Semicon Briefing

India and Intel have signed an MoU for a $3.3B facility for advanced semiconductor substrates with 3D Glass Solutions in the state of Odisha. The deal positions India as a strategic replacement for Chinese supply chain capacity and is Intel's largest single investment outside the US to date.

Analog Devices is acquiring integrated voltage regulator specialist Empower Semiconductor for $1.5B in cash to strengthen on-processor power delivery for AI data centers. The acquisition addresses one of the most critical bottlenecks in AI rack designs and significantly enhances ADI's position in the AI infrastructure market.

Huawei presented 'LogicFolding,' a new chip design approach intended to enable cutting-edge performance without access to Western EUV lithography – SMIC shares subsequently rose 6.7%. If scalable, this could structurally circumvent US export controls and require a fundamental reassessment of the entire Western sanctions strategy in the chip sector.

China's largest chipmaker SMIC consolidates its Beijing production subsidiary SMNC by acquiring the remaining 49% via share issuance – state funds such as the 'Big Fund' are the main sellers. The move centralizes China's foundry capacity under state control and signals an accelerated self-sufficiency strategy.

The Trump administration has authorized Nvidia H200 sales to selected Chinese companies, with the US receiving 25% of revenue and chips required to physically pass through US territory. The unconventional model breaks with previous sanctions logic and could set a precedent for regulated tech exports to China.

MediaTek's CEO denied reports of a shift to Samsung and confirmed TSMC as the primary long-term partner, but did not rule out collaboration with Intel's EMIB packaging technology for advanced chips. This shows that advanced packaging is becoming the new competitive battleground where Intel can score points despite its foundry disadvantage.