Chip Industry Week in Review

TSMC unveiled an unusually detailed roadmap at this week’s North America Technology Symposium, including future architectures for 3D-ICs for high-performance computing and small, extremely low-power chips for AR/VR glasses, and two implementations of system-on-wafer.

Fig. 1: TSMC’s future packaging and stacking roadmap. Source: TSMC

The foundry also:

• Introduced its next-generation process node, A14, set for production in 2028. Building on its upcoming N2 node, A14 promises up to 15% speed gains or 30% power savings and a 20% boost in logic density.
• Introduced N4C RF, a radio frequency platform for smartphones, offering 30% area and power reduction to support future AI-driven wireless standards like WiFi 8.
• Announced it is near qualification in automotive of its N3A for ADAS and AV applications, with N6e and upcoming N4e supporting ultra-low power IoT AI devices.

Fig. 2: TSMC’s process technology roadmap. Source: TSMC

Leading EDA companies also announced their support for TSMC’s forthcoming platforms:

• • Ansys power integrity, electromigration, and electrothermal multi-physics platforms for A16, and electromagnetic analysis solution for 5nm and 3nm processes
  • Cadence digital, custom/analog design, and thermal analysis solutions for A16 and N2P, along with DDR5 12.8G IP for N2P and a DDR5 12.8Gbps MRDIMM Gen2 memory IP system solution on the N3 process
  • Siemens physical verification, SPICE, and variation-aware verification tools for N2P and A16
  • Synopsys digital and analog design flows for A16 and N2P, along with interface and foundation IP for N2/N2P

Financial releases this week: IBM, Intel,  Lam Research, SK hynix, STMicroelectronics, Texas Instruments, United Microelectronics. Additionally ASML released its general meeting presentation, providing insights into its growth drivers through 2030.

Intel reportedly planned to cut another 20% of its workforce this week, but details remained sparse. This would be the second major staffing cut in eight months, and the first under new CEO Lip-Bu Tan.

McKinsey released a new report on semiconductor industry investments and challenges. The consultancy pointed to nearly $1 trillion in infrastructure investments over the next five years, but noted the chip industry must overcome capital-related issues, increasing material demands, offshore concentrations of raw materials and packaging, logistical and handling issues, and talent shortages.

MIT researchers created a “periodic table” for machine learning that shows how more than 20 classical ML algorithms are connected and could be used to improve AI models and generate new ones.

Imec shared early research on eliminating PFAS from semiconductor manufacturing, showing high-resolution patterns with EUV PFAS-free photoresists.

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In-Depth
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Global

In Europe:

• The Center for European Policy Analysis published “Chip Challenges: Tariffs, Trade Restrictions, and China,” arguing that Europe should “focus on its strengths: design, and innovation, especially in compound semiconductors, and not try to “out-subsidize” either the U.S. or China.”
• Innovate UK awarded funding to several consortia to further quantum technology development, including to benchmark and enhance quantum error correction capabilities, create a modular system for integrating and evaluating quantum software and hardware components, and integrate a quantum error corrected testbed in a commercial data center.

In Asia:

• CSIS weighs in on trade negotiations between the U.S. and S. Korea, in “U.S.-ROK Negotiations: An Opportunity to Reset on Trade, Investment, and Technology,” addressing semiconductor, cybersecurity and more.
• AMD and KDDI are teaming up to leverage 4^th Gen AMD EPYC CPUs for KDDI’s advanced 5G virtualized network in Japan.
• Fujitsu and RIKEN developed a 256-qubit superconducting quantum computer, which will be integrated into a hybrid quantum computing platform.

In-Depth

Semiconductor Engineering published its Systems and Design newsletter this week, featuring these top stories:

• AI Drives Re-Engineering Of Nearly Everything In Chips
• New Ways To Improve EDA Productivity
• Analog Creates Ripples in Digital Verification

More reporting this week:

• Need For Speed Drives Targeted Testing
• Secure Handling Of Financial Data In Manufacturing

Markets and Money

M&A:

• STMicroelectronics acquired Canada-based edge AI company Deeplite.
• Okika Devices, a maker of analog signal processing ICs, acquired Anadigm, a provider of programmable analog signal processors and field programmable analog arrays (FPAA).

Fundings:

• The Northeast Microelectronics Coalition (NEMC) Hub awarded $1.4 million in awards to 19 semiconductor startups.
• CHEmpower raised $18.7 million to advance its abrasive-free planarization in chip manufacturing.
• Magics raised €5.7 million (~$6.5M) for its radiation-hardened ICs for the space and nuclear sectors.
• UbiQD raised $20 million in Series B for its quantum dot technology.
• Cynomi raised $37 million to address small business cybersecurity attacks by creating more effective SMBs.
• Reco announced $25 million in additional funding, bringing its total funding to $55 million, to scale its AI-native SaaS security

Security

CSIS addresses whether the U.S. government should engage in offensive hacking in response to being hacked, in “Back & Forth 4: Should the United States Adopt a “Hack-Back” Cyber Strategy?”

Recent security research:

• The Pains of Hardware Security: An Assessment Model of Real-World Hardware Security Attacks (TU Wien, et al.)
• Mitigating side channel attacks on FPGA through deep learning and dynamic partial reconfiguration (BITS Pilani Hyderabad)

Broadcom announced Incident Prediction, a feature of Symantec Endpoint Security Complete that leverages AI to identify and disrupt living off the land attacks and other cyberthreats.

CISA‘s acting assistant director provided reassurance that the CVE program will continue. CISA also issued a number of new alerts/advisories.

Product News

Alphawave Semi announced subsystem IP for 64G UCIe, 224G SerDes, 800G/1.6T UALink and 800G/1.6T UEC controllers, along with reference chiplet architecture designs.

Siemens launched new versions of its Teamcenter X software to make PLM accessible to more companies for cross-domain lifecycle management.

The Optical Internetworking Forum (OIF) finalized the 800LR Implementation Agreement, enabling single-wavelength 800G coherent optical links for short-reach data center interconnects.

Zyxel Networks expanded its portfolio of dual-radio Wi-Fi 7 access points for high density network environments.

Navitas unveiled new GaN and SiC technologies at PCIM 2025, including 1200V SiCPAK modules and bi-directional GaNFast ICs, focused on AI data centers and electric vehicle power systems.

In awards: Arteris won two gold and one silver Stevie Awards for technical innovation and Quadric‘s Chimera QC GPNPU was named the 2025 best edge AI processor IP by the Edge AI and Vision Alliance.

Automotive

The U.S. government announced new Automated Vehicle (AV) Framework as part of a new transportation innovation agenda.

McKinsey & Company reported on how consumer priorities and expectations are shaping the EV transition in major markets.

The Automotive Edge Computing Consortium (AECC) released Digital Twin Use Cases for Automobiles, which focuses on real-time data processing and edge computing to optimize mobility services.

Infineon introduced the XENSIV TLE4960x magnetic switch family to support functional safety applications with requirements up to ASIL B. The company also partnered with Marelli to advance automotive display technology with a MEMS laser beam scanning system.

Intel unveiled a multi-process-node chiplet architecture, the second-gen Intel AI-enhanced software-defined vehicle SoC. The company also announced collaborations with ModelBest and Black Sesame, aimed at AI-powered cockpits, integrated advanced driver-assistance systems, and energy-efficient vehicle compute platforms.

OMNIVISION announced an image sensor for in-cabin automotive driver monitoring systems.

Valens Semiconductor and ESWIN Computing partnered to bring a suite of MIPI A-PHY solutions to the Chinese market.

Global automotive NAD module and chipset shipments rose 14% YoY, driven by embedded connectivity, per Counterpoint.  The analyst firm also provided insights into the Cellular Vehicle-to-Everything (C-V2X) technology. 

Batteries:

• Stellantis and Factorial Energy successfully validated Factorial’s auto-sized solid-state battery cells, which charge in 18 minutes.
• China’s CATL will mass-produce its Naxtra sodium-ion battery packs by the end of this year to enable EVs to travel up to 500km (310 miles) on a five-minute charge, beating BYD’s five-minute charge on distance, per CNBC.
• Sionic Energy was awarded a $200,000 SuperBoost grant from the NSF Energy Storage Engine in Upstate New York to develop and sell its 100% silicon lithium-ion battery platform.

Research

Sandia National Lab-led researchers designed an ultra-low-power long-duration toxin sensor to detect sarin and other chemical warfare agents or gaseous industrial toxins, all fabricated by TSMC.

Fig.3: Sandia National Lab microelectronics engineer M. Hirabayashi transfers microelectronic devices into storage containers. Photo by Craig Fritz/Sandia

Thermal:

• University of Tokyo researchers demonstrated a significant performance increase in cooling technology for high-power electronic devices.
• TU Wien and partners produced new, efficient thermoelectric materials that could offer greater stability and lower cost.

Materials:

• Researchers from Hirosaki University, Université Côte d’Azur, and University of Bristol  developed a safer alternative to PFAS by mimicking the spatial “bulkiness” of fluorine using only non-toxic carbon and hydrogen.
• Queensland University of Technology-led researchers developed a new class of high-performing, highly ductile thermoelectric materials based on AgCu(Te, Se, S) alloys, striking a balance between mechanical flexibility and thermoelectric efficiency.
• Princeton University engineers invented a metamaterial called a “metabot.”

Wearables:

• Korea Institute of Technology and Korea University researchers developed a bio-friendly ultrasonic receiver that maintains its performance even when bent.
• Georgia Tech and partners developed a wearable device that offers insight into skin health by monitoring the flux of vapors through the skin.

Education and Training

Applied Materials invested in several initiatives at Arizona State University including research grants to advance the microelectronics industry and scholarships that support engineering students.

Purdue University and ASML expanded their longstanding partnership through an R&D agreement intended to advance semiconductor innovation.

UC Berkeley opened Grimes Engineering Center, a new hub on the north side of its campus.

Yale University will launch a certificate in Quantum Science and Engineering in fall 2025.

The Korea Institute of Materials Science signed an MoU with  Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology to advance science and technology and workforce development.

India’s Pandit Deendayal Energy University launched a semiconductor and AI training center through a partnership with the National Skill Development Corporation.

Vietnam’s Hanoi University of Science enrolled students in a semiconductor technology program for the first time.

Events and Further Reading

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