Semicon Briefing

AMD has signed a Memorandum of Understanding for logic wafers from Samsung's Taylor Fab, while Tesla AI5 is dual-sourced at TSMC and Samsung. The deal signals strategic diversification away from TSMC exclusivity and strengthens Samsung's foundry customer base after difficult years.

ASML officially confirmed on July 15, 2026, that Intel Foundry is the only manufacturer deploying High-NA EUV for the 18A process node – while Samsung and TSMC plan to introduce this technology only from 1-nm nodes onward. Intel thereby secures a temporary technology lead that could strengthen foundry credibility with potential customers such as AMD.

Applied Materials has concluded a 10-year contract for Advanced AI Packaging with TSMC while acquiring NEXX to expand its packaging portfolio. The long-term contract ties AMAT's demand directly to TSMC's AI foundry roadmap and strengthens its position in the booming CoWoS/SoIC market.

The FTC granted early termination clearance under the HSR Act for Onsemi's acquisition of Synaptics (Merger Agreement from June 25, 2026, valued at ~$7 billion) on August 12, 2026; the deal is expected to close in mid-2027. The combination targets Physical AI and edge computing applications and strengthens Onsemi's portfolio in intelligent sensors and human-machine interfaces.

The EU is working on a Chips Act 2.0 with revised funding structure: Phase 2 differentiates subsidies by technology type (40% for silicon CMOS fabs) after Phase 1 offered flat capital subsidies of up to 50%. In parallel, the European Commission approved €659 million in German state aid for four new semiconductor projects, while Intel's €5 billion expansion at the Leuven site (Europe's only EUV fab) advances.

The US has announced approval for the export of Nvidia's H200 chips to China – the most powerful chip Nvidia has been allowed to sell to China since the Biden export ban, while Blackwell and Rubin remain restricted. The move could accelerate China's AI development but carries geopolitical escalation risk and undermines the strategy of complete technological decoupling.