Semicon Briefing

Samsung secures a megadeal to manufacture Tesla's next-generation AI6 chips worth $16.5 billion USD – a massive boost for Samsung's beleaguered foundry business. In parallel, it is confirmed that Tesla has already started its AI5 chips at Samsung as a 2nm tape-out in July, dual-sourced with TSMC.

The U.S. antitrust authority FTC has prematurely terminated the HSR waiting period for ON Semiconductor's acquisition of Synaptics, removing a key regulatory hurdle. The transaction marks another consolidation wave in the semiconductor market for automotive and IoT chips.

According to portfolio data, Nvidia holds approximately 38% of its strategic stake in Intel and has justified this in 2025 as a partnership for AI processors and data centers. The alliance between former fierce rivals signals a fundamental restructuring of the U.S. chip industry under pressure from Chinese competition.

China's tightened export restrictions on rare earths have caused Japan's dysprosium imports to collapse by 82% in the first half of 2026 – a material essential for semiconductor manufacturing equipment and electric motors. The supply-chain squeeze directly hits Japanese chip equipment makers and intensifies geopolitical pressure on the entire Western semiconductor industry.

The newly proposed EU Chips Act 2.0 mobilizes over €52 billion in public and private investments and expands the subsidy framework to cover the entire semiconductor value chain. Critics warn, however, that subsidy tariffs and bureaucratic hurdles could push Europe further back in global competition with the U.S. and Asia.

AMD has signed a Memorandum of Understanding for logic wafers from Samsung Foundry, diversifying its manufacturing base beyond TSMC. The move further strengthens Samsung Foundry's pipeline following the Tesla deal and increases competitive pressure on TSMC's market dominance.