July 20, 2026

TSMC Boosts 2026 Expansion Budget, Adds $100B to U.S. Investment TSMC will raise its 2026 capital budget to up to $64 billion and invest another $100 billion in U.S. chip facilities to meet booming AI demand. Despite expanding capacity, the foundry expects supply shortages to persist while maintaining its technology lead over Samsung and Intel. EE Times

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Chip Industry Week In Review Chipmakers are accelerating global expansion as Intel, TSMC, Samsung, UMC, Tower Semiconductor and Yuanjiwei invest in advanced manufacturing, silicon photonics, packaging and next-generation chips to meet demand and strengthen regional supply chains. Semiconductor Engineering

The Economics of Electronic Component Salvage and Reuse This paper explores the feasibility and benefits of salvaging and reconditioning the leads and pads of electronic components, focusing on high-value components such as microprocessors, microcontrollers, and artificial intelligence chips. Technical Paper

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Taiwan to keep best TSMC tech despite US push Taiwan pledged to keep TSMC's most advanced chip technology at home despite the company's additional US$100 billion U.S. investment. Officials backed domestic expansion, infrastructure upgrades & AI-driven demand to strengthen semiconductor leadership & supply chain resilience. Taipei Times

TSMC Boosts Arizona Investment by US$100B, Plans 4 More Fabs for 2nm and Advanced Packaging TSMC will invest another US$100 billion in Arizona, expanding its U.S. footprint to 10 fabs and two advanced packaging sites while continuing major expansion in Taiwan. The company expects strong AI demand through 2030 despite margin pressure from overseas growth. TrendForce

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Technical Papers A New Optical Ball Grid Array Package Development for Automotive Optical Sensor Automated X-Ray Metrology: Enhancing Quality and Efficiency in Wafer and Panel-Level Applications Alpha Particle Emissions: An Overlooked Risk for Soft Errors in Advanced Packaging Revolutionizing IC Packaging with High-Density RDL Technology EOTPR Fine pitch probing for die-to-die interconnect failure analysis in chiplet devices Die-on-Tab for Compound Semiconductors: Enabling Advanced RF Power Systems Package Assembly Design Kits: The Future of Advanced Package Design MORE TECHNICAL PAPERS

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Samsung Reportedly Holds Back High-NA EUV Mass Production to Contain Costs Ahead of Foundry Turnaround Intel became the first chipmaker to use ASML's High-NA EUV in mass production for select 18A Panther Lake layers. Samsung, despite installing two systems, is delaying deployment to limit foundry losses and control costs until profitability and 2nm yields improve. TrendForce

TSMC is accelerating Arizona factory buildout to capitalize on AI 'megatrend,' CFO says TSMC is accelerating expansion at its Arizona fabs, raising its U.S. investment to $265 billion to meet booming AI chip demand. The company expects sustained multi-year growth, boosts advanced 2nm and 3nm capacity, and maintains confidence despite market volatility. CNBC

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Chip stocks slide in AI unwind Chipmaker stocks plunged into a bear market as investors questioned AI spending, rising competition and future returns. China's low-cost Kimi K3 model intensified concerns, triggering a global technology selloff despite continued strong AI demand and solid corporate earnings. Taipei Times

New Material Beats Copper's Thermal Conductivity Researchers at UCLA and Argonne National Laboratory discovered theta-phase tantalum nitride (θ-TaN), a metallic material with record thermal conductivity of about 1,100 W/m-K. The breakthrough could boost heat sinks and improve cooling for high-performance electronics. EE Times

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Xi calls for global cooperation on AI President Xi Jinping urged global cooperation on AI governance at the World AI Conference, rejecting unilateral dominance and advocating human-centered rules. China also showcased advanced AI models and technologies to reinforce its leadership in the sector. Taipei Times

ASML Raises Outlook, Plans More EUV Capacity ASML topped second-quarter guidance, lifted its full-year outlook and credited robust AI-driven demand for chipmaking equipment. Strong upgrade sales fueled results, while better product mix, pricing flexibility and higher volumes will boost second-half margins. EE Times

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Chinese AI has leveled up, and brought renewed focus on the open weight model shift Moonshot AI unveiled Kimi K3, its 2.8-trillion-parameter model, claiming it outperforms OpenAI and Anthropic rivals on coding and agent benchmarks. The launch intensifies U.S.-China AI competition while increasing pressure on rivals to deliver more capable, cost-effective AI models. CNBC

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