Semicon Briefing

Tesla has taped out the AI5 chip in cooperation with TSMC and Samsung; the successor AI6 is expected to additionally incorporate Intel's Advanced Packaging. The 9-month design cycle signals that Tesla is catching up to the fastest ASIC cadence of major tech firms and establishing TSMC/Samsung as a dual-source strategy.

A draft revision of the EU Chips Act would allow the European Commission to directly invest equity in semiconductor fabrication plants for the first time – a paradigm shift away from pure subsidies. The measure comes amid growing pressure from China retaliation threats and US CHIPS Act competition.

DeepSeek V4 is on par with Claude and GPT according to viral analysis – despite US export controls limiting access to NVIDIA chips. This undermines the core thesis of Western chip control policy and increases pressure for a reassessment of the strategy.

Since end of 2025, China has mandated chipmakers to use 50% domestic equipment for new capacity, banned US and Israeli cybersecurity software, and required state data centers to replace foreign AI chips. In parallel, Beijing is strategically expanding its legal levers and supply chain controls ahead of the planned US-China summit – a dual pressure on Western semiconductor companies.

Intel has completed the acquisition of Tower Semiconductor for $5.4 billion, strengthening its foundry capacity in specialty process technologies (RF, Power, Mixed-Signal). The deal gives Intel direct customer access in automotive, medical, and industrial segments and complements ongoing fab expansion in Arizona and Ireland.

ams-OSRAM has officially confirmed the sale of its non-optical sensor business to Infineon for €570 million; Moody's upgraded the outlook to 'positive'. NEW compared to prior reports: The German Federal Cartel Office has initiated review, with closing now scheduled for Q2 2026 – a concrete milestone that significantly expands Infineon's sensor portfolio.