SemiPulse — Semiconductor Intelligence

TSMC is facing fierce customer competition and supply shortages as demand surges for artificial intelligence and high-performance computing chips, forcing fabless chipmakers to consider limited shifts in manufacturing partners to ease constraints.

Infineon wins US patent ruling against Chinese GaN rival Innoscience

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digitimes.com 2026-05-12

A patent dispute between Infineon Technologies and China's Innoscience over gallium nitride (GaN) technology has escalated after the US International Trade Commission upheld a preliminary ruling finding that Innoscience had infringed one of Infineon's GaN-related patents.

GaN patent fight between China and Europe extends beyond courtroom

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digitimes.com 2026-05-12

As the global patent battle over gallium nitride (GaN) semiconductors intensifies, a recent ruling by the US International Trade Commission has deepened the rivalry between Infineon Technologies and China's Innoscience while also underscoring how geopolitics is increasingly shaping the future of the power semiconductor industry.

Japan's diamond chip startups move toward production as factory and samples advance

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digitimes.com 2026-05-12

Japan's diamond semiconductor sector is moving closer to practical use, as university-backed startups advance factory construction, sample production, and device demonstrations for high-frequency, high-power, and harsh-environment applications.

Commentary: Trump-Xi summit may offer China a pause, not a truce

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digitimes.com 2026-05-12

Ahead of the expected Trump-Xi summit in Beijing, the US and China are first holding preparatory talks in South Korea, placing trade, technology, and semiconductor export controls at the center of the negotiation track.

HBM Shifts Testing Left To Preserve AI Chip Yield

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semiengineering.com 2026-05-12 Anne Meixner

Test sooner and more often can improve quality and reduce scrap, but it's also more cos...

HBM AI chip chip yield test flow optimization TSV defect thermal management wafer testing stacked memory

Applied Materials and TSMC team up at EPIC Center to fast-track AI chip development

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digitimes.com 2026-05-12

Applied Materials and TSMC have announced a partnership to accelerate semiconductor technologies for AI, aiming to speed commercialization and improve the energy efficiency of chips spanning data centers and edge devices. The collaboration promises global supply chains, cloud services, and device makers faster access to advanced nodes and reduced time from development to high-volume manufacturing.

SK Hynix reportedly buys Silicon Valley property to bolster AI supply chain

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digitimes.com 2026-05-12

SK Hynix has reportedly acquired a building in San Jose, California, as the memory chip maker moves to establish a new production and R&D base in Silicon Valley, a key battleground for AI semiconductors. Industry observers said the move is part of a broader push to expand its global footprint and strengthen its position in the AI semiconductor supply chain.

AI drives IC price hikes, lifts China chip exports 83.7% in April

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digitimes.com 2026-05-12

Global investment in AI computing power is continuing to boost semiconductor demand, and China's chip exports are surging in tandem. Data from China's General Administration of Customs show that China's IC export value rose 100.1% year-over-year in April 2026, marking the first time it has doubled and reflecting how price hikes in AI servers, data centers, and memory are spreading rapidly through

Trade talks to test US-China leverage on rare earths, tariffs, and AI

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digitimes.com 2026-05-12

US President Donald Trump is set to travel to China this week to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping for trade talks. The meeting comes at a time when both powers are grappling with technological competition, trade tensions, and the Middle East conflict. Many observers are not expecting a transformative outcome, but rather a continuation of small gestures to tamp down a trade war that erupted l

PC chip demand stays murky in 2H26 as pre-buying clocks key

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digitimes.com 2026-05-12

Demand for PC, notebook, and other IT application chips in the first half of 2026 remains relatively strong, driven not only by memory and CPU shortages and price increases, but also by solid pull-in demand for peripheral chips. Many industry players say the current buying momentum is stronger than in a typical seasonal low and reflects customers' expectations that component costs will keep rising