01. H20 frenzy reignites: NVIDIA rushes 300k-wafer rush order to TSMC for restock
According to a research report released on July 22, power semiconductors in the discrete devices segment are showing strong growth momentum. Automotive applications are the key driver—electric vehicles, charging infrastructure, and advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) require a large number of MOSFETs, IGBTs, and diodes. Many Tier 1 automotive suppliers report that orders are strong and will continue through 2026.
Similarly, the industrial sector's pursuit of energy efficiency and automation continues to drive demand for robust power discrete devices. Silicon carbide (SiC) and gallium nitride (GaN) components, once niche products, are expanding their applications due to their efficiency and thermal performance advantages. While the standard commercial discrete devices market remains stable, specialized power devices are facing extended lead times and slight price increases.
02. Industrial- and automotive-grade chip prices climb in unison, sending unambiguous recovery signal
30 Jul – SemiMedia reports that since May, rebounding Chinese industrial and EV markets have lifted power and control-semiconductor demand, pushing component prices higher across the board. Industrial inventory days fell from 45 in 2023 to 20 in early 2025, leaving MCUs and power modules chronically short. China’s H1 EV sales surged 40 % YoY, driving demand for BMS, motor-control ICs and in-vehicle radar; high-voltage IGBT lead times extended from 8 to 16 weeks, with quarterly price hikes of 15–20 %. TI’s Q2 revenue reached US$4.45 bn and net profit US$1.56 bn, ending seven straight quarters of decline; Hua Hong raised wafer prices by 10–15 % starting Q2. SiC devices, limited by capacity, have risen >30 % in two years. Geopolitics and supply-chain restructuring have doubled logistics and manufacturing costs, prompting several OEMs to raise MCU safety stock from three to six months.
03. Samsung secures US$16.5 bn deal to fabricate Tesla AI6 chips
28 Jul – Samsung Electronics announced a 22.8 trn KRW (≈ US$16.5 bn) foundry agreement with Tesla spanning 26 Jul 2025 to end-2033—about 7.6 % of Samsung’s projected 2024 revenue. Elon Musk confirmed that Samsung’s new Taylor, Texas fab will be the sole producer of Tesla’s next-gen AI6 chips for FSD, Optimus robots and the Dojo supercomputer. The contract is the plant’s first major external customer, easing chronic under-utilization and potentially reversing the >5 trn KRW loss in Samsung’s foundry unit during H1. AI6 is slated for Samsung 2 nm, but volume production may slip to 2027–28; Tesla will keep sourcing AI5 from TSMC until then.
04. Inventory writedowns dent Samsung DS Q2 profit; AI chips seen as turnaround lever
31 Jul – Samsung’s Device Solutions division reported only 0.4 trn KRW in Q2 operating profit, down 6 trn KRW YoY. A ~1 trn KRW inventory provision, foundry losses and lagging HBM progress were the main drags. The company says it has locked in Tesla’s AI-chip orders and has shipped HBM4 samples to NVIDIA. The new Taylor fab comes online in 2025, paired with HBM3E and high-capacity SSDs, aiming to swing the division back to recovery in H2.
05. Global foundry revenue tops US$165 bn for the first time; 3 nm node revenue explodes 6×
29 Jul – Counterpoint projects 2025 pure-play foundry revenue will jump 17 % to US$165 bn, a 12 % CAGR from 2021. The 3 nm node is expected to surge 600 % to ~US$30 bn, while 5/4 nm nodes add >US$40 bn; advanced nodes (≥7 nm) now account for over half of total revenue. AI phones, AI PCs, AI ASICs, GPUs and HPC chips are the prime drivers, with TSMC the biggest beneficiary, followed by Samsung and Intel.
06. Microsoft & Meta beat forecasts, vow higher AI capex; Taiwan supply chain rallies
01 Aug – Economic Daily reports that Microsoft and Meta both topped Q2 expectations and raised AI-capex guidance. Microsoft now sees FY capex approaching US$30 bn; Meta lifted FY capex to US$66–72 bn and expects another significant rise in 2025. The two hyperscalers’ data-center build-outs are a direct boon to Taiwan’s AI-server partners—Foxconn, Quanta, Wiwynn and Inventec—whose shares surged.