Semiconductor Manufacturing
Ongoing coverage on Semiconductor Manufacturing.
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Samsung workers to take home $340,000 on average thanks to union's vote to approve historic profit-share deal
Samsung semiconductor workers will receive an average of $340,000 in bonuses following a union vote to approve a historic profit-sharing deal. The agreement grants workers 10.5% of the company's operating profit, totaling an estimated $22.6 billion. The article also touches on the broader role of labor unions in the tech and gaming industries, referencing recent events at Hasbro and Wizards of the Coast.
AMD is investing $10 billion+ into Taiwan tech to 'accelerate next-gen AI infrastructure', with some fancy new…
AMD announced an investment of over $10 billion into Taiwan's semiconductor and AI ecosystem to expand strategic partnerships and scale advanced packaging facilities for AI infrastructure. The company also highlighted production milestones for its Venice Epyc CPUs on TSMC's 2nm technology and plans for its Helios rack-scale platform.
AMD announces production ramp of first 2 nm CPUs as Intel teases 10A and 7A chip roadmap
AMD has announced that its first 2 nm server CPUs, codenamed Venice, are now in production with TSMC, skipping the 3 nm node for future PC processors. Intel has also teased potential future 10 nm and 7 nm nodes, indicating continued progress in semiconductor manufacturing despite the traditional cadence of Moore's Law slowing.
Samsung union suspends strike after reaching tentative deal on bonuses
Samsung's union has suspended its planned strike that would have affected the company's memory chip production. The decision follows a tentative agreement reached on bonus payments.
Intel chief: 'In the past, we made a lot of mistakes... from day one I came on board as CEO, I have all the…
Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan discussed the company's recent turnaround and his hands-on management style in an interview with Mad Money. He highlighted improvements in engineering, roadmap simplification, and yield rates for Intel's manufacturing processes, aiming to match competitors like TSMC by 2028-2029.
Intel is reportedly forcing PC builders to buy its latest, most expensive 18A CPUs and I'm wondering what that…
Intel is reportedly prioritizing its server CPUs and newer 18A silicon, leading to reduced supply of older Intel 7 node chips and even TSMC-manufactured CPUs for its PC partners. This strategy aims to meet surging AI demand and push PC builders towards the more expensive 18A process, potentially impacting the availability and pricing of high-performance desktop and laptop CPUs.
Morning Tech Bits
TSMC is accelerating its development of advanced semiconductor manufacturing nodes, including plans for 1nm production, reportedly outpacing Samsung. NVIDIA's fastest professional GPU is also mentioned as nearing a $10,000 price point.
Samsung workers could be about to strike, potentially making GPUs, memory, and SSDs even more expensive
Samsung workers in Korea are threatening to strike, potentially impacting global production of memory, SSDs, and GPUs. The dispute centers on pay and bonus structures, with a potential strike involving over 43,000 workers that could reduce semiconductor output by 3-4%. The Korean government has intervened to ensure safety and production levels, but negotiations are ongoing.
Apple reportedly testing Intel's 18A-P process to make iPhone and Mac chips
Apple is reportedly testing Intel's 18A-P manufacturing process for future iPhone and Mac chips. The initial production run will focus on older Apple Silicon systems.
Here's how the Iran war is hitting key supplies for components, according to supply chain experts
The conflict in Iran is significantly impacting global supply chains, particularly for materials essential to semiconductor and component manufacturing. Key substances like helium, sulphuric acid, PPE resin, aluminium, and solvents for photoresists are facing shortages due to disrupted trade routes and damaged production facilities. Experts warn of sustained price increases and potential multi-year disruptions, with AI infrastructure likely prioritized over consumer electronics.
Lip-Bu Tan says 'Intel and Nvidia are collaborating to develop exciting new products' and I'm wondering…
Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan announced that Intel and Nvidia are collaborating on new products, following rumors of Nvidia using Intel Foundry services for future AI GPUs. This partnership could involve Intel's 'Serpent Lake' chip and Nvidia's 'Rubin GPU' technology, potentially diversifying Nvidia's production away from TSMC amidst global tensions and US government preference for domestic chip manufacturing.
Apple (AAPL) & Intel (INTC) reach preliminary chip-making deal with Trump administration's backing
Apple and Intel have reached a preliminary agreement for chip manufacturing, with the backing of the Trump administration. This deal signifies a potential collaboration in the semiconductor industry.
Toilet maker Toto is here to help with the RAM crisis
Toilet manufacturer Toto is investing more into its ceramics division, which produces components used in NAND memory manufacturing. This move aims to address the ongoing RAM crisis by increasing production capacity for essential semiconductor materials.
Rumours suggest Nvidia's next-next gen Fenyman AI GPUs will use Intel Foundry tech for some of the components
Rumors suggest that Nvidia's upcoming Fenyman AI GPUs will incorporate components manufactured by Intel Foundry, potentially using their 18A or 14A process for I/O dies. While the main GPU dies will still be produced by TSMC, Intel is also reportedly involved in advanced packaging. This potential collaboration deepens the partnership between Nvidia and Intel, with Fenyman GPUs tentatively slated for a 2028 release.
'This is a fundamentally different company today': Intel reports strong financial results, says its upcoming 14A process is already outpacing early 18A yields
Intel reported strong first-quarter 2026 financial results, with revenue reaching $13.6 billion, driven significantly by AI-related businesses which now constitute 60% of its revenue. CEO Lip-Bu Tan highlighted the company's transformation and the promising progress of its 14A chip process, which is already outperforming early 18A yields. A notable partnership with Tesla for AI chip production using Intel's 14A process was also announced.
Elon Musk's aerospace and AI company reportedly plans to make its own GPUs, though I doubt you'll one day be enjoying a SpaceX graphics card in your rig
Elon Musk's SpaceX is reportedly planning to manufacture its own Graphics Processing Units (GPUs), according to a review of its S-1 filing. While the article speculates these chips will be primarily for AI workloads rather than gaming, the move signifies a substantial capital expenditure in hardware development. This endeavor is part of a larger effort involving Tesla and Intel's Terafab project for advanced chip manufacturing.
Tesla to use Intel 14A for AI chips as Musk says it will be 'ready for prime time' when the multi-billion…
Tesla will utilize Intel's upcoming 14A process node for its AI chips, as announced by Elon Musk during a Tesla earnings call. This partnership is part of Musk's ambitious Terafab project aimed at producing custom chips for Tesla, xAI, and SpaceX to power vehicles, robots, and data centers. Intel's 14A node is expected to be mature by the time Terafab scales up.
Making your own DRAM cells in a garden shed isn't the most practical solution to the RAMpocalypse, but it's…
YouTuber Dr. Semiconductor has successfully built functional DRAM cells in a backyard shed cleanroom, detailing the complex semiconductor manufacturing process. While the homemade cells work, their capacitors bleed charge faster than conventional DRAM, requiring more frequent recharging. Future plans include integrating these cells into a larger array and potentially hooking them up to a PC, with Doom mentioned as a possible test platform.
TSMC reportedly plots ultra-advanced sub-1 nm chips with 'trial' production starting in 2029
TSMC is reportedly planning to begin trial production of sub-1 nanometer semiconductor chips in 2029, with commercial availability expected in 2030 or later. This advanced manufacturing process follows their N2 node, expected later this year, and the A14 node planned for 2028. The development is significant for future PC and AI hardware, though the AI boom has impacted chip pricing.
China's YMTC is reportedly aiming to more than double its wafer production, which could eventually help put cheap…
China's Yangtze Memory Technologies (YMTC) is reportedly planning to significantly increase its wafer production by building two new foundries. This expansion aims to more than double its output, potentially making it a major global producer of NAND flash memory chips used in SSDs. The move is also seen as China's effort to reduce reliance on US chip manufacturers amidst export restrictions.
