Opinion: Are we nearing the peak of custom ASIC adoption?
Have we reached the high-water mark of custom silicon? Not yet, but we can likely see it from here.
Semiconductor articles
Intel doubles down on foundry ambitions, unveils 18A and 14A process enhancements
New CEO means to woo foundry clients
In context: Intel's recent challenges are undoubtedly familiar to anyone who has paid even the slightest attention to the semiconductor market. These issues were a key reason the company recently appointed semiconductor industry veteran Lip-Bu Tan as its new CEO. Some even speculated that Intel might spin off its chip-making foundry business.
Intel's origin story: Gordon Moore and Robert Noyce left which company to found Intel?
Initially, the new venture was named "Moore Noyce Electronics."
Taiwan moves to tighten control over TSMC's advanced chip exports and overseas investments
TSMC's overseas expansion faces new hurdles under the revised regulations
AI is reshaping chip design tools, and the results are impossible to ignore
Why it matters: As powerful as AI may be, many industries are still struggling to find clear-cut applications that make a measurable, demonstrable difference. Thankfully, that is not the case when it comes to chip design software. In fact, since their introduction just a few years ago, AI-powered features have become a mainstay of EDA (Electronic Design Automation) tools from companies such as Cadence and Synopsys.
TSMC to begin 1.4nm A14 chip production in 2028, expands 3nm family with N3P and N3X
Next-gen 2nm node launches this year ahead of A14 rollout
Intel to adopt TSMC's next-gen 2nm process for upcoming Nova Lake CPUs
Nova Lake will also debut a new LGA 1954 motherboard socket
Rising power density and heat threaten the future of advanced semiconductors
The end of Dennard scaling is fueling a thermal crisis in next-gen chips
TSMC denies reports of joint venture with Intel as US pushes for domestic chip solutions
CEO C.C. Wei shut down the reports
Researchers use lasers and metalenses to align 3D chips with atomic precision
Forward-looking: Researchers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst have developed a laser-based technique to align 3D semiconductor chips, potentially overcoming a longstanding challenge in chip manufacturing. The method employs concentric metalenses to generate holograms that reveal misalignment between chip layers at a much smaller scale than previously possible.
Trump plans new tariffs on semiconductors, promises flexibility for some companies
Trump administration is looking at the whole electronics supply chain as part of its tariff investigations
Trump administration exempts phones, computers, CPUs, memory, and chipmaking tools from sweeping tariffs
The exemptions cover $390 billion in yearly US imports
Why it matters: The Trump administration has granted a reprieve to global technology manufacturers by exempting smartphones, laptops, CPUs, memory chips, and electronics to make semiconductors from its sweeping tariffs on imports – a move that could ease pressure on companies like Apple and Nvidia while offering relief to consumers.
New restrictions on China's rare earths will likely disrupt tech and defense industries
The latest measure targets seven rare earth elements, including scandium and dysprosium
Arm is aiming to win half of data center CPU market by year's end
Nvidia will play a major role in achieving that ambitious goal
Intel's 18A node enters risk production, paving the way for Panther Lake
18A node production begins ramping up
Pat Gelsinger warns TSMC's $100 billion investment will not restore US semiconductor dominance
"If you don't have R&D in the US., you will not have semiconductor leadership in the US."
Jensen Huang anticipates 20% performance boost from gate-all-around transistors
New technology likely vital for Feynman (2028) and later GPU architectures
TSMC spends just 10% more on silicon wafers manufactured in the USA than in Taiwan fabs
A hot potato: TSMC has repeatedly said that funding a new chip-making venture outside Taiwan is very expensive for numerous reasons. However, a new analysis tries to debunk the company's alleged financial issues with building new plants in other parts of the world.
TSMC's 2nm chips near production, iPhone 18 Pro likely to be first to adopt
Yields estimated to be far above 60 percent
How profitable are TSMC's nodes: crunching the numbers
Legacy nodes are more valuable than they appear
Vietnam wants to compete with Taiwan by establishing its first wafer fab
The goal is to become one of the biggest semiconductor players between 2040 and 2050
Chip industry veteran Lip-Bu Tan is Intel's new CEO
New leader wants to turn Intel into a "world-class foundry"
Something to look forward to: Intel's years-long struggle to stay competitive in the semiconductor market worsened last year as the company lost billions, forcing out CEO Pat Gelsinger. While the strategic direction of his successor remains unclear, early statements suggest that Intel will maintain its commitment to foundries, even as rivals propose partnerships and others question whether Intel should stay in the foundry market.
Intel embraces the multi-foundry approach, currently outsourcing 30% of its wafer production to TSMC
Intel sees TSMC as a key supplier while refining its foundry model
Nvidia and Broadcom are testing Intel's 18A capabilities, but future deals remain uncertain
Intel fights for foundry relevance
TSMC announces extra $100 billion investment in US chip manufacturing, bringing total to $165 billion
TSMC has committed to creating new factories and thousands of jobs