Semicon Briefing

Japan is financing two new semiconductor fabs in Malta, New York, operated by GlobalFoundries – a first-time 'Allied-Nation Model' where an ally bears the capital costs and a US operator runs the facility. The $955-million CHIPS Act reallocation away from classic fab expansion toward silicon photonics signals a strategic shift in US industrial policy.

Infineon completed the acquisition of ams-OSRAM's non-optical analog/mixed-signal sensor portfolio for €570 million in July 2026, significantly strengthening its automotive and industrial position. ams-OSRAM loses another core business segment and faces substantial restructuring pressure with ~€2.5 billion in senior debt and an idle Malaysia fab.

Navitas Semiconductor (NASDAQ: NVTS) officially completed its merger with Claros Inc. on October 6, 2026, and announces the 'Navitas 2.0' initiative. The combination aims to accelerate GaN and SiC solutions for AI data centers and EV charging systems.

ASML reported record Q3 2026 revenue of €11.7 billion (+55% YoY) and warns that planned production capacity for the next two years will not fully meet customer demand – the company is now reviewing capacity expansions beyond previous plans. Simultaneously, TSMC is discussing possible participation in Elon Musk's 'Terafab', but only under TSMC operation.

Shareholders of Archimedes Tech SPAC Partners II (ATII) approved the merger with Forge Nano, a US specialist in semiconductor equipment and advanced materials. The transaction brings Forge Nano's ALD coating technology, relevant for batteries, chips, and defense applications, to Nasdaq.

Taiwan is reportedly planning a $4 billion manufacturing complex in Texas explicitly aligned with Nvidia's AI supply chain – embedded in the US-Taiwan Free Trade Agreement concluded in January 2026, which provides for $250 billion in investment commitments by Taiwanese firms in US semiconductors and AI. This represents a new industrial dimension of the deal beyond the already known export control measures.