electrolysis. The platform features a standardized architecture to improve grid interaction, installation efficiency, system integration, and maintenance. VONK will publicly present NEYA 3.0 at the Hydrogen Technology World Expo Europe in Hamburg from 20 to 22 October 2026, showcasing it at stand 5F32.
This is a technology overview article on engineered (synthetic) diamond for data center power electronics. The AFCOM State of the Data Center report indicates average rack density has reached 27 kW per rack, making thermal bottlenecks the main limiting factor, while operators migrate to 800 V DC bus architectures. Diamond's thermal conductivity is ~2,200-2,400 W/m·K (up to 3,300 W/m·K for isotopically enriched samples), with a 5.5 eV bandgap and theoretical breakdown field of about 5–10 MV/cm; laboratory Schottky diodes have reached close to 8 MV/cm. Coherent Corp. introduced next-generation bondable diamond thermal management solutions, allowing direct fusion, hybrid, or metallic bonding to silicon, silicon carbide, and gallium nitride, reducing interface thermal resistance by as much as 99 percent for die sizes up to 100 mm². In June 2026, Element Six (part of the De Beers Group) and Tokyo-based precision components maker Orbray announced a reproducible process for 3-inch wafer-scale single-crystal diamond, with 4-inch substrates in development; Element Six is also preparing 2-inch wafers for thermal-bonding volume production at its CVD facility in Gresham, Oregon. Diamond Foundry opened a commercial production facility in Trujillo, Spain, in 2025 and is slowly ramping up production. Japan's Ookuma Diamond Device has built what it calls the world's first diamond semiconductor factory in Ōkuma, Fukushima, and is planning to mass-produce diamond-based semiconductor and power devices for nuclear decommissioning. Power Diamond Systems gave the first public verification of packaged diamond semiconductor performance at SEMICON Japan 2025, showing diamond-based power MOSFETs, and hopes to bring the technology to market in the 2030s. Diamond Quanta reported electron mobility greater than 555 cm²/V·s in polycrystalline diamond. The article states that diamond's function today is best viewed as a thermal enabler placed over proven GaN and SiC switches, not a drop-in replacement device.
engineered (synthetic) diamondGaN-on-diamonddiamond-bonded SiCCoherent Corp., Element Six and 7 totalPower Electronics News
Related manufacturers
Coherent Corp., Element Six, Orbray, Diamond Foundry, Ookuma Diamond Device, Power Diamond Systems, Diamond Quanta
AMD CEO Lisa Su announced plans to substantially increase chip supply in 2027, acknowledging current demand exceeds supply. She emphasized the need for more advanced wafer capacity to meet future needs. Bearish sentiment driven by future supply expansion plans.
Advanced Wafer CapacitySemiconductor ChipsAMD, TSMC and 4 totalTechPowerUpCapacity Change
Yokogawa releases WT1500 precision power analyzer supporting up to 2000V DC input. Designed for EV and renewable energy development. Neutral: Test instrument launch with no direct impact on semiconductor supply chain.
Global EMS market grew in 2025, driven by AI and cloud data center infrastructure, with Wistron, Quanta, and YWIN seeing over 100% growth. Europe saw minimal participation, except for a Foxconn outlier in Hungary. Asian capital is increasingly entering the European EMS market, driving consolidation.
AI ChipsServer ComponentsWistron, Quanta Computer and 8 totalEvertiqMarket Analysis
OpenAI is reassessing its multibillion-dollar data center procurement plans due to growing scrutiny, raising concerns for ODMs like Quanta and Foxconn. This shift signals potential demand weakness in the AI server supply chain. The market should monitor inventory levels closely.
AI ServerQuanta Computer, Wistron and 3 totalDigiTimes AsiaMarket Analysis