Semiconductor Supply Chain
Updates 036

Broadcom reported fiscal third-quarter revenue of USD 29.6 billion, up 86% year on year. AI semiconductor revenue reached USD 16.7 billion, rising 221% from a year earlier and 54% from the previous quarter.

The company expects AI semiconductor revenue to accelerate to approximately USD 21.7 billion in the fourth quarter. Strong demand for custom AI accelerators and networking confirms that hyperscalers are building alternatives and complements to merchant GPUs at increasing scale.

Nvidia will invest USD 3.5 billion in MediaTek through convertible bonds as part of the Taiwanese chipmaker’s record USD 3.9 billion overseas bond offering. The companies are expanding a relationship that already covers AI PCs and automotive applications.

MediaTek customers will be able to use Nvidia’s NVLink Fusion technology to design custom AI chips that connect directly with Nvidia data-center systems, reducing the engineering required to build memory and interconnect compatibility from scratch.

Navitas Semiconductor and GlobalFoundries said first shipments of U.S.-manufactured fifth-generation GaNFast devices will begin in September. Production uses GlobalFoundries’ 200mm GaN-on-silicon facility in Burlington, Vermont.

The devices target AI infrastructure, performance computing, industrial electrification and national-security applications. They also strengthen a domestic U.S. supply path for high-efficiency power conversion as AI rack power density rises.

Solvay plans to more than double annual ultra-pure hydrogen peroxide capacity in Taiwan from 35,000 tonnes to above 70,000 tonnes by the end of 2026. The expansion is being carried out through its 51%-owned Shinsol Advanced Chemicals joint venture in Tainan.

Electronic-grade hydrogen peroxide is used in wafer-cleaning steps where extremely low contamination levels become increasingly important at advanced process nodes. Solvay aims to at least triple the contribution of its electronic-grade peroxide business within five to seven years.

Four U.S. companies have committed a combined USD 2 billion of investment in South Korea across semiconductors, advanced materials and energy. Air Products will expand semiconductor-gas and rare-gas facilities in Pyeongtaek, while Axcelis will expand local production of ion-implantation systems.

Corning will invest in advanced glass and other semiconductor and display materials. Pacifico Energy will advance a 3.2-gigawatt offshore-wind project in the southwest, where South Korea expects to develop a new chip cluster.

The European Union awarded French state-owned Bull a EUR 387.8 million contract to build LUMI-AI, an AI-focused supercomputer to be installed in Finland and scheduled to become operational in the second half of 2027.

The system will integrate AMD AI chips, IBM storage and Nokia networking. It is the sixth machine ordered under EuroHPC’s AI Factories program, where officials say current demand for AI compute exceeds available capacity.

A Chinese court has frozen up to CNY 2.14 billion, approximately USD 300 million, of assets held by Dutch chipmaker Nexperia and its equipment arm. The order covers stakes in four China-based businesses and remains in force until August 2029.

The case was brought by Nexperia’s Chinese owner, Wingtech, after Dutch authorities removed its control of the company. Nexperia said the measures do not affect day-to-day operations, management or business continuity, but the broader ownership dispute remains unresolved.

Nvidia will acquire AI developer platform Hugging Face for USD 12.93 billion. The transaction includes approximately USD 11.9 billion for investors and an equity-based retention program of up to USD 1 billion for employees joining Nvidia.

Nvidia said Hugging Face will remain an open platform and developers will continue to be able to choose their preferred models, chips and cloud providers. The acquisition brings Nvidia closer to the developers who select, customize and deploy open AI models.